generously made available by the internet archive/american libraries.) [illustration: the priory gateway, worksop] the dukeries described by r. murray gilchrist pictured by e. w. haslehust [illustration] blackie and son limited london glasgow and bombay 1913 +--------------------------------------------------+ | ~beautiful england~ | | _volumes ready_ | | | | | oxford | the cornish riviera | | the english lakes | dickens-land | | canterbury | winchester | | shakespeare-land | the isle of wight | | the thames | chester | | windsor castle | york | | cambridge | the new forest | | norwich and the broads | hampton court | | the heart of wessex | exeter | | the peak district | hereford | | the dukeries | | | | _uniform with this series_ | | | | ~beautiful ireland~ | | | | leinster | munster | | ulster | connaught | +--------------------------------------------------+ list of illustrations page the priory gateway, worksop _frontispiece_ worksop manor 8 robin hood's larder 14 the major oak, thoresby park 20 the beech avenue, thoresby 26 welbeck abbey 32 clumber 36 thoresby 42 ollerton 48 rufford abbey 52 the japanese garden, rufford abbey 56 edwinstowe 60 [illustration: the dukeries] worksop and the manor although within the last twenty-five years worksop has suffered many changes, unfortunate enough from an æsthetic point of view, the dukeries end of the principal street still suggests the comfortable market town in the neighbourhood of folk of quality. the only relic of notable antiquity is the quaint inn, known as the old ship--a building with projecting upper story and carved oaken beams that might have been transported from chester. the twin-towered priory church, a gatehouse of singular interest, and some slight, gracefully proportioned ecclesiastical ruins are the main features of interest. the priory was founded by william de lovetot, and used by the canons of the order of st. augustine. great men were buried there, notably several chiefs of the furnival family, who had for town residence furnival's inn in holborn. the interior of the church contains some excellent round and octagonal pillars, and one or two ancient effigies. the walls are coated with stucco, which detracts considerably from the beauty of this handsomely proportioned building. one of the most interesting things to be seen is a piece of a human skull, pierced with an arrowhead. this hangs to the left of the doorway by which the vestry is reached. there is a weird superstition concerning the moving of this relic. near by is the ruined chapel, erected about the middle of the thirteenth century. it was dedicated to the virgin mary, and in olden times must have blazed with gorgeous colours. the roof has fallen; little remains of its former beauty save the lancet windows. the double piscina and the sedilia are still in fair preservation, and we are shown the round holes in the stonework once filled with the pegs of the canons' oaken seats. in the churchyard are a few quaint epitaphs for such as delight to dwell upon the virtues of the forgotten dead. the priory gatehouse at the farther end is perhaps one of the most interesting buildings of its kind in existence. the stonework is of soft grey, and the roof chiefly of well-coloured tiles. a roadway about fifteen yards in length passes through the building; the original ceiling of oaken beams with graceful braces is still in good condition. above this was the hospitium, or guest chamber, where may be seen the hooded chimney-piece and the hearth before which old-time travellers rested o' nights and told tales that chaucer might have loved, before retiring to the smaller chambers, to sleep heavily after the good cheer provided by their priestly hosts. in front of this relic stands the old market cross; and near by, until within the nineteenth century, were the stocks for vagrants and refractory townsmen. camden tells us that in his time worksop was "noted for its great produce of liquorice, and famous for the earl of shrewsbury's house, built in our memory by george talbot, with the magnificence becoming so great an earl, and yet below envy". in park street, not far from the priory gateway, is one of the entrances to the manor park. the trees still remaining are not noteworthy in the matter of size, with the exception of a few cedars and beeches near the terrace of the house. as one approaches, the manor hills, gently sloping and well wooded, with heather-covered clearings, may be seen to the left. as for the house itself, the garden front of to-day, without being of great architectural interest, has a very pleasant air of unpretentious comfort and brightness. there is a flower garden whose beds are edged with box and yew. the chief object of note is a long and high wall, probably a portion of the ancient house; this is somewhat dignified with its worn coping, whereon stand various urns the carving of which time has softened. from the terrace one looks down on the sloping park with its mere, and scattered trees, and graceful groups of young horses. passing round the house, and entering a vast gateway surmounted by a lion, one sees, to the right, part of the manor built after 1761, when the house which replaced the elizabethan palace built by the earl of shrewsbury and his countess bess, with its pictures and furniture and some of the arundelian marbles, was destroyed by fire. to my thinking, the most suggestive view of the present edifice is gained from the mansfield road, within a few minutes' walk of the town. from an ancient engraving we find that the first house bore some resemblance to hardwick hall, the great bess's most successful building. it contained five hundred rooms; in front was a fine courtyard, with a central octagonal green plot surrounding a basin with a fountain. the artist gave to this a touch of life by drawing a coach and six proudly curving towards the outlet; on the lawns beyond are ladies with fan-shaped hoops, and thin-legged gentlemen with puffed coat skirts. [illustration: worksop manor] of this house horace walpole writes, in 1756: "lord stafford carried us to worksop, where we passed two days. the house is huge and one of the magnificent works of old bess of hardwick, who guarded the queen of scots here for some time in a wretched little bedchamber within her own lofty one:--there is a tolerable little picture ('the story of bathsheba, finely drawn and shaded, in faint colours') of mary's needlework. the great apartment is vast and _triste_, the whole leanly furnished: the great gallery, of about two hundred feet, at the top of the house, is divided into a library and into nothing. the chapel is decent. there is no prospect, and the barren face of the country is richly furred with evergreen plantations." in 1761 he records that "worksop--the new house--is burned down; i don't know the circumstances, it has not been finished a month; the last furniture was brought in for the duke of york: i have some comfort that i had seen it; except the bare chamber in which the queen of scots lodged, nothing remained of ancient time". not only was mary stuart well acquainted with worksop manor, but later, her son, james the first, on his first progress to london, became the guest of gilbert, earl of shrewsbury, her jailer's successor. in a letter to his agent, john harpur, this nobleman writes forewarning him of the expected honour, and, after bidding him see to horses being in readiness, adds, as postcript: "i will not refuse anie fatt capons and hennes, partridges, or the like, yf the king come to me". we find that james left edinburgh on the fifth of april, 1603, and reached worksop on the twentieth, after leaving the high sheriff of yorkshire at bawtry, and being met and escorted by his brother of nottinghamshire. it is matter for surprise that the king accepted the talbot hospitality, considering their melancholy connection with his mother's tragedy, but it is true that he never made parade of filial piety. at worksop park appeared a number of huntsmen, clad in lincoln green, whose chief, "with a woodman's speech, did welcome him, offering his majesty to show him some game, which he gladly consented to see, and, with a traine set, he hunted a good space, very much delighted: at last he went into the house, where he was so nobly received, with superfluitie of all things, that still every entertainment seemed to exceed other. in this place, besides the abundance of all provision and delicacies, there was most excellent soul-ravishing musique, wherewith his highness was not a little delighted." one wonders if he was shown the royal prisoner's miserable little room. at worksop he spent a night, and in the morning stayed for breakfast, which ended, "there was such store of provision left, of fowls, fish, and almost everything, besides bread, beere and wines, that it was left open for any man that would, to come and take". in the state papers relating to the rebellion of '45 may be found a curious and interesting account of a secret hiding-place, reached by lifting a sheet of lead on the roof. a tattling young woman told the story upon oath, describing a staircase that descended to a little room with a fireplace, a bed, and a few chairs, with a door in the wainscot that opened to a place full of arms. unfortunately, both history and tradition are silent concerning any shelter offered by worksop manor to proscribed folk. after the burning of the new house, in 1761, the duke of norfolk, lord shrewsbury's descendant, laid the foundation stone of another in 1763. we learn that this was to have been one of the largest in england; but that only one side of the proposed quadrangle was completed, although five hundred workmen were employed, and closely supervised by the duchess in person. this stood for three-quarters of a century; then, the estate being sold to the duke of newcastle, the greater part of the house was pulled down and the present place built. of the original park, which evelyn mentions as "sweet and delectable", nowadays there is but little to be seen. there still remains, however, a beech grove called the "druid's temple", a "lover's walk" for sentimental youth, and a wood of acacias and cedars, yews and tulip trees--once known as the "wilderness", but since the eighteenth century called the "menagerie", because of a duchess of norfolk who kept an aviary within its precincts. mrs. delany, in 1756, thus alludes to this place: "we went there on sunday evening; but i only saw a crown bird and a most delightful cockatoo, with yellow breast and topping". there is an air of pleasing disorder about the drives, and one is occasionally reminded of irish demesnes. within a mile of the house once stood the celebrated "shire oak"--a gigantic tree whose branches overshadowed a portion of nottinghamshire, of derbyshire, and of yorkshire. evelyn tells us that the distance from bough-end to bough-end was ninety feet, and that two hundred and thirty-five horses might have sheltered beneath its foliage. this tree disappeared entirely in the eighteenth century, and the exact site is now a matter of some uncertainty. sherwood forest and robin hood to savour the full charm of sherwood forest one must stray from the highroad, lose one's path, and wander in happy patience until a broad avenue is reached, or above the treetops one sees the slender and graceful spire of some stately church. the formal beauty of the frequented ways--trimly kept and splendidly coloured--precludes all illusion: only in the remote solitudes with their monstrous old trees is it possible to evoke a mind picture of robin hood and his devoted followers. and even in the most secluded places the imagined pageant of these folk suggests the theatre. the loveliness seems unreal--a background devised by some scene-painter of genius. but sherwood is always beautiful and always tranquil; to those who know aught of wood magic it is as fair in cold midwinter as in autumn, when the leaves are no longer green leaves, but a rich mosaic of russet and orange and sullen red. my most wonderful memory is of a november day when a fine snow was falling, and the leaves drifted downward in a continuous murmuring veil. then, no rabbits played upon the grassy wayside or crossed the track, and the pheasants shivered in their hidden shelters. in early springtime one best realizes the antiquity; the first opening leaves call to mind pale lichen growing upon damp castle walls: in summer the air is languorous, bringing a desire for rest and contemplation. storms are impious there: the ancient oaks and birches and chestnuts must wail and protest, like dotards wakened from senility to cruel hours of actual life. of the old forest naught remains in perfection save the southern parts known as birkland and bilhagh, in the neighbourhood of edwinstowe and ollerton. near the former village may be seen the famous "major oak" and "robin hood's larder". the full glory departed several centuries ago; camden himself writes of "sherewood, which some interpret as _clear wood_, others as _famous wood_, formerly one close continu'd shade with the boughs of trees so entangled in one another, that one could hardly walk single in the paths," that "at present it is much thinner, and feeds an infinite number of deer and stags". in british times the district was occupied by the tribe of the coritani, and later the romans built several camps here, various relics of which were discovered in the eighteenth century. not far away, edwin, the saxon king of northumbria, was slain in battle--fighting against penda, king of mercia, and cadwallader, king of wales; and in all probability his body was buried at the village of edwinstowe. [illustration: robin hood's larder] the earliest definite notice of sherwood dates from the days of henry the second, when william peverel had control and profit of the district under the crown. after his dispossession, a lady named matilda de caux and her husband held the office of chief foresters. in edward the first's time this office was seized by the crown, and granted, as a special mark of favour, to persons of high station. the _charta de foresta_, constructed in henry the third's reign, contains some curious information about woodland customs. we learn that "any archbishop, bishop, earl, or baron, coming to the king at his command, and passing through the forests, might take and kill one or two of the king's deer, by view of the forester if he were present; if not, then he might do it upon the blowing of a horn, that it might not look like a theft. the same might be done when they returned."[1] courts called swainmotes were held thrice yearly--one fifteen days before michaelmas, a second about the feast of st. martin, and a third fifteen days before st. john baptist's day. at the same time the cruel punishments for offences against the forest laws were lessened in rigour. thenceforth no man was punished with death or mutilation for illegally hunting, but if found taking venison was fined heavily. if he were unable to pay, he was imprisoned for a year and a day, and then discharged upon pledges; but if unable to find any surety, was exiled. footnote 1: reeves's _english law_.] the chief officers were known as foresters, verderors, woodwards, and agisters. each verderor had the liberty of taking a tree out of birkland or bilhagh; but this privilege seems to have been abused, since in later years the officers were found to choose the best timber available, and in william the third's reign the favour was withdrawn. until the sixteenth century the forest seems to have been infested with wolves: we read that one, sir robert plumpton, in henry the sixth's time, held land called "wolf-hunt land" at mansfield woodhouse, seven or eight miles away, by service of horn-blowing to chase or frighten away these creatures. in 1635, from a survey taken by royal command, it was discovered that the forests contained 1367 red deer, 987 of these being "rascalds", or ill-conditioned. a few years before, the district had been ravaged by fire, and a contemporary writer describes the conflagration as one such as was "never knowne in menes memory; beinge four mille longe and a mille and a halfe over all at once". later the gentleman tells how "ridinge on his way through the forest homeward, he saw a greate herde of faire red deere, and amonst them 2 extreordanory greet stages, the which he never saw the like". much of the forest oak was used for the royal navy, but more was allowed to decay. folk of good birth but fallen fortunes frequently begged a grant of these trees from the crown. in 1677 thoroton writes that so many claims were granted that there would soon not be wood enough left to cover the bilberries! as time went on, the cleared portions, being of no further use for kingly sport, were sold to various noblemen. in 1683, 1270 acres were bought by the duke of kingston, to add to thoresby park; while early in the eighteenth century 3000 acres were enclosed for the making of clumber park. the last portions of the forest remaining were the hays, or enclosures, of birkland and bilhagh, which were granted to the duke of portland about 1827, in exchange for the perpetual advowson of st. mary-le-bone. bilhagh later became the property of the late earl manvers, its price being the manors of holbeck and bonbusk, near welbeck. after the resignation of the crown lands the waning historical interest of sherwood ceased. birkland and bilhagh are still beautiful as in their prime, but the rest of the neighbourhood is nowadays naught but a wonderful pleasaunce, where drowsy pheasants wander unafraid, and where the chief signs of life are on holidays, when happy folk crowd from the neighbouring towns to view, awestricken, the wonders and the riches of the great houses, and the artificial beauties of perhaps the finest parks in england. one or two literary men of some distinction have rhapsodized over the charms of sherwood, notably william howitt and washington irving. lord byron, whose house of newstead lies not far away, displayed but little interest in the district. the only modern writer to whom the secret of the real sherwood has been fully divulged is mr. james prior, whose books, inspired by the spirit of the woodlands, should delight all who love fresh and wholesome pictures of unspoiled country life. sherwood, as everybody knows, was robin hood's kingdom. learned men have racked their brains concerning the great outlaw's existence. joseph hunter, the historian of hallamshire, published in 1852 an ingenious tract concerning his period and his real character, which in short gives plausible enough details of his adventures. there is a well known by his name not far from doncaster, another near hathersage, in the peak country; and more than one village prides itself upon the site of his "shooting butts". a cave, by legend ascribed to him, may be found on an "edge" overhanging the derwent valley, whilst within an easy walk of haddon hall one may see two rocks known as his "stride". langland, in the _vision of piers plowman_, makes the first mention of his popularity:- "i kan not parfitly my paternoster, as the priest sayeth, but i kan rymes of robyn hode and randolf, earl of chester". again, in john fordun's _scottish chronicle_, written about 1360, we find him described not only as a notorious robber, but as a man of great charity. in 1493 wynkyn de worde printed a sequence of old ballads treating of his adventures. this book, known as _the lytel geste of robyn hood_, became very popular, and brought into vogue the rustic pageants known as the robin hood games, in which the adventures of the outlaw and his companions, maid marion, little john, will scarlet, and friar tuck, were depicted for the admiration of the multitude. in the public library of the university of cambridge is preserved the manuscript of the finest and most ancient ballad. this, which is known as "a tale of robin hood", may be cited in its quaint and dramatic picturesqueness as the most perfect and complete example of song literature extant. it begins with robin's desire to attend church at nottingham, since "it is a fortnight and more sin' i my saviour saw". little john accompanies him, but on the way they quarrel about a wager, and robin strikes him, upon which the faithful servant departs in high dudgeon. at nottingham a hooded monk recognizes our hero and gives the alarm. he is surrounded by the sheriff and his followers, and, although he slays twelve men, is at last captured, and held in durance until little john, who has quite forgiven him, accomplishes his release by a clever stratagem. the chap-book entitled _robin hood's garland_, which was published at york, contains the generally believed account of his death and burial. in it we read how he visited his cousin, the prioress of kirklees nunnery, for the purpose of being bled. she, who must have been soul-sister of jael, the wife of heber the kenite, took advantage of his defencelessness, and, after opening a vein, locked up the room and left him for a day. before dying, he blew his horn, and little john, who was outside, burst open the doors just in time to hear his last words. the _garland_ is full of instances of robin's nobility, and for delightful, invigorating reading may even be commended to the youth of to-day. it is a concise little history, beginning with the first day of his outlawry, and ending with the fatal scene at kirklees. as a vivid series of woodland sketches it is without parallel of its kind, and reading, one may almost journey through the greater sherwood in the company of the goodly archers clothed in lincoln green. [illustration: the major oak, thoresby park] the humour is bucolic and breezy. the song of "robin hood and the bishop", which the black-letter copy describes as "shewing how robin hood went to an old woman's house, and changed cloathes with her to escape from the bishop, and how he robbed the bishop of all his gold and made him sing a mass", contains about the best specimen of this country wit. again, in _robin hood and the tanner of nottingham_ is a most ludicrous account of the manner in which, after being threatened with a "knop upon his bare scop", robin receives as sound a drubbing as ever he himself inflicted. but this punishment, and his philosophical manner of bearing it, only earned him another follower, since the victorious tanner became at once enamoured of the free forest life, and swore there and then to join the band. the elizabethan dramatists made good use of our hero, knowing well that when he was presented on the stage the hearts of the people were moved. in "a pleasant commedie called looke about you", he appears as a fresh-faced and pretty young nobleman, ever ready to do a good turn to his friends, to whom everybody defers, and who passes through the play laughing and merry as his namesake, the goodfellow of ben jonson. so rosy are his cheeks and so bright his eyes that he personates the heroine, lady fauconbridge, at some unwelcome visits that she dreads. _the downfall of robert, earl of huntingdon_, by anthony munday, who wrote at the end of the sixteenth century, gives the next dramatic information. this shows him living in full state, but still young, and on the eve of marriage with matilda fitzwater, lord lacy's child. his steward, warman, instigated by the prior of york, betrays him in judas-like fashion (for what real reason we are not told, if it be not for the wasting of his lands), and as an outlaw he flies to the greenwood, where he is joined by matilda, who renounces her fine name and calls herself maid marion. prince john has fallen in love with her, and she is in mortal fear of his pursuit. in this play little john and friar tuck converse prettily in an aside:- _little john._ methinks i see no jest of robin hood, no merry morrices of friar tuck, no pleasant skippings up and down the wood, no hunting songs, no coursings of the buck. _friar tuck._ for merry jests they have been shown before, as how the friar fell into the well for love of jenny, that fair bonny belle; how greenleaf robbed the shrieve of nottingham, and other mirthful matters full of game. these passages obviously refer to the antecedent plays. after this comes _the death of robert, earl of huntingdon_, collaborated by the same author with henry chettle, another successful playwright. this, differing from the ballad account, shows how he was poisoned by his uncle, the wicked prior. his obsequies are solemnized with a plaintive little dirge:- "weep, weep, ye woodmen, wail, your hands with sorrow wring, your master robin hood lies dead, therefore sigh as you sing. "here lie his primer and his beads, his bent bow and his arrows keen, his good sword and his holy cross: now cast on flowers fresh and green; "and as they fall, shed tears and say, wella, wella-day! wella, wella-day: thus cast ye flowers and sing, and on to wakefield take your way." after his demise poor marion is so tormented by her royal persecutor that she seeks refuge in dunmow abbey, where she is poisoned by the king's order. in each play the outlaw is extolled so highly, and made so admirable in every way, that in spite of the quaintness one is moved to honest admiration. his dying scene is most pathetic, and there is no doubt that the simple country audience would weep as though for a dearly loved friend. the airs pertaining to the robin hood literature are merry in the extreme--delicious, sparkling waves of melody, to which thousands of country dances have been performed. they sprang from the heart, and even to-day, if offered to the public, might win popular success. all are "lusty fellows with good backbones", such as shakespeare in his salad days must have listened to and admired. gay, in his pastoral _the flights_, gives a charming picture of bowzybeus delighting the reapers with one of these ballads, ere falling asleep midst happy laughter. in folklore are still preserved a few relics. "to go round by robin hood's barn" is to travel in a roundabout fashion, and "to sell robin hood's pennyworths", to sell much below value, as a generous robber might. his "feather" is the traveller's joy, his "hatband" the club-moss. his "men" or his "sheep" are the bracken, and his "wind" a wind that brings on a thaw. we are told that robin could stand anything but a "tho wind". the red campion, the ragged robin, and the herb robert are known in several counties by his name. his greatest claim to popularity was that he took away the goods of none save rich men, never killed any person except in self-defence, charitably fed the poor, and was in short, as an old writer tells us, "the most humane and the prince of robbers". welbeck abbey the present house of welbeck was built upon the site of an abbey for premonstratensian canons, which was begun in 1140. nothing, however, remains of the old place save some stonework in the cellars and a few inner walls. a portion of the house dates from 1604; in an engraving from the great duke of newcastle's book on horsemanship we find that it originally bore some resemblance to a french château. charles the first and henrietta maria were entertained here--the house being placed at their disposal whilst their host occupied bolsover castle, some miles distant. ben jonson devised a masque entitled "love's welcome" for the royal amusement, and there was such feasting and show that it cost between fourteen and fifteen thousand pounds. the abbey is richly furnished, and contains one of the finest collections of pictures and miniatures in europe, and a wealth of ancient manuscripts. the miniatures were gathered together in the early part of the eighteenth century by robert harley, earl of oxford. of these treasures mrs. delany writes in 1756: "i have undertaken to set the miniatures of the duchess of portland [lord oxford's daughter and heiress] in order, as she does not like to trust them to anybody else, and for want of proper airing they are in danger of being spoiled. such petitots! such olivers! such coopers!" about that time the good lady describes an evening walk in park and gardens: "by the time we came in, the moon was risen to a great height, and we sat down in the great dining-room to contemplate its glory, and to talk of our friends, who in all likelihood were at that moment admiring its splendour as well as we". later she confesses that welbeck has a _glare of grandeur_, and that although she admires her duchess when receiving princely honours and acquitting herself with dignity, she loves her best in her own private dressing-room! the miniatures were wellnigh lost in the middle of the nineteenth century. the late duke had lent the collection to the manchester art treasures exhibition of 1857, and a certain well-known literary man, who was in the owner's confidence, arranged for all to be sent to london, so that, like mrs. delany, he might arrange them in suitable order. there he pawned the whole lot for trifling sums, with seven different pawnbrokers; but, thanks chiefly to a well-known inhabitant of worksop, all, with the exception of five, were recovered. [illustration: the beech avenue, thoresby] here are two famous riding houses, one the pride of the author of the great work on horsemanship in stuart times. this is used nowadays as a picture gallery, the late duke of portland having built another of dimensions almost double. to my thinking, one of the chief beauties of welbeck is the gilded gateway opening to the avenue on the road from worksop to ollerton--surely one of the most graceful and yet imposing structures of its kind in the country. another and more singular attraction consists of the subterranean roadways--gigantic mole runs the cause of whose creation is, and probably always will be, a mystery to the world in general. the pleasure gardens are stocked with rare trees, and the vast lake has so natural an appearance that one forgets that it was made by human folk. the kitchen garden is notably fine: we are told that it covers thirty acres, and that the houses for peaches and other luscious fruits extend over a quarter of a mile. there is a story of a monstrous bunch of syrian grapes having, some generations ago, been grown there, and sent by the duke of that time across country to wentworth house. it weighed nineteen and a half pounds, and was carried--as was the trophy taken by the spies from canaan--attached to a pole. finest of the welbeck trees is the "greendale oak", which in 1724 was transformed, by cutting, into an archway, the aperture being 10 feet 3 inches high and 6 feet 3 inches wide, so that a carriage, or three horsemen riding abreast, could pass through. from the branches cut off at that time a cabinet was made for the countess of oxford--a fine piece of furniture, inlaid with a representation of her spouse driving his chariot and six through the opening. horace walpole, in 1756, writes in his usual acid style: "i went to welbeck. it is impossible to describe the bales of cavendishes, harleys, holleses, veres, and ogles: every chamber is tapestried with them; nay, and with two thousand other morsels; all their histories inscribed; all their arms, crests, services, sculptured on chimneys of various english marbles in ancient forms (and to say truth) most of them ugly. then such a gothic hall, with pendent fretwork in imitation of the old, and with a chimney-piece like mine in the library. such water-colour pictures! such historic fragments! there is prior's portrait and the column and verelst's flower on which he wrote; and the authoress duchess of newcastle in a theatric habit, which she generally wore, and, consequently, looking as mad as the present duchess; and dukes of the same name, looking as foolish as the present duke; and lady mary wortley, drawn as an authoress, with rather better pretensions; and cabinets and glasses wainscoted with the greendale oak, which was so large that an old steward wisely cut a way through it to make a triumphal passage for his lord and lady on their wedding! what treasures to revel over! the horseman duke's manège is converted into a lofty stable, and there is still a grove or two of magnificent oaks that have escaped all these great families, though the last lord oxford cut down above an hundred thousand pounds' worth. the place is little pretty, distinct from all these reverend circumstances." twenty-one years later he writes: "welbeck is a devastation. the house is a delight of my eyes, for it is a hospital of old portraits." one is inclined to believe that something in the order of his reception had stung him into lasting pique. the great ancestress of the owner of welbeck, and of the other nobility in the dukeries, was bess of hardwick, who built a magnificent country house on the "edge" overlooking the vale of scarsdale, some miles distant from the border of sherwood forest. this singular woman, as striking a personality as her contemporary and sometime friend queen elizabeth, occasionally passed in state along the "ridings". her life-story is a marvellous instance of genius devoted to the attainment of a high position. the daughter of a well-to-do squire, she was married at fifteen to a wealthy young gentleman whose estate lay ten miles away, and who, dying very soon, left her mistress of the greater part of his fortune. her first house at barlow, near chesterfield, has entirely disappeared, save for a piece of old wall. she remained a widow for many years, then married sir william cavendish, by whom she had six children. after his death she chose sir william st. loe, inherited his extensive estates, then, well past her prime, accepted the offer of the widowed george, earl of shrewsbury; but before the marriage insisted that two of her young cavendishes should be married to two of his young talbots. for a few years her fourth venture proved satisfactory enough; but the custody of mary queen of scots apparently became too much of a nerve-strain for both man and wife; and their wrangles finally became common property in high circles. she embroiled herself with queen elizabeth; she persecuted her husband for his so-called meanness--although she was exceedingly rich in her own right; and, worst of all, she sowed dissension between him and his own offspring. the poor earl's condition was melancholy enough; one has no doubt that he was thankful to the heart when they separated for the last time. in the portrait at hardwick hall she is represented as a comely, roguish-looking matron in full maturity: a better idea of her character may be won from the effigy lying on the tomb she erected for herself in all saints' church at derby. there one sees a face not unbeautiful, but cold and masterful in the extreme. it was her grandson, william, first duke of newcastle, who first gave lustre to welbeck, and perhaps, after all, he owed most of his celebrity to an intellectual wife, known in restoration days as "mad madge of newcastle". few pictures of domestic life in the seventeenth century are more pleasing than that given by this lady in the short account of her girlhood, which opens her fantastical autobiography. born the youngest of sir thomas lucas's eight children, in a large country house near colchester, she was trained under a system of education originated by her mother. the daughters, of whom there were five, were not kept strictly to their schoolbooks, but rather taught "for formality than benefit". singing, dancing, music, reading, writing, and embroidery were their accomplishments; but mistress lucas, who was left a widow soon after the birth of margaret, cared not so much for dancing and fiddling and conversing in foreign languages as that they should be bred modestly and on honest principles. in london, where they migrated for the season, they would visit spring gardens, hyde park, and similar places, and sometimes attended concerts, or supped in barges on the river. as she grew to womanhood margaret became filled with the desire to play maid of honour to queen henrietta maria, chiefly because she had heard that the queen in her poverty had not the same number of ladies as in her prosperity. after much persuasion her mother allowed her to leave home, and she joined the court at oxford, and soon afterwards met william cavendish, who was her senior by nearly thirty years. they married, and the battle of marston moor forced them into exile. obliged to return to england, so that she might raise funds, she wrote one or two volumes of _poems_ and _philosophical fancies_, successors to another grotesque work entitled _the world's olio_. these were the first three of ten immense folios, treating of every imaginable subject, and most slipshod in grammar and style, that she gave to the world, tenderly regarding them, in the absence of any other offspring, as her children. [illustration: welbeck abbey] the lives of the duke and of herself are, however, the only productions remembered nowadays. of the first, charles lamb says: "there is no casket rich enough, no casing sufficiently durable, to honour and keep safe such a jewel"; but pepys, who lived at the same time as the noble authoress, described it as "the ridiculous history of the duke, which shows her to be a mad, conceited, rediculous woman, and he an asse to suffer her to write what she does to and of him". her own memoir is charmingly and unaffectedly egotistical. she tells us: "i fear my ambition inclines to vainglory, for i am very ambitious, yet 'tis neither for beauty, wit, title, wealth, or power, but as they are steps to raise me to fancies tower, which is to live by remembrance in all ages.... my disposition is more inclined to melancholy than merry, but not crabbed or peevish melancholy, but soft, melting, and contemplating melancholy, and i am apt rather to weep than to laugh." always fearing that she might be mistaken by posterity for her husband's first wife, she gives an elaborate explanation at the end of the book, so that all in after years might accredit her with intellectual magnificence. although she met with much ridicule at the court of charles the second, being satirized particularly by the libertine poets etherege and sedley, the fulsome praise of men of considerable intellect was lavished upon her, and even the sedate and usually truthful evelyn, after a lengthy enumeration of the great women of history, flattered her with the assurance that all of those summed up together only divided between them what she retained in one! a curious story is told of her appearance with a train-bearer in the chamber of catherine of portugal. as this was a breach of court etiquette, she was forbidden to repeat it, and resented the reproof by wearing at her next appearance a train of satin and silver thirty yards long, with the end supported by four waiting-ladies in the ante-room. she wrote several plays, concerning one of which, _the humorous lovers_, pepys tells us that although he would rather not have seen it, since it was so sickeningly silly, yet he was glad, because he could understand her better afterwards. at the end of the first performance, as a queen of breeding, she stood up in her box and made her respects to the actors. in those days of better fortunes the quaintly assorted couple spent much time in the country houses of welbeck and bolsover. the duke's income was very large, being equal to at least £200,000 of our money, and, since both had rural tastes, it is probable that they were far happier in nottinghamshire than in their fine town mansion in clerkenwell close. welbeck she admired most, since it was seated "in the bottom of a park environed with woods, and noble, yet melancholy". one wonders if the ghost of this "wise, wittie and learned lady" wanders in those beautiful and amazing precincts, a little bewildered and more than a little angry that any of her beloved spouse's descendants should have dared to enlarge and embellish the comfortable temple of their conjugal felicity. if she could have had her will, his works in architecture, like hers in the realms of smoky fancy, would have lasted until the end of time. clumber the most impressive approach to clumber is by way of normanton inn, a red-brick hostelry draped luxuriantly with virginia creeper. at some slight distance is a magnificent glade of varied greens, with great patches of blood-coloured bent-grass. in the neighbourhood grow many fine spanish chestnuts; when i was last there the ground was littered with the fallen flowers. a vast, festooned cloud, grey as the smoke of some monstrous fire, drifted from the east; then lightning sported wickedly amongst the trees, and the rain fell in torrents. beside the balustraded bridge the water seemed covered with an army of white puppets. but it was at the entrance to the lime tree avenue that i looked upon the greatest wonder of the day. behind the shifting veil the view of that curving road seemed as fantastically unreal as the background of some ancient italian masterpiece. this avenue, three miles in length, has on either side two rows of limes, and on a hot july midday the fragrance is overpoweringly sweet. from this the house is not visible--to reach it one must pass down a private drive to the left. whilst the present house was being built, sir harbottle grimston writes on a tour enjoyed in 1768: "from worksop manor to clumber, lord lincoln's, over the heath. the house is situated rather low in a very extensive park, near a noble piece of water, over which is a very handsome bridge on 'cycloidal' arches. the house is not yet finished, but by its present appearance seems as if it would be magnificent. there are nineteen windows in front, the middle one a bow, with two wings projecting forwards." about this time walpole speaks of clumber being "still in leading-strings". the building was finished about 1770, and is of white freestone, pleasantly age-coloured, with a south front that opens to a formal and beautiful italian garden with terraced walks and graceful marble fountains. beyond, reached by stone staircases, spreads the great lake, which covers eighty-seven acres. on this may be seen a gay full-masted frigate, the aspect of which in this tranquil and richly wooded country strikes a somewhat bizarre note. the park contains four thousand acres, and in the neighbourhood of the house may be seen many handsome cedars and yews. the finest view is obtainable from the opposite bank of the lake, or from near the head, where stands the home farmstead of hardwick. [illustration: clumber] the house, though not one of the most impressive in its exterior aspect, contains treasures of priceless worth. the pillared entrance hall has several fine statues, notably one of napoleon and another of the author of _the seasons_. all the state chambers are extremely handsome, and in the large drawing-room may be seen five ebony cabinets and four pedestals surmounted with crystal chandeliers, which were brought from the doge's palace. perhaps the most notable is the dining-room, 60 feet long, 34 feet wide, and 30 feet high. we are told that it can easily accommodate one hundred and fifty guests at dinner. the library, a fine room panelled with mahogany, contains many treasures, notably three caxtons--_the history of reynard the fox_, 1481; _the chronicles of england_, 1482; and _the golden legend_, 1493: the first and second folios of shakespeare: and many examples--one printed on vellum--of froissart's _chronicles_. there is also a fifteenth-century manuscript of gower's _confessio amantis_. in the smoking-room is to be seen a remarkable chimney-piece of carved marble, which once stood in fonthill abbey, the house of the author of _vathek_. to the antiquarian, perhaps the most interesting objects are four funeral cysts, dating from two thousand years ago. there is a fine collection of pictures, chiefly of old masters of distinction, amongst which may be found portraits by holbein, vandyke, lely, and hogarth, of folk intimately associated with the history of our country. near by stands the church of the holy virgin, built by the present duke of newcastle. its walls and spire are of rich red and yellowish sandstone, in the fourteenth-century style. this is probably one of the most ornately beautiful churches in the kingdom, and the view from the open doorway is surpassingly rich in colour. the interior contains much fine carving--the altar-piece is of alabaster, with the virgin and child for central figures. the windows are delicately tinted: in spite of the excess of splendour naught can offend the artistic taste. the clinton family, of which the duke of newcastle is head, is one of the oldest and most celebrated in our annals. geoffrey de clinton, a distinguished forbear, chamberlain and treasurer to henry the first, was the builder of warwick castle, and after his day his collateral descendants devoted their lives to serving the crown faithfully. edward the first called one his "beloved squire"; others fought with glory in the french battles. a clinton was in the deputation that received anne of cleves when she journeyed to meet her spouse. another assisted in the suppression of sir thomas wyatt's rebellion, and was afterwards one of queen elizabeth's privy council, being employed in various matters of high import, notably in the projected marriage of his royal mistress and the duke of anjou. he died in the fullness of honour, and was buried in st. george's chapel, windsor. his son was one of the peers at the trial of mary queen of scots. in the time of george the first another of the family filled the highest office of state, and died lord privy seal; whilst the present duke's grandfather, as illustrious as any of his predecessors, was a celebrated politician of early victorian days, and was, moreover, honoured with the friendship and admiration of the young gladstone. thoresby the village of budby, beyond the confines of thoresby park, is one of the most placid and sleepy places i know. the stuccoed houses are perhaps devoid of picturesqueness, but the shallow meden, which runs quietly beside the roadway, is crystal-clear, and from the wilderness on the farther bank one often sees pert black water hens slip gently from the shelter of the long grass, and glide to and fro like tiny boats. beyond the bridge swans swim very proudly, with the austere dignity that has naught in common with the familiar bearing of petted birds in town parks. the meden is a beautiful and melancholy stream, at whose side an exile from the hill country might sit down and weep. the rough woodland from which we are barred has a refreshingly cool aspect: in summer the wilder foliage contrasts strikingly with the rich purple of rhododendrons. the present house of thoresby, which stands about a quarter of a mile from the site of its cold and damp predecessor, was built between 1864 and 1874. it is in the modern elizabethan style, its walls of stone quarried at steetley, some miles away, and is surrounded by a rich and beautiful park where may be seen many magnificent beeches and firs and oaks. the mansion is rich in art treasures, and may be counted amongst the most luxuriously furnished in the country; and the pleasure gardens are stately and beautiful. fine herds of deer wander among the bracken and heath, and the trees are haunted with happy squirrels. the park is thirteen miles in circumference, and near the house the little river meden spreads out into a singularly picturesque lake, diversified with toy islands. the thoresby of to-day possesses an atmosphere of tranquil splendour: in its neighbourhood one has some difficulty in evoking lively pictures of the celebrated folk who inhabited its predecessors. the great woman of thoresby was lady mary wortley montague, who spent there the greater part of her youth. the house in her time was a plain and uninteresting building of red brick. this was destroyed by fire in 1745. from the record by sir harbottle grimston of his tour in the autumn of 1768, we find that--more than twenty years afterwards--the new hall was not completed. sir harbottle writes: "this parke excels the others much in beauty, having a very good turf, which in this country is very much wanting. the house, which is not nearly finished, is rather adapted for convenience than magnificence. it is fronted by a rising lawn, on the top of which is a very fine wood. on one side a noble piece of water, which supplies a cascade behind the house: the other side of this house is beautified by plantations." horace walpole found this hall dull, since he declared that "merry sherwood is a _triste_ region, and wants a race of outlaws to enliven it, and as duchess robin hood has left her country, it has little chance of recovering its ancient glory". this was obviously written after the famous duchess of kingston had departed on her continental tour. before me lie a pair of tiny shoes of sea-green silk, shot with an undertone of flesh colour. for at least a century these were in the possession of a yeoman family in the neighbourhood of wortley village. the toes are pointed, the heels high, and on the lappets are frayed marks where the pins of the jewelled buckles pierced the fabric. the insteps do not belie the tradition that a kitten could lie beneath the arch of the wearer's naked foot, for they are so high that it seems as if the blue blood of the pierreponts were accompanied with physical deformity. these are relics of lady mary, and were probably left at her husband's heritage of wharncliffe, in yorkshire, when the first happiness of her married life had come to an end, and before she became engaged in those famous travels which, by their result--the introduction of inoculation for the smallpox--raised her even to a greater eminence than that given by her intellectual ability. she was born of a family that had already produced two men of splendid genius, whose names are written in golden letters in the annals of literature: beaumont, the dramatist, who wrote, in collaboration with his friend fletcher, some plays that are considered by our best critics as inferior only to shakespeare's, was related by his mother to the pierreponts of the elizabethan age; and henry fielding, the novelist, was lady mary's second cousin. she is said to have written in her copy of _tom jones_ as fine a tribute to an author's power as could be desired--simply the words _ne plus ultra_. villiers, the notorious duke of buckingham, whose end served pope for some of his best satirical verse, was also of the same stock. [illustration: thoresby] it was at thoresby that lady mary's strange love affair with the handsome mr. edward wortley, of wharncliffe chase--the abode of the dragon of wantley--began, and after many difficulties ended in one of the most mysterious marriages that ever puzzled literary students. when a girl of fourteen she met the gentleman at a party, and was delighted with the attraction which he found in her conversation. she became a particular friend of his sister, with whom she commenced a sentimental correspondence--most of the letters, it may be said, being written by wortley himself. he became, through the vehicle of the complacent miss anne, her guide and philosopher, and soon we find him answering certain precocious queries about latin. then jealousy appeared--somebody had escorted lady mary to nottingham races! the flattered young beauty begs to know the name of the man she loves, "that i may (according to the laudable custom of lovers) sigh to the woods and groves hereabouts, and teach it to the echoes". thereupon wortley's inclinations were made known, and she replied: "to be capable of preferring the despicable wretch you mention to mr. wortley, is as ridiculous, if not as criminal, as forsaking the deity to worship a calf; ... my tenderness is always built upon my esteem and when the foundation perishes, it falls". wortley, not only in the courtship, but throughout their long wedded life, appears to have been singularly calm and unimpassioned. he was an admirable scholar, and counted among his intimate friends addison and steele. the second volume of the _tatler_ was dedicated to him in an epistle probably composed by the latter writer. the easy-going sister anne died, without lady mary displaying an excess of grief, and thenceforth the lovers corresponded directly. she alarmed wortley with her society successes, and he charged her with a growing levity and love of pleasure. thereupon she became wise and steady, and his fears increased, since the sense she displayed was more suited to a grave matron than to a fashionable belle. time went on: wortley made his desires known to the maiden's father, but a disagreement arose concerning the marriage settlement, and the marquis of dorchester--he was not created duke of kingston until 1715--set about looking for another son-in-law. a gentleman was found whom lady mary professed to hate, and in august, 1712, wortley carried her off in a coach and they were made man and wife. as the father was implacable, she entered wedlock without any portion. probably the marquis was not sorry to be rid of his worthy daughter, since one cannot doubt that his opposition to her happiness must have whetted the tongue that stung so keenly in later years. of lady mary's life at thoresby we find interesting pictures in her descendant, lady louisa stuart's, "introductory anecdotes to her letters". "lord dorchester, having no wife to do the honours of his table at thoresby, imposed that task upon his eldest daughter, as soon as she had bodily strength for the office; which in those days required no small share. for the mistress was not only to invite--that is, urge and tease--her company to eat more than human throats could conveniently swallow, but to carve every dish, when chosen, with her own hands.... there were then professed carving-masters, who taught young ladies the art scientifically: from one of these lady mary said she took lessons thrice a week, that she might be perfect on her father's public days, when in order to perform her functions without interruption she was forced to eat her own dinner an hour or two beforehand." in his lordship's resentment against her stolen marriage, he refused to allow her to have much intercourse with the rest of her family. lady louisa stuart tells us that her mother, lady bute, "remembered having only seen him once, but that in a manner likely to leave some impression on the mind of a child. lady mary (lady bute's mother) was dressing, and she playing about the room, when there entered an elderly stranger (of dignified appearance and still handsome) with the authoritative air of a person entitled to admission at all times; upon which, to her great surprise, lady mary, instantly starting up from the toilet-table, dishevelled as she was, fell on her knees to ask his blessing. a proof that even in the great and gay world this primitive custom was still universal." the most agreeable memory lady mary preserved of this formal and cold-blooded sire was that when a member of the kit-cat club he nominated her, then seven years old, as one of the toasts of the year. the child was sent for, and, adorned with her very finest attire, presented to the members. her health was drunk, and her name engraved, according to custom, on a drinking glass. probably this hour of triumph was the happiest in all her life, and, moreover, may have stimulated her with the desire to shine always among the foremost. her after life was strangely assorted--she saw much of the world, and she was accounted the brightest female wit of her time. she christened pope the "wicked wasp of twickenham", and did not escape scatheless either from his attacks or from those of horace walpole. she loved great prospects--loved rocks and heights. it is possible that her recollections of the sherwood country were not agreeable, since she showed herself averse from any allusion in her marvellous letters; but in spite of the artificiality of her period one may be certain that her adventurous spirit prompted her to leave unexplored no portion of the ancient forest. the ruggedness of wharncliffe chase was more to her fancy: in her old age, writing from avignon, she declared this the finest prospect she had ever seen. her nephew evelyn, second duke of kingston, chose for wife the notorious lady whom walpole nicknamed "duchess robin hood", and from whose romantic adventures resulted one of the most celebrated trials of the eighteenth century. after his death, in 1773, the title became extinct. he left his widow handsomely provided for, and she in her turn returned a magnificent collection of family treasures to his nephew, charles meadows, who in 1806 was created first earl manvers. an extract from her will is interesting reading:- "and i also give and bequeath unto said charles meadows all the communion plate which belonged to the chapel of thoresby, and which was taken away with the other vessels and sent by mistake to st. petersburgh in russia, and my gold desert plate with the case of knives forks and spoons of gold and four golden salt cellars all engraved with the arms of kingston and also one large salt cellar called queen elizabeth's salt cellar together with all my other gold and gilt plate whatsoever, either for use or ornament." then, after a long list of other riches, one reads:- "and i also give him my nine doz. of moco handle knives and forks mounted in gold which i bought at rome, and likewise the whole length portraits of the late duke of kingston and of the present duchess of kingston, to be put up at thoresby which as well as all the plates shall be reputed as an heirloom to the said house; and i also give him the several pieces of cannon and the ships and vessel on thoresby lake". in the eighteenth century several quaint ships embellished the lake. the last, we learn, was broken up more than half a century ago; and, as they must have seemed singularly out of place, one is not disposed to regret their disappearance. ollerton there is one splendid approach to thoresby, now, unfortunately enough, barred from the public. to reach this from ollerton one crosses the bridge, turns to the right for a few yards, then on the left sees beyond a stout palisading the celebrated beech avenue. the first time i visited this place was on a stormy evening in august, about sunset-time. the western sky was overcast with grey low-hanging clouds; at intervals rain fell in brief showers. once breathing the atmosphere of this strange seclusion one forgot the quaintness of ollerton and the pleasing wildness of the forest: here the formality brought a suggestion of some old french colour print--the avenue might have been the state road to some royal château. [illustration: ollerton] four rows of gigantic beeches stretched for almost half a mile from the roadway; between the second and third might still be seen the old pebble and gravel drive. the monstrous boles, strangely curved and divided, were coloured like green-rusted bronze; overhead the branches mingled like the upper tracery of some ancient cathedral window. there were no grass or flowers underfoot: the ground was covered thick with last year's mast and withered leaves--"yellow and black and pale and hectic red"; sometimes i saw a strange black and grey fungus, large as a fine lady's fan. the colouring was magnificent, and yet, looking from the palings at the farther end (beyond which one sees a green and cheerful vignette) one realized that something was lacking. the handsome coach-and-six with white horses and postilions in scarlet coats and white breeches--an equipage such as is depicted in the engraving of old worksop manor--should always be present in this suggestive place; and even a wheeled and curtained sedan of the kind fashionable at marie antoinette's court would not appear incongruous, drawn by one officious purple-liveried lackey and pushed by another along the side paths. the beech avenue is the only spot in the dukeries that permits one to recreate mentally the life of the eighteenth century. it should not terminate in a roadway of comparatively slight interest, but should instead reach a water-theatre with a hornbeam hedge, with rockwork basins, and with tall silver fountains. there is something nobly pathetic in this deserted avenue--even the trees themselves have a mournful look, as though they repined because of the loneliness of to-day. no living thing moves here--it might be a sacred grove, never to be frequented by creatures of the woodland. the village, or--not to wound local susceptibilities--the town of ollerton is quaint and richly coloured; even in the depth of winter it has a warm and inviting aspect. being situated on a loop of the great north road, it possesses two fine old inns, the more conspicuous being the "hop pole", a handsome formal place that might have been depicted in an ancient sampler. this faces the open forest, separated only from it by a small green, the placidly flowing maun, and a few fields. near at hand is the brown, square-towered church, contrasting strangely with the houses of ripe-hued brick and tile. the churchyard has an air of sleepy comfort, but the interior of the building contains little of any interest to the antiquarian. all the armorial glass has disappeared; naught is left to carry one's mind back to ancient days. to my thinking the finest feature of ollerton is the old hall, within a stone's throw of the "hop pole". this was probably erected upon the site of a former house in the beginning of the eighteenth century. the walls are admirably mellowed, and many of the windows have been blocked up--probably in the days of the window tax. the principal front has been disfigured with various domestic offshoots; none the less the house still presents an aspect of austere dignity, and one regrets that to-day it should not still be used as a residence of note instead of an estate office. inside, one of the principal features is a singularly handsome staircase. the garden is formal and pretty--a pleasant nook for an idle afternoon. the markhams, original owners of this property, were people of considerable note in our history, many of them holding high offices. one was dubbed by the virgin queen "markham the lion", another championed the cause of arabella stuart, and was condemned to death, but reprieved at the last moment after a ghastly little performance beside the execution block. a daughter of this house married sir john harrington, and enjoyed through her lifetime the friendship of elizabeth. within easy walking distance, not far from the tantalizing glimpse of the rufford avenue, a road turns eastward, passes a small wayside inn dignified with the name of robin hood, and soon reaches what was known as the king's house at clipstone--to-day a lamentable ruin with no trace of its former magnificence. here the plantagenet kings held their courts and rested after their days of hunting, and the rising ground about the house, nowadays devoted to the growing of oats, must once have blazed with all the colours of pageantry. what remains of the palace might be naught but the broken wall of an old kiln, or the fragment of some burned-out factory. the most fatal blow was dealt to this relic by a duke of portland, who, in 1812, had the foundations dug up and used for the drainage of the surrounding country. clipstone park, which mad madge of newcastle described as a chase in which her lord took great delight (it being richly wooded, and watered with a stream full of fish and otters--in short, an ideal place for hunting, hawking, coursing and fishing), is now a placid pastoral district without distinction, such as may be found in any gently undulating country. rufford rufford abbey, which is within easy walking distance of ollerton, surpasses in interest and beauty the other great houses of the neighbourhood. the view from the pelican-crowned gateway, with its avenue of limes (some of which are considered the finest in all england) and beeches and elms, terminating in a glimpse of the façade of reddish stone, reminds one of the palace of the sleeping beauty in the days before briers and brambles barred the way. separated from this avenue by a gravelled space, where in summer great hydrangeas blossom in green tubs, a fine staircase leads to the main entrance. [illustration: rufford abbey] the house, which is not open to the public, and which for several centuries has been a favourite resting-place of kings, possesses a singular atmosphere of beauty and charm. the walls are hung with priceless old tapestry and marvellous portraits by the great english masters. there is much wonderful needlework--an eighteenth-century lady of the savile family was as devoted to her embroidery frame as mary stuart herself. on screens and quaint chairs are seen her masterly copies of hogarth's pictures. no brief description could do justice to the wonders of a house so rich in objects connected with our history. the whole is remarkable and strange: in no place have i felt so deeply the influence left by the famous dead. weird legends are connected with certain rooms: if the history of rufford were written in full it would be remarkable beyond imagination. one of the most fascinating places is the chapel, erected in the time of charles the second, and surely the most comfortable sanctuary in any nobleman's house. at the west end is a gallery, its walls lined with ancient embossed leather, its prayer books dating from the restoration, its faded and antique chairs suggesting all manner of pleasant reveries during service. the state rooms are admirable in so far as restfulness and quiet beauty take the place of excessive pomp. each piece of furniture is storied and of great value. nothing startles the eye; the colouring is always subdued and pleasing; in short, rufford combines in perfection the palace and the home. the outward appearance suggests harmony without extravagance. the pleasure grounds, although not on as large a scale as those of the other houses, are exceedingly beautiful--the japanese garden being a wonderful pleasaunce in miniature, with paved walks and toy lake and waterfall. not far away the river maun, with rich flowers and shrubs on its banks, glides calmly to a tranquil mere, where grey herons perch like birds of stone on the boughs of the island trees. in front of an older entrance to the house stretches a grass-grown avenue, by which is the "wilderness" of elizabethan days. there lie the remains of famous racehorses, reared on the estate. the park itself has not been submitted to the attentions of the landscape gardener: it is natural and unspoiled as in monkish times. of the original cistercian abbey, built in 1148 and peopled with monks brought from rievaulx in yorkshire, little remains save a groined and pillared chamber, supposed to have been the refectory, and used nowadays as a servants' hall. there is a singular hooded fireplace with a fine old dog-grate, and against the end wall stands a long oaken table--a relic of ancient feasting. rufford abbey owed its existence to the filial piety of a collateral descendant of william the conqueror. the sixteenth-century translation of the foundation reads thus:- "gilbert gaunte earle of lincolne to all his men and all the children of our holy mother the church sends greeting willing you to know that i have given and granted in pure alms to the monks of ryvalls for my father's and mother's souls and for ye remission of my sinns the manor of the town of rughfforde and all that i have there in demesne to build an abbey of the order of cistercians in the honour of st. mary the virgin--therefore i will and command that they freely and quietly from all secular service and all customes shall hold the said land with all that to the dominion of the said town doth belong in woods plains meadowes pastures mylnes waters ways and paths." a striking contrast may be found in the domestic state papers of 10 december, 1533:- "thomas legh to cromwell. on st. nicholas day the quondam abbot of rufforth was installed at ryvax, and the late abbot of ryvax sang _te deum_ at his installation, and exhibited his resignation the same day. the assignation of his pension is left to my lord of rutland, in which i moved him to follow your advice. though pity is always good, it is most necessary in time of need. i would, therefore, that he had an honest living, though he has not deserved it, either to my lord or me." after the dissolution, henry the eighth leased the estate for twenty-one years to sir john markham, and afterwards exchanged it for some irish property belonging to george, earl of shrewsbury. bess of hardwick was here often, and it was at rufford that, in 1575, she arranged the marriage of her daughter, elizabeth cavendish, with darnley's brother, from which union issued the ill-fated arabella stuart. queen elizabeth was greatly offended by what she justly regarded as an encroachment upon royal prerogative, and both mothers-in-law were sent for a time to the tower. the earl of shrewsbury wrote in explanation to lord burghley:- "the lady lennox being, as i heard, sickly, rested her at rufford five days and kept most her bedchamber, and in that time the young man her son fell into liking with my wife's daughter before intended, and such liking was between them as my wife tells me she makes no doubt of a match, and hath so tied themselves upon their own liking as cannot part. my wife hath sent him to my lady, and the young man is so far in love that belike he is sick without her." then, giving a slight hint of his countess's ambitions, he adds:- "this taking effect, i shall be well at quiet, for there is few noblemen's sons in england that she hath not prayed me to deal for at one time or other, and now this comes unlooked for without thanks to me." [illustration: the japanese garden, rufford abbey] arabella stuart was born at chatsworth, and thenceforth all lady shrewsbury's pride was fixed upon this granddaughter who might possibly become a queen. at rufford there are two curiously touching portraits of this dreamy child, in whose sad little face one reads the promise of untoward fortunes. in 1576 the earl of lennox died, and two years later queen elizabeth took "oure lyttl arbella" under her protection. when she was seven years old, this "very proper child" sent a specimen of her handwriting to her royal kinswoman, desiring the bearer to present her "humble duty to her majesty, with daily prayers for her". the queen of scots in the following year maliciously informs her sister of england that "nothing has alienated the countess of shrewsbury from me but the vain hope, which she has conceived, of setting the crown of england on the head of her little girl, arabella, and this by marrying her to a son of the earl of leicester. these children are also educated in this idea; and their portraits have been sent to each other." bess of hardwick died in 1608, and in her will, which must have been made many years before, left £200 to purchase a golden cup for the queen, "as a remembrance from her that has always been a dutiful and faithful heart to her highness". she craves, moreover, that elizabeth may have compassion upon and be gracious to her poor grandchild arabella stuart. after the old lady's death, arabella's connection with rufford soon ceased. mary, bess of hardwick's daughter, who had married earl gilbert, lived at rufford in her widowhood. this lady inherited a considerable share of her mother's ambition and lack of scruple. in a quarrel with sir thomas stanhope, a nottinghamshire knight from whom are descended three earldoms, she dispatched a servant with the following unpleasing message:- "my lady hath commanded me to say thus much to you. that though you be more wretched, vile, and miserable than any creature living; and, for your wickedness, become more ugly in shape than any living creature in the world; and one to whom none of reputation would vouchsafe to send any message; yet she hath thought good to send thus much to you:--that she be contented you should live, and doth in no ways wish you death; but to this end, that all the plagues and miseries that may befal any man may light upon such a caitiff as you are, and that you should live to have all your friends forsake you; and without your great repentances, which she looketh not for, because your life hath been so bad, you will be damned perpetually in hell-fire." from this beginning ensued one of the most noted and romantic feuds of the seventeenth century. after the death of this outspoken lady--her husband's father had accused the great bess of occasionally using the language of billingsgate--the rufford estate passed to the savile family, her sister-in-law, lady mary talbot, having married a lincolnshire baronet of that name. later, one of the savile ladies, wife of sir william, and daughter of thomas, lord keeper coventry, earned lasting fame by her bravery at the siege of sheffield castle. the saviles were royalists: in the bodleian library may be seen a letter to cromwell from a certain unknown person who had been instructed to take into custody young sir george and such friends as might be found at rufford:- "sir george savill is not at home. we have detained one mr. coventry, who is the lady savill's brother, until sir george shall appear to yr. highness. he is said to be in london at his house in lincolns in field, at the corner of queene streete, called carlisle house or savill house. we can find nobody in his house, that gives any light, onely we heare that one of his family, mr. davison, who is tutor to sir george, was at the meeting, and stayed in the house till after dinner on fryday (a supposed gathering of royalists) and then went away. we cannot yett get him." this sir george was created earl and finally marquis of halifax by charles the second, and became one of the leading statesmen of the seventeenth century. one of his grandsons was the witty earl of chesterfield; another descendant was henry carey, the writer and composer of "sally in our alley". on the death of the second marquis, without male issue, the title became extinct, and the estate with the savile baronetcy passed to a somewhat distant kinsman, whose collateral descendant is present owner of this fine estate, the traditions of which are almost without parallel in the matter of interest and romantic colouring. edwinstowe and the oaks of the few trees of distinction pertaining to old sherwood, perhaps the most famous, and certainly the least picturesque, is the "parliament oak", which may be seen to the right of the mansfield road as it approaches edwinstowe. to this venerable ruin, which an iron palisading protects from wanton hands, clings the tradition that parliaments of king john and edward the first met under its shade, the last in october, 1290. queen eleanor was ill--she died in the following month at harby near lincoln--and thence was made the most notable funeral progress in english history. the country around is tranquil and pleasing; not far away stands the quaintest of windmills, which must certainly tumble from very weariness before many years have passed. above the tops of the closely-planted trees to the right are to be seen the chimneys of a deserted-looking building, raised in the early nineteenth century by a duke of portland, in imitation of the priory gatehouse at worksop. this stands at the end of a fine undulating glade. on the north side are statues of richard the first, allan-a-dale, and friar tuck; on the south, others of robin hood, maid marion, and little john. [illustration: edwinstowe] to the left, one passes through a wicket, and coasts a great wood for some hundred yards, then turns sharply and soon reaches the "russian cottage", a chalet "put together without nails", near by which is the well-known "shambles oak" or "robin hood's larder", so called because in its hollow interior once were hooks for the storing of stolen venison. unfortunately this fine tree was fired by some holiday-makers years ago, and to-day there is something pathetic in the valiant greenness of its scanty leaves. it is like an old, old man who will be brave to the end. thence, by passing along the glades of birkland and following paths faintly worn--with a chance of straying into strange solitudes--one comes before long to the "major oak"--the most virile of all the ancient trees. in spite of its iron stays--possibly because of them--it is still vigorous and hearty, although its age has been estimated at considerably more than a thousand years. there is something monstrous and uncanny about this veteran; in its vicinity folk of to-day seem strangely out of place. a pleasant old keeper watches it vigilantly, careful that none shall harm his treasure. he has a curious enough favourite: a fine cock pheasant which comes to his call--has done so indeed for the last four years--and daintily accepts plumcake from his hand. once this bird had a mate; now he remains a contented widower. the quaintness of the good-fellowship of man and bird is very pleasant to observe. the circumference of the "major oak" at the height of five feet from the ground is over thirty feet, and the circumference of its branches is about two hundred and seventy yards. it was formerly called the "queen's oak", or the "cockpen", the latter because of a fine breed of gamecocks that roosted there in the days of a major rooke, to whom it owes its present name. the tree is hollow, and, entering by a narrow opening--difficult enough for a stout person to negotiate--seventeen or eighteen may crowd together in the interior. not far away is another magnificent tree, less known but almost equally worthy of admiration. it is called the "simon foster oak", from the fact that a century ago a person of that name kept his pigs in acorn-time nightly under its shelter. thence edwinstowe may easily be reached by a path across the green. historically the village is of some importance, since, according to general belief, edwin, the first christian king of northumbria, was buried there. it is a sleepy, comely place; in winter the warm colouring of old brick and tile is very pleasant to the wayfarer, whilst throughout the other seasons the rich little gardens are all gay with old-fashioned flowers. the church is admirably situated, and has a tall and graceful spire with grotesque ornaments at the base, which from a distance bear a fantastical resemblance to roosting birds. in 1679 the folk of edwinstowe humbly petitioned for permission to take two hundred oaks for the repair of the building, and one reads that, seven years before, the steeple had been beaten down by thunder, and the old body shaken, and in a very ruinous condition; also that without the king's charitable help the whole church must absolutely perish. after the resultory survey, the surveyors general of the woods wrote that most of the trees of birkland and bilhagh were decayed, very few of use to the navy being left. finally it was decided that such trees might be taken as were not fit for government purposes. strangely enough, neither in this church nor in its sister of ollerton are any ancient monuments, such as one might expect to find in so interesting a neighbourhood. at the vicarage here lived for some years dr. e. cobham brewer, best known for his _dictionary of phrase and fable_; whilst in a house that stood beside the stream lived william--afterwards sir william--boothby, the uncle of pretty penelope, whose white marble tomb is one of the wonders of ashbourne in peakland. the birches from which birkland takes its name are accounted amongst the finest in the kingdom, and at no time look better than on a sunny winter's morning, when they present a wonderful symphony of brown and silver. after crossing edwinstowe, in a sufficiently dangerous way, the road continues, with bilhagh in sight, to ollerton, where it bridges the placid maun. not far away is a small red quarry, its toy precipice pierced with the retreats of sand-martins. to the left is cockglode, the only large house left in the forest proper--a georgian place with a fine avenue of scots pines. this was the residence of the late earl of liverpool, who, like all his noble neighbours, counted the great bess of hardwick amongst his forbears. printed in great britain _at the villafield press, glasgow, scotland_ +---------------------------------------------------+ | | | transcriber's note: | | | | spelling and punctuation have been retained as in | | the original publication. | +---------------------------------------------------+ made available by the million books project. a handbook to agra and the taj sikandra, fatehpur-sikri and the neighbourhood by e.b. havell, arca. 1904 preface this little book is not intended for a history or archæological treatise, but to assist those who visit, or have visited, agra, to an intelligent understanding of one of the greatest epochs of indian art. in the historical part of it, i have omitted unimportant names and dates, and only attempted to give such a sketch of the personality of the greatest of the great moguls, and of the times in which they lived, as is necessary for an appreciation of the wonderful monuments they left behind them. india is the only part of the british empire where art is still a living reality, a portion of the people's spiritual possessions. we, in our ignorance and affectation of superiority, make efforts to improve it with western ideas; but, so far, have only succeeded in doing it incalculable harm. it would be wiser if we would first attempt to understand it. among many works to which i owe valuable information, i should name especially erskine's translation of babar's "memoirs;" muhammad latifs "agra, historical and descriptive;" and edmund smith's "fatehpur-sikri." my acknowledgments are due to babu abanindro nath tagore, mr. a. polwhele, executive engineer, agra, and to mr. j.h. marshall, director-general of the archæological survey of india, for kind assistance rendered. i am particularly indebted to messrs. johnston and hoffman, of calcutta, for allowing me to make use of their valuable collection of photographs for the illustrations. in quoting from "bernier's travels," i have used constable's translation, with messrs. a. constable & co.'s kind permission. to the editor of the _nineteenth century and after_ i owe permission to make use of my article on "the taj and its designers," published in that review, june, 1903. calcutta, _january_, 1904. contents historical introduction the great moguls--i. babar--babar's connection with agra--ii. humayun--interregnum: shere shah--iii. akbar--akbar's connection with agra--iv. jahangir--jahangir's connection with agra--v. shah jahan--the monuments of shah jahan's reign at agra--vi. aurangzîb--agra and the later mogul emperors--agra in the mutiny. the fort the mûti masjid--the dersane darwaza--the dîwan-i-âm--jahangir's cistern--the tomb of mr. colvin--the inner mîna bazar--the chitore gates--the hindu temple--the machhi bhawan--the najina masjid--the dîwan-i-khas--jahangir's throne--the baths--the samman burj--the khas mahal--the underground chambers--the anguri bagh--shish mahal--the "somnath" gates--the jahangiri mahal--the sahmgarh. the jâmi masjid the taj the building of the taj--the intention of the taj--description. itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb the chînî-ka-rauza the ram bagh the zuhara bagh. sikandra akbar's tomb--the kanch mahal--suraj-bhan-ka bagh--mariam zâmâni's tomb. other buildings and tombs at or near agra the kali masjid--alawal bilawal--the hamman--the roman catholic cemetery. fatehpur sikri the agra gate--the naubat khana--the mint--the daftar khana--the palace--the kwâbgâh--the turkish sultana's house--hakim's baths--pachisi board--the dîwan-i-khâs--the ankh-michauli--the yogi's seat--the hospital--the dîwan-i-âm--the panch mahal--miriam's kothi--jodh baí's palace--rajah birbal's house, or birbal's daughter's house--the hathi pol and adjoining buildings--the jâmi masjid, or cathedral mosque--the baland darwaza--the stone-cutters' mosque--the houses of abul fazl and faizi. bharatpur and other places in the vicinity of agra:--bharatpur--govardhan--muttra--bindrâban. index list of illustrations the taj mahal plate i. a state document with shah jahan's "royal hand and seal" plate ii. shah jahan, from an old indian miniature plate iii. the inner delhi gate, or hathi pol, agra fort plate iv. marble balcony, overlooking the inner mîna bazar, agra fort plate v. the samman burj, agra fort plate vi. inner courtyard of the jahangiri mahal, agra fort plate vii. marble screen enclosing the tombs of mumtaz mahal and shah jahan plate viii. itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb, agra plate ix. interior of the upper pavilion, itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb plate x. marble sarcophagus on the upper story of akbar's tomb, sikandra plate xi. interior of the dîwan-i-khâs, fatehpur sikri plate xii. rajah birbal's daughter's house, fatehpur sikri plate xiii. the baland darwaza, fatehpur sikri plans agra fort. plan of the palaces fatehpur sikri. plan showing the position of the buildings fatehpur sikri. plan showing the walls and gates fatehpur sikri. plan of jodh bai's palace agra historical introduction agra has two histories: one of the ancient city on the east, or left, bank of the river jumna, going back so far as to be lost in the legends of krishna and of the heroes of the mâhabhârata; the other of the modern city, founded by akbar in a.d. 1558, on the right bank of the river, and among muhammadans still retaining its name of akbarabad, which is intimately associated with the romance of the great moguls, and known throughout the world as the city of the taj. of ancient agra little now remains except a few traces of the foundations. it was a place of importance under various hindu dynasties previous to the muhammadan invasions of india, but its chequered fortunes down to the beginning of the sixteenth century are the usual tale of siege and capture by hindu or mussulman, and possess little historical interest. in a.d. 1505 sultan sikandar lodi, the last but one of the afghan dynasty at delhi, rebuilt agra and made it the seat of government. sikandra, the burial-place of akbar, is named after him, and there he built a garden-house which subsequently became the tomb of mariam zâmâni, one of akbar's wives. the son of sultan sikandar, ibrahim lodi, was defeated and slain by babar at panipat, near delhi, in 1526, and from that time agra became one of the principal cities of the mogul empire which babar founded. the great moguls.--i. babar. though very few memorials of babar's short but brilliant reign still exist at agra, the life of this remarkable man is so important a part of the mogul dynasty that it must not be passed over by the intelligent tourist or student of mogul art. it was babar's sunny disposition, and the love of nature characteristic of his race, that brought back into indian art the note of joyousness which it had not known since the days of buddhism. babar is one of the most striking figures in eastern history. he was descended from tamerlane, or timur, on his father's side, and, on his mother's, from chinghiz khan. in the year 1494, at the age of twelve, he became king of farghana, a small kingdom of central asia, now known as kokand. his sovereignty, however, was of a very precarious tenure, for he was surrounded on all sides by a horde of rapacious, intriguing relatives, scrambling for the fragments of timur's empire. with hardly a trustworthy ally except a remarkably clever and courageous old grandmother, he struggled for three years to retain his birthright. then, acting on a sudden inspiration, he made a dash for samarkand, the ancient capital of timur, and won it. in his delightful memoirs babar describes how, with boyish glee, he paced the ramparts himself, wandered from palace to palace, and revelled in the fruit-gardens of what was then one of the finest cities of asia. but in less than a hundred days, most of his shifty mongol troops, disappointed in not finding as much booty as they expected, deserted and joined a party of his enemies, who straightway attacked andijan, the capital of farghana, where babar had left his mother and grandmother. before he could come to their rescue andijan had fallen, and at the same time samarkand, which he had left, was occupied by another of his numerous rivals. this double misfortune caused still more of his followers to leave him, and he found himself without a kingdom, except the little town of khojend, and with only two hundred men. for almost the only time in his life he gave way utterly to despair. "i became a prey to melancholy and vexation; i was reduced to a sore distressed state and wept much." before long, however, babar, rejoined by his mother and grandmother, whom the captors of andijan had spared, taking advantage of another turn in the wheel of fortune, recovered his kingdom of farghana, but lost the greater part of it again through another desertion of his "mongol rascals." a second time, with only a handful of men, he surprised and captured samarkand (a.d. 1500). in the following year he rashly sallied out against shaibani, the most formidable of his adversaries, was defeated, and, after vainly trying to hold the city against the victors, was forced to fly under cover of the night. this time he did not weep, but consoled himself next morning by riding a headlong race with two of his companions. reaching a village, where they found "nice fat flesh, bread of fine flour well baked, sweet melons, and excellent grapes in great abundance," babar declared that in all his life he never enjoyed himself so much or felt so keenly the pleasures of peace and plenty. he now took refuge among the hills near uratipa, finding amusement in observing the life of the villagers, and especially in conversing with the mother of the headman, an old lady of a hundred and eleven, whose descendants, to the number of ninety-six, lived in the country round about. one of her relatives had served in the army with which timur had invaded india, and she entertained the future emperor of hindustan by telling him stories of his ancestor's adventures. after several fruitless raids with the few troopers who remained faithful to him, he allied himself with his two uncles, mahmud and ahmad khan, in an attack against tambal, one of the powerful nobles who had revolted against him and set up jahangir, his brother, on the throne of farghana. at a critical moment his uncles left babar to the mercy of his enemy, and he was again forced to fly for his life, hotly pursued by tambal's horsemen. he was overtaken by two of them, who, not daring to pit themselves against babar's prodigious strength and courage, tried to inveigle him into a trap. babar gives a moving description of this great crisis in his life. thoroughly exhausted, and seeing no prospect of escape, he resigned himself to die:-"there was a stream in the garden, and there i made my ablutions and recited a prayer of two bowings. then surrendering myself to meditation, i was about to ask god for his compassion, when sleep closed my eyes. i saw (in my dream) khwája yakub, the son of khwája yahya, and grandson of his eminence the khwája 'obaid-allah (a famous saint of samarkand), with a numerous escort, mounted on dappled grey horses, come before me and say, '_do not be anxious, the khwája has sent me to tell you that he will support you and seat you on the throne of sovereignty; whenever a difficulty occurs to you, remember to beg his help, and he will at once respond to your appeal, and victory and triumph shall straightway lean to your side_.' i awoke with easy heart, at the very moment when yusuf the constable and his companions (tambal's soldiers) were plotting some trick to seize and throttle me. hearing them discussing it, i said to them, 'all you say is very well, but i shall be curious to see which of you dares to approach me,' as i spoke the tramp of a number of horses was heard outside the garden wall. yusuf the constable exclaimed, 'if we had taken you and brought you to tambal, our affairs would have prospered much thereby; as it is, he has sent a large troop to seize you; and the noise you hear is the tramp of horses on your track,' at this assertion my face fell, and i knew not what to devise. "at this very moment the horsemen, who had not at first found the gate of the garden, made a breach in its crumbling wall, through which they entered. i saw they were kutluk muhammad barlas and babai pargári, two of my most devoted followers, with ten or twenty other persons. when they came near to my person they threw themselves off their horses, and, bending the knee at a respectful distance, fell at my feet, and overwhelmed me with marks of their affection. "amazed at this apparition, i felt that god had just restored me to life. i called to them at once, 'seize yusuf the constable, and the wretched traitors who are with him, and bring them to me bound hand and foot,' then, turning to my rescuers, i said, 'whence come you? who told you what was happening?' kutluk muhammad barlás answered, 'after i found myself separated from you in the sudden flight from akhsi, i reached andijan at the very moment when the khans themselves were making their entry. there i saw, in a dream, khwája 'obaid-allah, who said, "_pádishah babar is at this instant in a village called karmán; fly thither and bring him back with you, for the throne is his of right_." rejoicing at this dream, i related it to the big khan and little khan.... three days have we been marching, and thanks be to god for bringing about this meeting.'" [1] after this exciting adventure babar rejoined his time-serving uncles, but was forced into exile again in 1503, when, at the battle of akshi, the khans were completely defeated by shaibani. then he resolved to depart out of farghana and to give up the attempt to recover his kingdom. characteristically, when foiled in one enterprise he entered upon another yet more ambitious. joined by his two brothers, jahangir and nasir, and by a motley array of various wandering tribes, he swooped down upon kabul and captured it. the description of the new kingdom thus easily won, which fills many pages of the memoirs, reveals another side of babar's character--his intense love of nature. he gives minute accounts of the climate, physical characteristics, the fruits, flowers, birds, and beasts, as well as of the human inhabitants. in the intervals between his battles, or between his rollicking drinking parties, which for some years of his life degenerated into drunken orgies, we often find babar lost in admiration of some beautiful landscape, or collecting flowers and planting fruit trees. wherever he came, babar's first care was to dig wells and plant fruit and flower gardens. india owes much to the great moguls' love of horticulture. when babar had drilled his unruly afghan subjects into something like order, he made, in 1506, one more unsuccessful attempt to crush shaibani. however, in 1510, when that doughty warrior was defeated and slain by ismail, shah of persia, samarkand fell once more into babar's hands, as a vassal of the shah. eight months afterwards he was driven out again. from that time babar gave up all hopes of re-establishing the empire of his ancestor timur, and turned his face towards india. in 1519 he gathered an army for his first expedition, which was, however, more of a reconnaissance than a conquest. four more attempts he made, until at last, in 1526, with only 10,000 men, he defeated the hosts of ibrahim lodi, the last of the afghan kings of delhi, who, with 15,000 of his troops, were left dead on the field of panipat. thus, after many struggles, babar became "master and conqueror of the mighty empire of hindustan," but he had to fight two more great battles before his sovereignty was undisputed--one in 1527 near fatehpur sikri, with the great chief of the rajputs, raja sanga of chitore, and another in 1529 near buxar, with the afghans who had settled in bengal. the next year babar died in his garden palace at agra the nobility of his character was conspicuous in his death as it was in his life. he was devotedly attached to his eldest son, humayun, who was seized with malarial fever while staying at his country estate at sambhal. babar had him removed by boat to agra, but his physicians declared that the case was hopeless. babar's own health had suffered much during his life in india, and he was terribly agitated by the news. when some one suggested that in such circumstances the almighty sometimes deigned to accept the thing most valued by one friend in exchange for the life of another, babar exclaimed that of all things his life was dearest to humayun, as humayun's was to him. he would sacrifice his own life to save his son. his courtiers entreated him to give up instead the great diamond taken at agra, said to be the most valuable on earth. babar declared that no stone could compare in value with his own life, and after solemnly walking round humayun's couch, as in a religious sacrifice, he retired to devote himself to prayer. soon afterwards he was heard to exclaim, "i have borne it away! i have borne it away!" humayun began to recover, and, as he improved, babar gradually sank. commending his son to the protection of his friends, and imploring humayun to be kind and forgiving to his brothers, the first of the "great moguls" of india passed away. he was buried at kabul, in one of his beloved gardens, which, according to tartar custom, he had chosen for his tomb, in "the sweetest spot of the neighbourhood." [2] babar's connection with agra. babar's connection with agra began immediately after the battle of panipat. he sent forward humayun, who occupied the town without opposition. the story of the great diamond referred to above is here recorded in the memoirs. the raja of gwalior, slain at panipat, had left his family and the heads of his clan at agra. in gratitude to humayun, who treated them magnanimously, and protected them from plunder, they presented to him a _peskesh_, or token of homage, consisting of a quantity of jewels and precious stones. among these was one famous diamond which had been acquired by sultan alaeddin. "it is so valuable that a judge of diamonds valued it at about half the daily expense of the whole world. it is about eight _mikkals_" (or about 280 carats). this is generally supposed to be the celebrated koh-i-nur. babar determined to establish the seat of his government at agra, but was almost dissuaded by the desolate appearance of the country. "it always appears to me," he says, "that one of the chief defects of hindustan is the want of artificial watercourses. i had intended, wherever i might fix my residence, to construct water-wheels, to produce an artificial stream, and to lay out an elegant and regularly planned pleasure ground. shortly after coming to agra i passed the jumna with this object in view, and examined the country to pitch upon a fit spot for a garden. the whole was so ugly and detestable that i repassed the river quite repulsed and disgusted. in consequence of the want of beauty and of the disagreeable aspect of the country, i gave up my intention of making a _charbagh_ (garden house); but as no better situation presented itself near agra, i was finally compelled to make the best of this same spot.... in every corner i planted suitable gardens, in every garden i sowed roses and narcissus regularly, and in beds corresponding to each other. we were annoyed by three things in hindustan; one was its heat, another the strong winds, and the third its dust. baths were the means of removing all three inconveniences." as i have mentioned above, there are very few vestiges remaining of babar's city, of his fruit and flower gardens, palaces, baths, tanks, wells and watercourses. the ram bagh (p. 92) is one of the gardens laid out either by himself or by one of his nobles, and the zohra, or zuhara bagh, near it, contains the remains of a garden-house, which is said to have belonged to one of babar's daughters. opposite to the taj there are traces of the foundations of the city he built. babar planned, and his successors completed, the great road leading from agra to kabul through lahore, parts of which still remain. some of the old milestones can be seen on the road to sikandra. babar's account of the commencement of it is very characteristic: "on thursday, the 4th of the latter rebia, i directed chikmak bey, by a writing under the royal hand and seal, [3] to measure the distance from agra to kabul; that at every nine _kos_ he should raise a _minar_, or turret, twelve _gez_ in height, on the top of which he was to construct a pavilion; that every ten _kos_ he should erect a _yam_, or post-house, which they call a _dak-choki,_ for six horses; that he should fix a certain allowance as a provision for the post-house keepers, couriers, and grooms, and for feeding the horses; and orders were given that whenever a post-house for horses was built near a _khalseh_, or imperial demesne, they should be furnished from thence with the stated allowances; that if it were situated in a _pergunna_, the nobleman in charge should attend to the supply. the same day chikmâk padshahi left agra." the promptness of babar's administrative methods is a striking contrast to the circumlocution of present-day departmentalism. there still exist remains of many splendid _sarais_, or halting-places, built along this road by different mogul emperors for their convenience, from the time of babar down to aurangzîb. one of the finest is the nurmahal sarai, near jalandhar, built by jahangir and named after his favourite wife. edward terry, who accompanied sir thomas roe, james the first's ambassador at jahangir's court, describes "the long walk of four hundred miles, shaded by great trees on both sides," and adds, "this is looked upon by the travellers who have found the comfort of that cool shade as one of the rarest and most beneficial works in the whole world." ii. humayun. humayun, who succeeded babar, had many of his father's amiable qualities, but none of his genius as a leader of men. he utterly failed in the attempt to consolidate the great empire which babar had left him, and in 1539, or nine and a half years after his accession, he was completely defeated at kanauj by shere khan sur, an afghan nobleman, who had submitted to babar, but revolted against his son. humayun found himself a fugitive with only a handful of men, and was eventually driven not only out of hindustan, but even from the kingdom of kabul. he then took refuge with the shah of persia. shere khan sur, under the title of shere shah, ruled at agra until he died, five years afterwards. his son, salîm shah, or sultan islam, succeeded him, and reigned between seven and eight years, but on his death the usual quarrels between his relatives and generals gave humayun, who in the mean time had got back kabul with the aid of a persian army, the opportunity to recover his position in hindustan. this occurred in 1555, but humayun's unfortunate reign terminated the same year through a fatal fall from a staircase in his palace at delhi. humayun left no memorial of himself at agra, but he is to be remembered for two circumstances; the first, that he was the father of the great akbar, who succeeded him; and the second, that the plan of his tomb at delhi, built by akbar, was the model on which the plan of the taj was based. interregnum: shere shah. shere shah was a great builder, and a most capable ruler. in his short reign of five years he initiated many of the great administrative reforms which akbar afterwards perfected. fergusson, in his "history of indian architecture," mentions that in his time there was a fragment of a palace built by shere shah in the fort at agra, "which was as exquisite a piece of decorative art as any of its class in india." this palace has since been destroyed to make room for a barrack, but probably the two-storied pavilion known as the salîmgarh is the fragment to which fergusson refers. the only other building of shere shah's time now remaining in agra is the half-buried mosque of alawal bilawal, or shah wilayat, in the _nai-ki mandi_ quarter (see p. 102). shere shah's tomb at sasseram, in bihar, is one of the noblest monuments of the pathan style, or the style of the earliest muhammadan architects in india. iii. akbar. akbar, "the great," was born at amarkot, on the edge of the deserts of marwar, about three years after the battle of kanauj, when his father humayun was a fugitive, driven from place to place by the adherents of shere shah. at this time the treasury of the royal house was so reduced that, when humayun indented on it for the customary presents to his faithful followers, the only thing procurable was a single pod of musk. with the cheerfulness which was the saving grace of humayun, he broke up the pod, and distributed it, adding the pious wish, which seemed like prophetic insight, that his son's fame might fill the world like the fragrance of that perfume. trained in the hard school of adversity, and inheriting the best qualities of his grandfather, akbar was not long in restoring the faded fortunes of the mogul dynasty. like babar, he succeeded to the throne at a very early age, and found himself surrounded by difficulties which would have overwhelmed a weaker character. humayun had, indeed, fought his way back to delhi and agra, but he had by no means settled with all the numerous disputants for the sovereignty of hindustan, which sultan islam's death had left in the field; and his departure from kabul had been the signal for revolt in that quarter. akbar, accompanied by bairam khan, the ablest of humayun's generals, was in sind when he received at the same time the news of his father's death and of the revolt of the viceroy at kabul he was then little more than thirteen years old, but, like babar under similar circumstances, he was prompt in decision and in action. adopting bairam's advice, which was contrary to that of all his other counsellors, he left kabul out of account, and pushed on to delhi against the forces of himu, a hindu general, and the most powerful of his foes, who had assumed the title of raja bikramajit, with the hopes of restoring the old hindu dynasty. on the historic plains of panipat akbar completely defeated himu's army, and thus regained the empire which his grandfather had won on the same field thirty years before. this great battle was the most critical point in his career, and though akbar had to undertake many other hard campaigns before he was absolute master of the empire, his position from that time was never seriously endangered. until his eighteenth year akbar remained under the tutelage of bairam, an able general, but unscrupulous and cruel. the high-minded, generous disposition of akbar revolted against some of his guardian's methods, but he recognized that, for some years at least, bairam's experience was necessary for him. in 1560, however, he took the administration entirely into his own hands. bairam, in disgust, took up arms against his young master, but was soon defeated and taken prisoner. with his usual magnanimity, akbar pardoned him, and sent him off to mecca with a munificent present; but the revengeful knife of an afghan put an end to the turbulent nobleman's life before he could leave india. akbar spent the rest of his long reign in elaborating the administrative reforms which have made him famous as the greatest ruler india has ever had. with the aid of able ministers, both hindu and muhammadan, he purified the administration of justice, keeping the supreme control in his own hands; enjoined absolute tolerance in religious matters; abolished oppressive taxes, and reorganized and improved the system of land revenue introduced by shere shah. a minute account of akbar's reign, of his policy, habits, and character, is given in the "akbar-nama," the history written by his devoted friend and prime minister, abul fazl. no detail of state affairs was too small for akbar's personal attention. ability and integrity were the only passports to his favour, while bigotry and injustice were anathemas to him. like babar, he was fond of horticulture, and imported many kinds of fruit trees and flowers into india. though he could neither read nor write, he had a great library of hindi, persian, arabic, greek, and other books, and abul fazl relates that every book was read through to him from beginning to end. the most remarkable of all this remarkable man's intellectual activities were his attempts to bring about a reconciliation of all the discordant religious elements of his empire. badâyuni, one of his contemporary historians, but, unlike him, a bigoted musalman, comments thus on akbar's religious views: "from his earliest childhood to his manhood, and from his manhood to old age, his majesty has passed through the most various phases, and through all sorts of religious practices and sectarian beliefs, and has collected everything which people can find in books, with a talent of selection peculiar to him and a spirit of inquiry opposed to every (islamite) principle. thus a faith based on some elementary principles traced itself on the mirror of his heart, and, as the result of all the influences which were brought to bear on his majesty, there grew gradually, as the outline on a stone, the conviction on his heart that there were sensible men in all religions, and abstemious thinkers and men endowed with miraculous powers among all nations. if some true knowledge were thus everywhere to be found, why should truth be confined to one religion, or to a creed like islam, which was comparatively new, and scarcely a thousand years old; why should one sect assert what another denies, and why should one claim a preference without having superiority conferred upon itself?" near to his palace at fatehpur sikri he built an ibâdat khana, or hall of worship, for the discussion of philosophy and religion. there he received representatives of all religious sects, muhammadans, brahmans, jains, buddhists, parsis, jews, and christians, and listened attentively to their arguments. he studied deeply religious books, and had the new testament translated into persian. he also invited jesuit priests from goa, and not only allowed them to build a church at agra, but even attended a marriage service and interpreted the words of the sermon to the bride. badayuni says that "his majesty firmly believed in the truth of the christian religion, and wishing to spread the doctrines of jesus, ordered prince murad (his son) to take a few lessons in christianity by way of auspiciousness." the jesuits, however, did not succeed in making akbar a convert, for when his religious convictions were at last settled, he proclaimed as the state religion a kind of eclectic pantheism called din-i-ilâhi, or "divine faith," with himself as the chief interpreter. dispensing with all forms of priesthood, he simply recognized one god, the maker of the universe, and himself as god's vicegerent on earth. he rejected the doctrine of the resurrection, and accepted that of the transmigration of souls. the islamite prayers were abolished, and others of a more general character were substituted for them. the ceremonial was largely borrowed from the hindus. the "divine faith" had no hold on the people, and its influence ceased with the death of its founder. it is even said that akbar, on his death-bed, acknowledged the orthodox muhammadan creed, but the evidence on this point is unreliable. akbar's religious system had an important political bearing, for the keynote of his whole policy was the endeavour to unite with a bond of common interest all the diverse social, religious, and racial elements of his empire. he overlooked nothing which might further the object he had in view. he chose his ministers and generals indiscriminately from all his subjects, without distinction of race or religion. he allied himself in marriage with the royal hindu families of rajputana. he sat daily on the judgment seat to dispense justice to all who chose to appeal to him, and, like the famous harun-al-rashid, he would at times put on disguises and wander unattended among the people, to keep himself informed of their real condition and to check the malpractices of his officials. though akbar unavoidably had bitter enemies among the more bigoted of his muhammadan subjects, his wise tolerance of all beliefs and the generosity of his policy for the most part disarmed hostility from all sides. certainly no ruler of india before or since succeeded so far in carrying out his object. he is still one of the great popular heroes of hindustan; his mighty deeds in war and in the chase, his wise and witty sayings, the splendour of his court, his magnanimity and his justice, still live in song and in story. akbar died in the fort at agra on october 13, 1605, in the fifty-first year of his reign, aged 63. he was buried at sikandra, in the mausoleum commenced by himself, and finished by his son and successor, jahangir. akbar's connection with agra. the modern city of agra, as stated previously, was founded by akbar in 1558, opposite to the old city on the left bank of the river. he built the fort, on the site of an old pathan castle, and part of the palace within it. agra was the seat of government during the greater part of his reign. he also built the great mosque and the magnificent palaces and public buildings of fatehpur sikri, which are among the most famous of the antiquities of india. iv. jahangir. the eldest surviving son of akbar, prince salîm, on his accession to the throne in 1605, assumed the title of núr-ud-din jahangir (light of the faith, conqueror of the world). he was passionate, cruel, and a drunkard, but not without ability and force of character. as prince salîm he had instigated the assassination of the prime minister, abul fazl, and probably hastened his own father's death by his violent conduct. there was, however, a reconciliation at the end, and jahangir endeavoured to atone for his behaviour by lavish expenditure on akbar's tomb at sikandra. he has also left many pious tributes to his father's memory in his autobiography. jahangir's favourite wife was the celebrated nur mahal, who for twenty years was almost the supreme power in the imperial court. her beauty attracted his attention while he was still prince salîm, but akbar, disapproving of her as a daughter-in-law, gave her in marriage to sher afsan, "the lion killer," a nobleman of burdwan. after his accession, having treacherously procured the death of her husband, jahangir had nur mahal removed to agra and placed under the care of his mother. for many years she repulsed all jahangir's overtures, but when at last she consented to be his queen she became his most devoted wife. she accompanied him on all his travels, and jahangir consulted her in all important affairs of state. sir thomas roe, james the first's ambassador, describes jahangir at agra taking his wife for an evening drive in a bullock cart, "the king himself being her carter." he affectionately changed her name from nur mahal, "light of the palace," to nur jahan, "light of the world." the imperial coinage bore her name and an inscription, "gold has acquired a new value since it bore the name of nur jahan." she even succeeded to some extent in controlling jahangir's drunken habits. she was a great patroness of the arts, and it is said that the samman burj, her apartments in the agra palace, was decorated after her own designs. her charity was boundless; she was the especial protectress of orphan girls, and provided marriage portions for no less than 500 from her private purse. nur mahal's father, itmâd-ud-daulah, became lord high treasurer, and afterwards wazir, or prime minister. on his death his daughter built for him the magnificent tomb at agra known by his name. during jahangir's reign many europeans, travellers, adventurers and others, flocked to the mogul court. they were allowed free access to the palace, and jahangir frequently admitted them to join in his midnight carouses. he showed great favour to the jesuit priests, and even allowed two of his nephews to be instructed in the christian religion. the violent temper of jahangir was inherited by his son, prince khurram, afterwards shah jahan, and the peace of his reign was frequently disturbed by open rebellion on the part of the prince. in 1623 shah jahan actually sacked agra, and his soldiers committed fearful atrocities on the inhabitants. he failed, however, to capture the fort, which contained the imperial treasury, and jahangir, no doubt remembering his own father's leniency towards himself, forgave his unruly son. jahangir died in 1627, and was buried at shahdara, near lahore, in a magnificent tomb prepared by nur mahal. she herself retired to lahore, and, though she lived till 1648, ceased to take any part in state affairs after his death. she was buried by her husband's side at shahdara. jahangir's connection with agra. jahangir for a great part of his reign held his court at lahore, or at kabul. the chief monuments of his reign at, or near, agra are akbar's tomb at sikandra (p. 97), and itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb (p. 85), already mentioned. part of the agra palace, the jahangiri mahal (p. 63), is named after him, though it is most probable that it was really built in akbar's reign. there are a few minor buildings of jahangir's time in agra, such as the baths of ali verdi khan in chipitollah street, the mosque of motamid khan in the kashmiri bazar, and the tower known after the name of boland khan, the chief eunuch of jahangir's palace. these are of purely archæological interest. v. shah jahan. shah jahan, on his father's death, though only fourth in right of succession to the throne, speedily disposed of his brothers by means very commonly adopted in oriental royal families, and was enthroned at agra in 1648. immediately afterwards he wreaked his vengeance on the portuguese, who had taken part against him in his rebellion against jahangir, by destroying their settlement at hughli. the next year, while on an expedition to suppress disorder in the deccan, he lost his favourite wife, mumtaz mahal, the lady of the taj. for a long time the emperor abandoned himself entirely to grief, and he remained faithful to her memory until his death. the actual building of the taj commenced in 1632. from this date until 1658, when aurangzîb usurped the throne, was the most magnificent period of the mogul dynasty. the whole empire enjoyed comparative peace and prosperity. shah jahan's just and liberal government continued his father's and grandfather's policy of tolerance towards the hindus, and his administration, though conducted with great pomp and splendour, did not press hardly upon the people. it was one of the greatest epochs of indian architecture; besides the taj mahal, the buildings erected during these years include four of the masterpieces of the mogul period--the jâmi masjid, or cathedral mosque, of delhi; the mûti masjid, or pearl mosque, of agra; part of the agra palace, and the great palace at delhi, of which only a small portion now exists. it is said that as shah jahan advanced towards old age he abandoned himself more and more to a life of pleasure and self-indulgence, but his last years were darkened by the same kind of family intrigues through which he himself had gained the throne. in 1657 the serious illness of the emperor brought these intrigues to a head. his eldest son by mumtaz mahal, called dara shikoh, a gracious and generous prince, but headstrong and intolerant of advice, was appointed regent. on receiving this intelligence, his younger brothers, shuja, viceroy of bengal, and murad, viceroy of gujarat, declared their independence, and marched upon agra. aurangzîb, the third son, a religious bigot, but the ablest and most virile of the brothers, hastened to join them, and being placed in chief command, attacked dara's army close to agra and completely defeated him. three days afterwards he entered the city. shah jahan sent his chamberlain to order him to leave the city at once and return to his post in the deccan, but aurangzîb, affecting to believe that his father was dead, disregarded the order. he succeeded by bribes and promises in bringing over some of the principal nobles to his side, and being well informed by rushanara, his younger sister, who was his equal in cunning and artifice, of all that went on in the palace, he baffled shah jahan's attempts to lay hands on him. at last, under pretence of arranging an amicable meeting with his son mahmud, aurangzîb beguiled shah jahan into withdrawing his troops from the fort. mahmud immediately forced his way in with a picked body of men and seized the person of the emperor. the plan succeeded so well that no attempt at a rescue was made. the french traveller tavernier, who has left a complete record of the time, writes of this event: "it is most surprising that not one of the servants of the grand king offered to assist him; that all his subjects abandoned him, and that they turned their eyes to the rising sun, recognizing no one as king but aurangzîb. shah jahan, though still living, passed from their memories. if, perchance, there were any who felt touched by his misfortunes, fear made them silent, and made them basely abandon a king who had governed them like a father, and with a mildness which is not common with sovereigns. for although he was severe enough to the nobles when they failed to perform their duties, he arranged all things for the comfort of the people, by whom he was much beloved, but who gave no signs of it at this crisis." shah jahan remained confined in a set of apartments of the agra palace for seven years. he died in 1666, and was buried by the side of mumtaz mahal in the taj. his captivity was shared by his favourite daughter, jahanara, who since the death of her mother had ruled the imperial household and taken a prominent part in state affairs. she had actively supported the cause of dara, and thus incurred the resentment of aurangzîb. on her father's death she retired to delhi, and she lived there until 1681. her simple grave, covered with grass, is in a quiet corner of the courtyard of nizamudin's tomb, near delhi, where the memory of her filial piety adds to the poetic charm of all the surroundings. the monuments of shah jahan's reign at agra. the taj mahal (p. 72); the jâmi masjid (p. 69); and the following buildings in the fort: the mûti masjid (p. 43); the dîwan-i-âm (p. 46); the dîwan-i-khas (p. 55); the khas mahal (p. 59). vi. aurangzîb. agra is only concerned with the first seven years of aurangzîb's reign, for, after the death of shah jahan, the court was removed to delhi, and agra was left with only a provincial governor to maintain its former magnificence. the unhappy dara, after his defeat by aurangzîb, made fruitless attempts to retrieve his fortunes, but was at last betrayed into the hands of his brother, who immediately put him to death. aurangzîb lost no time in disposing of his other two brothers, and thus placed his succession to the throne beyond dispute. the princess rushanara, as a reward for her treachery, was raised to the position formerly enjoyed by her sister jahanara. the french physician bernier, who resided twelve years at the mogul court in the time of aurangzîb, has left many minute and graphic records of the times. here is a picture of rushanara when she accompanied aurangzîb on the march from delhi to kashmir:-"stretch imagination to its utmost limits, and you can conceive no exhibition more grand and imposing than when rauchenara-begum, mounted on a stupendous pegu elephant and seated in a _mikdember_, blazing with gold and azure, is followed by five or six other elephants with _mikdembers_ nearly as resplendent as her own, and filled with ladies attached to her household. close to the princess are the chief eunuchs, richly adorned and finely mounted, each with a wand of office in his hand; and surrounding her elephant a troop of female servants, _tartars_ and _kachmerys_, fantastically attired and riding handsome pad-horses. besides these attendants are several eunuchs on horseback, accompanied by a multitude of _pagys_, or lackeys, on foot, with large canes, who advance a great way before the princess, both to the right and left, for the purpose of clearing the road and driving before them every intruder. immediately behind rauchenara-begum's retinue appears a principal lady of the court, mounted and attended in much the same manner as the princess. this lady is followed by a third, she by a fourth, and so on, until fifteen or sixteen females of quality pass with a grandeur of appearance, equipage, and retinue more or less proportionate to their rank, pay, and office. there is something very impressive of state and royalty in the march of these sixty or more elephants; in their solemn and, as it were, measured steps, in the splendour of the _mikdembers_, and the brilliant and innumerable followers in attendance; and, if i had not regarded this display of magnificence with a sort of philosophical indifference, i should have been apt to be carried away by such flights of imagination as inspire most of the indian poets when they represent the elephants as conveying so many goddesses concealed from the vulgar gaze." [4] dramatic justice overtook the scheming princess at last. in 1664 aurangzîb fell dangerously ill, and, while he was unconscious, rushanara, believing him to be dying, abstracted the signet ring from his finger and issued letters, as under the royal seal, to the various viceroys and governors, setting aside the succession of the emperor's eldest son by a rajput princess in favour of another son, a boy of six, by a muhammadan sultana. she hoped by this means to keep the supreme power in her own hands during the long minority of the new emperor. aurangzîb unexpectedly recovered, and became suspicious of his dangerous sister. the host of enemies she had created at court were not slow in taking advantage of the situation, and rushanara soon afterwards disappeared--removed, it is said, by poison. aurangzîb ruled with a firm hand, and in strict justice according to the law of islam, but though a man of great intellectual powers, of marvellous energy and indomitable courage, he was wanting in imagination, sympathy, and foresight, the highest qualities of a really great ruler. he checked the dissolute conduct of the nobles, and set an example of industry and devotion to duty; but his narrow, bigoted disposition inclined him to distrust even his own ministers, so that, unlike his three predecessors, he was badly served by the lieutenants in whose hands the administration of the provinces rested. he surrounded himself with religious bigots of the sunni sect of muhammadans, who aided him in bitter persecution of the hindus. hardly anything of artistic or architectural interest was created under his patronage. most of the great artists who attended shah jahan's court were dismissed as unorthodox or heretics, and many noble monuments were mutilated by the emperor's fanatical followers on the ground that they contravened the precept of the koran which forbids the representation of animate nature in art. he died in 1707, eighty-nine years of age. the mogul empire, surrounded by hordes of the enemies his bigotry and intolerance had created, was already tottering to its fall, and the star of the british raj was rising. seventeen years before his death he had granted to job charnock a piece of land at sutanati, the site of the future capital of our indian empire. agra and the later mogul emperors agra played a very small part in the history of the weak-minded and dissolute successors of aurangzîb. firokhshiyar, who reigned from 1713 to 1719, resided occasionally there. after his death disputes between various claimants to the throne led to agra fort being besieged and captured by husein ali khan, a partisan of one of them, who looted the treasury of all the valuables deposited there during three centuries. "there were the effects of nur jahan begum and mumtaz mahal, amounting in value, according to various reports, to two or three crores of rupees. there was in particular the sheet of pearls which shah jahan had caused to be made for the tomb of mumtaz mahal, of the value of several lakhs of rupees, which was spread over it on the anniversary and on friday nights. there was the ewer of nur jahan and her cushion of woven gold and rich pearls, with a border of valuable garnets and emeralds." (elliott.) in 1739 nadir, shah of persia, sacked delhi, carried off shah jahan's famous peacock throne, and laid agra also under contribution. the mahrattas next appeared on the scene. in 1764 the jâts of bharatpur, under suraj mal, captured agra, looted the taj, and played havoc with the palaces in the fort. they were joined by walter reinhardt, an adventurer, half french and half german, who sold his services for any work of infamy, and had only recently assisted in the murder of the british resident and other europeans at patna. he afterwards entered the mogul service, and was rewarded by a grant of a tract of country near meerut, which remained in the possession of his family until recent times. he died at agra in 1778, and was buried in the catholic cemetery. for the next thirty-nine years agra was occupied by mahrattas and by mogul imperialists in turn. john hessing, a dutch officer in the employ of the mahrattas, was governor of agra in 1794, and died there in 1802. the next year it was captured by the british under general, afterwards lord, lake, and from that time until 1857 its history was uneventful. agra in the mutiny. agra did not take any prominent part in the events of the mutiny. a mob plundered the city, burnt the public offices, and killed a number of europeans; but the rioters left soon to join their comrades at delhi. there was a small engagement outside the city. the british troops and the whole of the european population were afterwards shut up in the fort until the capture of delhi. the lieutenant-governor, mr. john russell colvin, died there, and was buried in front of the dîwan-i-âm. the fort the present fort was commenced by akbar in 1566, on the site of an older one constructed by salîm shah sur, the son of shere shah. its vast walls (seventy feet in height, and a mile and a half in circuit), its turrets, and noble gateways present from the outside a most imposing appearance. it contains within its walls that most exquisite of mosques, the mûti masjid, and the palaces of akbar and shah jahan. the principal or north entrance is the delhi gate, nearly opposite to the railway station and the jâmi masjid. formerly there was a walled enclosure in front of this gate, called the tripulia, or three gates, which was used as a market. this was cleared away by the military authorities in 1875. crossing the drawbridge over the moat which surrounds the fort, the visitor passes the outer gate, and by a paved incline reaches the hathi pol, or elephant gate (plate iii.), so called from the two stone elephants, with riders, which formerly stood outside the gate, on the highest of the platforms on either side of it. the statues and elephants were thrown down by order of aurangzîb. there are four hollow places in each platform, where the legs of the elephants were morticed into it. [5] the gate is a fine example of the early mogul style; it contains the _naubat khana_, or music gallery, where the royal kettledrums announced the emperor's arrival or departure, and all state functions. it was also a guard-house, and probably the quarters of a high military officer, but it is certainly not, as the guides have it, the "darshan darwaza," or "gate of sights," described by william finch, where the emperor jahangir showed himself at sunrise to his nobles and to the multitude assembled in the plain below. the darshan darwaza was undoubtedly near the old disused water-gate, which was joined to the royal apartments of the palace by a private passage, and answers to finch's description of "leading into a fair court extending along the river." the elephant gate is at a considerable distance from the palace, and was never connected with it, except by the public road. it is worth while to climb the top of the gate by the staircase on the right, inside the fort. there is a fine view of the fort, and beyond the walls the ever-beautiful white domes of the taj appear in the distance. the itmâd-ud-daulah is visible on the left. towards the town you look down into the quadrangle of the jâmi masjid. the pavilions on the summit of the great octagonal towers flanking the gate are finely carved, and bear traces of painting and enamelled tile-work. descending the staircase to the floors beneath, one can wander through the curious small chambers and look out from the balconies on the front of the gate. the mûti masjid. the road to the left after passing the elephant gate leads up to the entrance of the mûti masjid, or "pearl mosque," placed on the highest point of the fort enclosure. [6] you pass on the left a building known as dansa jât's house, said to have been occupied by the rajahs of bharatpur when the jâts held the fort. it has been made hideous by modern additions which have converted it into officers' quarters. the entrance to the mûti masjid is very plain and unpretending, so that one is hardly prepared for the beauty, purity, and the unaffected expression of an exalted religious feeling which characterize the interior. it is rare to find an indian building in which the effect is produced with hardly any ornament, but solely by the perfection of proportions, beauty of material, and harmony of constructive design. the courtyard, in front of the mosque, with its arcades and gateways, is a noble setting to the pearl, as the mosque is appropriately called. there is a subtle rhythm in the placing of the three domes over the seven arches of the mosque, which saves the whole design from monotony, while the marvellous grace of the contours, which is so characteristic of the finest of shah jahan's buildings, makes each dome grow up from the roof like a flower-bud on the point of unfolding. the octagonal pavilions at the four corners of the mosque, and the dainty little kiosques placed as decoration over the arches and over the gateways of the courtyard, echo the harmonies of the larger constructive details, and give completeness to the composition. the interior of the mosque owes its dignity to the same greatness of style and perfection of the proportions. the three aisles are formed by massive piers of single blocks of marble. with all its simplicity, there is consummate art both in the placing of the ornament and in the beautiful springing of the arches from the supporting piers. the fine workmanship is worthy of the art. on either side of the mosque there is a small chamber for the ladies of the zanana, with a window filled with a carved marble _grille_ looking on to the interior. they could thus attend to the services of the mosque without being seen. the staircases on the right and left of the courtyard give private access to the apartments of the palace. the persian inscription inlaid in black marble under the wide, projecting cornice of the mosque is a poetic tribute to the beauty of the building and a panegyric of its founder. from it we learn that it was built by shah jahan, it took seven years to build, and cost three lakhs of rupees. the dimensions of the courtyard, given by fergusson, are 154 feet by 158 feet; and of the mosque: length, 159 feet; depth, 56 feet, internally. the dersane darwaza. nearly opposite to the mûti masjid, you pass on the left an inclined passage which leads to an old gateway, a part of akbar's buildings. very little remains of the original buildings which connected it with the palace in the time of jahangir, but there cannot be much doubt that this was the locality described by william finch as the "dersane darwaza, leading into a fair court, extending along the river, in which the king looks forth every morning at sun-rising, which he salutes, and then his nobles resort to their _tesillam_ (obeisance). right under the place where he looks out, is a kind of scaffold, whereon his nobles stand, but the _addis_ with others await below in the court. here also every noone he looketh forth to behold _tamâshâh_, or fighting of elephants, lyons, buffles, killing of deare with leopards, which is a custom on every day of the weeke, sunday excepted, on which is no fighting; but tuesday, on the contrary, is a day of blood, both of fighting beasts, and justiced men, the king judging and seeing executions." the dîwan-i-âm. the road now turns towards the right, through the mîna bazar, the old market-place, where merchants displayed jewellery, brocades, and similar stuffs for the nobles and others attending the court. a gateway leads into the great courtyard of the dîwan-i-âm, or hall of public audience, which, with its surrounding arcades, was for a long time used as an armoury for the british garrison. the hall itself was restored in 1876 by sir john strachey, then lieutenant-governor of the north-west provinces. the courtyard has recently been put back, as far as possible, into its original condition by lord curzon's orders. a further great improvement has been made by the removal of the hideous modern additions which entirely concealed all the arcades. the present hall, which is an open pavilion formed by a triple row of colonnades, was commenced by shah jahan, but, if we may believe tradition, was not completed until the 27th year of the reign of aurangzîb. the arcades surrounding the quadrangle are probably of akbar's time. the interior dimensions of the hall are 192 feet by 64 feet. it is constructed of red sandstone, plastered over with a fine white polished stucco, which served both as a protection to the stone and as a ground for coloured decoration and gilding. this plaster-work was carried to the perfection of a fine art by the old mogul builders, but the restoration of it in 1876 was very indifferently carried out. the throne of the emperor was in an alcove of inlaid marble at the back of the hall, and connected with the royal apartments behind. here he sat daily to give audience to his court, to receive ambassadors, and to administer justice. at the foot of the alcove is a square slab of marble, about 3 feet in height, on which, it is said, his ministers stood to receive petitions to the emperor, and to convey his commands thereon. on the right and left of the throne are chambers with perforated marble windows, through which the ladies of the zanana could view the proceedings. bernier's lively description, though it properly belongs to the dîwan-i-âm at delhi, will enable us to picture the scene in the days of the great mogul:-"the monarch every day, about noon, sits upon his throne, with some of his sons at his right and left, while eunuchs standing about the royal person flap away the flies with peacocks' tails, agitate the air with large fans, or wait with undivided attention and profound humility to perform the different services allotted to each. immediately under the throne is an enclosure, surrounded by silver rails, in which are assembled the whole body of _omrahs_ (nobles), the rajas, and the ambassadors, all standing, their eyes bent downwards and their hands crossed. at a greater distance from the throne are the _mansebdhars_, or inferior _omrahs_, also standing in the same posture of profound reverence. the remainder of the spacious room, and, indeed, the whole courtyard, is filled with persons of all ranks, high and low, rich and poor; because it is in this extensive hall that the king gives audience indiscriminately to all his subjects; hence it is called _am khas_, or audience chamber of high and low. "during the hour and a half, or two hours, that this ceremony continues, a certain number of the royal horses pass before the throne, that the king may see whether they are well used and usbec, of every kind, and each dog with a small red covering; lastly, every species of the birds of prey used in field sports for catching partridges, cranes, hares, and even, it is said, for hunting antelopes, on which they pounce with violence, beating their heads and blinding them with their wings and claws." after this parade, the more serious business of the day was attended to. the emperor reviewed his cavalry with peculiar attention, for he was personally acquainted with every trooper. then all the petitions held up in the assembled crowd were read and disposed of before the audience closed. on festivals or other special occasions the pillars of the hall were hung with gold brocades, and flowered satin canopies fastened with red silken cords were raised over the whole apartment. the floor was covered entirely with the most magnificent silk carpets. a gorgeous tent, larger than the hall, to which it was fastened, and supported by poles overlaid with silver, was pitched outside. every compartment of the arcades round the courtyard was decorated by one of the great nobles, at his own expense, with gold brocades and costly carpets, each one vying with the other to attract the attention of the emperor, to whom, on such occasions, an offering of gold or jewels, more or less valuable according to the pay and rank of the giver, must be presented. jahangir's cistern.--just in front of the dîwan-i-âm is a great stone cistern, cut out of a single block, with steps inside and out, known as jahangir's _hauz_, a bowl or bath-tub. there is a long persian inscription round the outer rim; the only part now decipherable shows that it was made for jahangir in 1019 a.h. (a.d. 1611). it is nearly 5 feet in height and 8 feet in diameter at the top. its original place is said to have been one of the courts of the jahangiri mahal. the tomb of mr. colvin.--close by jahangiri's _hauz_ is the grave of mr. john russell colvin, the lieutenant-governor of the north-west provinces, who died in the fort during the disturbances of 1857. the inner mîna bazar. before entering the private apartments of the palace, which are at the back of the dîwan-i-âm, we may pass through the gateway on the left of the courtyard, and enter a smaller one, which was the private bazar where merchants sold jewellery, silks, and costly brocades to the ladies of the zanana, who were seated in the marble balcony which overlooks it (plate iv.). a narrow staircase gave access to the balcony from the courtyard. we may well believe that a considerable part of the ladies' time was spent in this quarter of the palace. sometimes the great mogul and his court would amuse themselves by holding a mock fair, in which the prettiest of the nobles' wives and daughters would act as traders, and the emperors and the begums would bargain with them in the most approved bazar fashion. the emperor would haggle for the value of an anna, and the ladies would feign indignation, scold his majesty roundly, and tell him to go where he could suit himself better. "the begums betray, if possible, a still greater anxiety to be served cheaply; high words are heard on every side, and the loud and scurrilous quarrels of the buyers and sellers create a complete farce. but, when at last the bargains are struck, the begums, as well as the emperor, pay liberally for their purchases, and often, as if by accident, let slip out of their hands a few gold instead of silver roupies, as a compliment to the fair merchant and her pretty daughter. thus the scene ends with merry jests and good humour." (bernier.) the chitore gates.--the further corner of this courtyard, on the left, leads to the chitore gates, the trophies which akbar placed there as a memorial of his capture of that great rajput stronghold in 1657, after a desperate resistance by its gallant defenders. they form the principal entrance to the _machhi bhawan_, the great courtyard behind the dîwan-i-âm, but are generally kept closed. the hindu temple.--beyond the chitore gates you enter into another quadrangle surrounded by arcades, which recalls a different chapter in the chequered history of the palace. here is a hindu temple, built by one of the bharatpur rajahs, who sacked agra about the middle of the 18th century, and occupied it for ten years. the machhi bhawan. returning now to the dîwan-i-âm, we can ascend by one of the small staircases to the throne-room, and enter the upper arcades which surround the machhi bhawan, or "fish square." the courtyard has suffered so much from ruthless vandalism that it is difficult to realize its former magnificence. it was formerly laid out in marble with flower-beds, water-channels, fountains, and fish-tanks. these were carried off by the jâts to the palace of suraj mai, at dîg. a large quantity of mosaic and exquisite marble fretwork, from this and other parts of the palace, was put up to auction by lord william bentinck, when governor-general of india. the taj only escaped the same fate because the proceeds of this sale were unsatisfactory. on the side opposite to the throne-room is an open terrace, originally roofed over and connected with the dîwan-i-khas. this also was dismantled by the jâts. the najina masjid.--on the left of the throne-room, at the end of the corridor, is a door leading into a small mosque of white marble, built by aurangzîb for the ladies of the zenana. it is something like the mûti masjid, but far inferior in design. the further corner of it opens into a small chamber, overlooking the courtyard of the dîwan-i-âm, which is pointed out by the guides as the prison where shah jahan was confined. this may be accepted or not, according to the choice of the visitor. when distinct historical authority is wanting, it is very difficult to distinguish real tradition and pure fable in the tales of these garrulous folk. the historical evidence seems to show that shah jahan was not kept a close prisoner, but simply confined to certain apartments in the palace. we will now pass over to the river side of the machhi bhawan, and approach that part of the palace which contains the dîwan-i-khas, or hall of private audience, the zanana and mahal-i-khas, all built by shah jahan and occupied by him in the days of his royal state and sovereignty. they rank with the dîwan-i-khas at delhi as the most exquisite of shah jahan's buildings. from this classification i purposely omit the taj, gleaming on the banks of the river lower down. the taj stands by itself. the dîwan-i-khas. the dîwan-i-khas was built in 1637. though much smaller than the dîwan-i-khas at delhi, it is certainly not inferior in the beauty of its proportions and decoration. most of the decorative work of these marble pavilions is directly derived from persian art, and inspired by the persian love of flowers which almost amounted to flower-worship. all the details are charming, but the dados, especially, edged with inlaid work and carved with floral types in the most delicate relief, show to perfection that wonderful decorative instinct which seems to be born in the oriental handicraftsman. the designer has naïvely translated into marble the conventional indian flower-beds, just as they were in every palace garden, but there is perfect art in the seeming absence of all artifice. the dados outside the taj are similar in design to these, though larger and correspondingly bolder in style. the roof of the dîwan-i-khas, with its fine covered ceiling, is interesting for its construction. jahangir's throne.--on the terrace in front of the dîwan-i-khas are placed two thrones, one of white marble on the side facing the machhi-bhawan, and the other of black slate on the river side. from the persian inscription which runs round the four sides of the black throne we learn that it was made in 1603 for jahangir. this was two years before the death of his father, akbar, and he was then only prince salîm. the throne was, therefore, probably made to commemorate the recognition by akbar of his son's title to the succession. on this terrace jahangir sat to enjoy the sight of his brigantines on the river, or to watch the elephant fights on the level place beneath the walls. from side to side of his throne there is a long fissure, which opened, so says tradition, when the jât rajah, jawahar singh of bharatpur, in 1765, set his usurping feet on the throne of the great mogul. the tradition holds that blood spurted out of the throne in two places, and red marks in the stone are pointed out as evidence of the truth of the story. the impious chief was shortly afterwards assassinated in the palace. the baths.--on the side of the terrace directly opposite to the dîwan-i-khas are the baths, or the hammam. the water was brought up from a well, outside the walls, 70 feet below. these baths, in their present state, are by no means so fine as those at fatehpur sikri, to be described hereafter. the marquis of hastings, when governor-general of india, broke up one of the most beautiful of the baths of the palace, and sent it home as a present to the prince regent, afterwards george the fourth. the samman burj. a doorway at the back of the dîwan-i-khas leads to the beautiful two-storied pavilion, surmounting one of the most projecting of the circular bastions on the river face, and known as the samman burj, "the jasmine tower" (plate v.). the style of the inlaid work shows it to be earlier in date than the dîwan-i-khas, and supports fergusson's conjecture that it was built by jahangir. in that case it must have been the apartment of his empress, the beautiful and accomplished nur mahal. it was afterwards occupied by mumtaz mahal, the lady of the taj. here, also, in full view of the famous monument he had raised to her memory, died her husband, shah jahan--sensualist, perhaps, but true to his last hours to one great master-passion. the faithful jahanara, who shared his captivity for seven years, attended him on his death-bed, and, as the shades of night closed in and hid the taj from view--praying divine forgiveness for his sins, and with a few consoling words to his daughter--he went to join his beloved! after the rites prescribed by the muhammadan law, the body was placed in a coffin of sandalwood and conveyed by the passage which leads from the samman burj to the low gate beneath it, which was specially opened for the occasion. thence, followed by a procession of mourners, it was carried out of the fort through the sher hâji gate, nearly opposite (now closed), and conveyed across the arm of the river to its last resting-place in the taj. the death of shah jahan and his funeral are minutely described by mulla muhammad kâzim in his "alamgir nama." the guides wrongly point out a pavilion in the jahangiri mahal as the place where he died. in front of the samman burj is a beautiful little fountain hollowed in the floor; on one side of the courtyard is a raised platform laid out in squares of black marble for the game of _pachisi_, an eastern backgammon. [7] the khas mahal. from the samman burj we step into the next set of apartments of the zanana, connecting with the khas mahal and a similar set on the other side. this part of the zanana forms the east, or river side, of the anguri bagh, or grape garden. there is an indescribable grace and charm about all this quarter of the palace, to which the beauty of the material, the perfect taste of the ornament and elegance of the proportions, the delightful background of the landscape, and the historical associations all contribute. it should be seen towards evening, not in the full glare of the morning sun. when the afterglow fills the sky, burnishes the gilded roofs, and turns the marble to rose-colour, imagination may re-people these lovely pavilions with fair indian women--revel in the feast of colour in _saris_, brocades, and carpets; in the gold, azure, and crimson of the painted ceilings; and listen to the water splashing in the fountains and gurgling over the carved water-shoots--a scene of voluptuous beauty such as the world has rarely known since the wealth and elegance of rome filled the palaces and villas of pompei. in the walls of the khas mahal are a number of niches which formerly contained portraits of the mogul emperors, beginning with timur, which, like so many other things, were looted by the rajah of bharatpur. a number of similar portraits and other fine paintings of the mogul period are preserved in the government art gallery, calcutta. a persian poem inscribed on the walls of the khas mahal gives the date of its construction, 1636. the underground chambers.--a staircase to the south of the khas mahal leads to a labyrinth of underground chambers, in which the emperor and his zanana found refuge from the fierce summer heat of agra. in the south-east corner there is a well-house, called a _bâoli_; this is a set of chambers surrounding a well--a favourite retreat in the hot weather. there were formerly many of the kind round about agra, constructed by the mogul emperors or their nobles. besides these resorts of ease and pleasure, there are gloomy dungeons which tell of misbehaving slaves and indiscreet sultanas, who were hurried down to meet their fate at the hands of the executioner, the silent jumna receiving their lifeless bodies. the anguri bagh. the great quadrangle in front of the khas mahal is the anguri bagh, surrounded on three sides by arcades, probably built by akbar and intended for his zenana. they were occupied in the mutiny days by the british officers and their families who were shut up in the fort. the anguri bagh is a very typical specimen of the old mogul gardens, laid out in geometrical flower-beds, with four terraced walks radiating from the central platform and fountain. a stone trellis formerly enclosed the flower-beds, and probably supported the vines which gave the garden its name. among the many improvements lately made by lord curzon in the fort is the clearance of the wire-netting fernhouses and bedraggled shrubs which formerly disfigured the quadrangle. if it cannot be kept up in the old mogul style, it is certainly better to leave the garden uncultivated. shish mahal.--on the north side of the anguri bagh, close to the zanana, a passage leads to the _shish mahal_, or "palace of glass." this was the bath of the zanana. the marble slabs of the floor have been torn up, and the decoration with a kind of glass mosaic seems to have suffered from clumsy attempts at renovation. a passage from the shish mahal leads to the old water gate. the "somnath" gates.--before entering the jahangiri mahal, on the opposite side of the anguri bagh, we will pause at a corner of the zanana courtyard, where a small apartment contains an interesting relic of the afghan expedition of 1842--the so-called "somnath" gates, taken from the tomb of mahmud of ghazni in the capture of that city by the british. they were the subject of a most extraordinary archæological blunder by the governor-general, lord ellenborough, who, in a grandiloquent proclamation, identifying them with the gates of carved sandalwood which mahmud according to tradition, had taken from the celebrated hindu temple of somnath in 1025, announced to the people of india that "the insult of eight hundred years had been avenged." the gates were conveyed on a triumphal car through the towns of northern india to the agra fort, and deposited there with great ceremony. as a matter of fact, the wood is deodar, and not sandalwood, and from the style of the ornament there can be hardly a doubt that the gates were made at or near ghazni. one glance would convince any expert in oriental archæology that they could not by any possibility have been the gates of a hindu temple. it has been supposed that the original gates were destroyed by fire, and that these were made to replace them, but there seems to be considerable doubt whether mahmud really took away any gates from the somnath temple. it certainly would have been unusual for the great muhammadan plunderer to have burdened himself with an archæological relic which, in those days, was not easily convertible into cash. a horse-shoe which is nailed to the gate is not, as is generally supposed, a propitiation of the goddess of fortune, but a token from the owner of some sick animal that he would bring an offering to the shrine in the event of a cure resulting from his visit. this was an old custom among the tartars and other nomad tribes, who valued horses and cattle as their most precious possessions. the jahangiri mahal. the palace called after jahangir, the jahangiri mahal, is in many respects the most remarkable building of its class in india. nothing could be more striking than the contrast between the extreme elegance, bordering on effeminacy, of the marble pavilions of shah jahan's palaces, and the robust, virile, yet highly imaginative architecture of this palace of akbar; for though it bears jahangir's name there cannot be much doubt that it was planned, and partially, if not completely, carried out by akbar with the same architects who built fatehpur sikri. it is the perfected type of the style which we see in process of evolution at fatehpur, and were it not for the taj, we might regret the new element which came into mogul architecture with itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb. both of these styles, which appear side by side in the agra fort, are intensely typical of the men and the times which produced them. the one is stamped throughout with the personality of akbar, the empire-builder, and distinguished by the stately solidity of jain and hindu architecture. in the other the native vigour of the earlier indian styles has been softened by the cultured eclecticism of persia and arabia, for the manly dignity of akbar's court had given place to the sensual luxury of shah jahan's. on the river side of the palace there is an octagonal pavilion placed similarly to the samman burj, which is very charming in its fresco decoration, though the colour has faded very much. it is possibly this pavilion to which badâyunî, one of akbar's biographers, refers when he describes a brahmin, named dêbi, being pulled up the walls of the castle, sitting on a _charpâî_ (a native bed), till he arrived near the balcony where the emperor used to sleep. "whilst thus suspended he instructed his majesty in the secrets and legends of hinduism, in the manner of worshipping idols, the fire, the sun, and stars, and of revering the chief gods of these unbelievers." the priests of other religions were similarly carried up to converse with akbar. adjoining this is a set of small rooms, known as akbar's apartments, which, even in their present dilapidated state, show that they must have possessed a richness and beauty of decoration inferior to nothing else in the whole fort. the dados were decorated with _gesso_ work on a gold ground. the borders are still almost intact, but the rest of the relief ornament seems to have been wantonly hacked off out of pure mischief. i believe this is the only example of _gesso_ work in any of akbar's buildings. the treatment of the upper part of the walls with the characteristic cuspings of arabian and moorish architects is admirable. passing through these, we enter a long room known as the library, in which a not very successful attempt was made some years ago to restore the painted decoration. it is to be devoutly hoped that this and other dangerous experiments of the kind will not be continued, except under skilled artistic supervision. the restoration of the structural parts of the palace and of the stone carving is a more easy matter, for the descendants of the very men who built and carved the palace still practise their art in agra and round about. this has been admirably carried out by the public works department under lord curzon's orders. the outer courtyard, on the riverside, is very interesting, especially for a very elegant and original porch, in which saracenic feeling predominates; but on entering the inner courtyard (plate vi.) it is more easy to realize that this palace is one of the great masterpieces of mogul architecture. the beauty of this inner quadrangle is derived not so much from its fine proportions and rich ornamentation as from the wonderful rhythmic play of light and shadow, produced by the bracket form of construction and the admirable disposition of the openings for doors, windows, and colonnades. the north side of the quadrangle is formed by a pillared hall, of distinctly hindu design, full of the feeling of mystery characteristic of indigenous indian styles. the subdued light of the interior adds to the impressiveness of its great piers stretching their giant brackets up to the roof like the gnarled and twisted branches of primeval forest trees. a very interesting point of view can be obtained from the gallery which runs round the upper part of the hall. one of jahangir's wives, a hindu princess of jodhpur, hence known as jodh bai, lived in this part of the palace, and the room on the west side of the quadrangle, surrounded by a number of oblong niches, is said to have been her temple, in which the images of hanuman and other hindu deities were kept. on the roof of the jahangiri mahal there are two fine pavilions; also a number of cisterns, which supplied the palace with water. in the side of one of them there are a number of pipe-holes, lined with copper, over each of which is a circular stone label inscribed with the part of the palace to which it gave a supply. the salîmgarh. on the rising ground behind the courtyard of the dîwan-i-âm there formerly existed a palace called the salîmgarh. before jahangir's accession he was known as prince salîm, and tradition associates this palace with him. fergusson, however, states that in his time an exquisite fragment of a palace built by shere shah, or his son salîm, existed here. the salîmgarh at delhi is named after the son of shere shah, salîm shah sur, who built it, and there is some doubt as to which of the two salîms gave his name to the salîmgarh at agra. akbar's fort is known to have been built to replace an older one (known as the badalgarh) by salîm shah sur, but it is quite possible that a part of the palace may have been left, and retained the name of its founder. the only part of the salîmgarh which now remains is a large two-storied pavilion in front of the barracks. the upper half of the exterior is carved with extraordinary richness. the style of design certainly indicates the period of the jahangiri mahal and akbar's buildings at fatehpur sikri, rather than shere shah's work. the jâmi masjid. nearly opposite to the delhi gate of the fort is the jâmi masjid, or cathedral mosque, built by jahanara, shah jahan's eldest daughter. it is in the same style as the splendid mosque built by shah jahan at delhi, but far inferior in merit. there is a tameness about the whole design very unusual in the buildings of this epoch. the zig-zag striping of the domes is decidedly unpleasant. an inscription over the main archway states that it was completed in the year 1644 a.d. a cost of five lakhs of rupees. the taj arjumand banu begam the favourite wife of shah jahan, is better known by her other name, mumtaz mahal ("the crown of the palace"). her father was asaf khan, who was brother of the empress nur mahal, jahangir's wife. she was thus the granddaughter of itmâd-ud-daulah, jahangir's prime minister, whose tomb, on the opposite bank of the river, will be described hereafter. in 1612, at the age of nineteen years she was married to shah jahan--then prince khurram--who, though hardly twenty-one, had already another wife. this second marriage, however, was a real love-match, and mumtaz was her husband's inseparable companion on all his journeys and military expeditions. shah jahan, like his father, allowed his wife a large share in the responsibilities of government. like nur mahal, she was famed as much for her charity as for her beauty. her influence was especially exercised in obtaining clemency for criminals condemned to death. she bore him fourteen children, and died in childbed in 1630, or the second year after shah jahan's accession to the throne, at burhanpur, whither she had accompanied her husband on a campaign against khan jahan lodi. the emperor was overpowered with grief. for a week he refused to see any of his ministers, or to transact any business of state. he even contemplated resigning the throne and dividing the empire among his sons. for two years the court observed strict mourning. no music or festivities were allowed; the wearing of jewels, the use of perfumes and luxuries of all kinds were forbidden. the month of zikad, in which she died, was observed as a month of mourning for many years afterwards. the body of mumtaz was removed to agra, and remained temporarily in the garden of the taj while the foundations of the building were being laid. it was then placed in the vault where it now lies. a temporary dome covered the tomb while the great monument grew up over it. the building of the taj. it was one of those intervals in history when the whole genius of a people is concentrated on great architectural works, and art becomes an epitome of the age. for the taj was not a creation of a single master-mind, but the consummation of a great art epoch. since the time of akbar the best architects, artists, and art workmen of india, persia, arabia, and central asia had been attracted to the mogul court. all the resources of a great empire were at their disposal, for shah jahan desired that this monument of his grief should be one of the wonders of the world. the sad circumstances which attended the early death of the devoted wife who had endeared herself to the people might well inspire all his subjects to join in the emperor's pious intentions. according to the old tartar custom, a garden was chosen as a site for the tomb--a garden planted with flowers and flowering shrubs, the emblems of life, and solemn cypress, the emblem of death and eternity. such a garden, in the mogul days, was kept up as a pleasure-ground during the owner's lifetime, and used as his last resting-place after his death. the old tradition laid down that it must be acquired by fair means, and not by force or fraud. so rajah jey singh, to whom the garden belonged, was compensated by the gift of another property from the emperor's private estate. shah jahan next appointed a council of the best architects of his empire for preparing the design for the building. drawings of many of the most celebrated buildings of the world were shown and discussed. it is even believed that one geronimo verroneo, an italian who was then in the mogul service, submitted designs for shah jahan's inspection, a fact which has led many writers into the error of supposing that the taj, as completed, was actually designed by him. [8] the design eventually accepted was by ustad isa, who is stated in one account to have been a byzantine turk, and in another a native of shiraz, in persia. the master-builders came from many different parts; the chief masons from baghdad, delhi, and multan; the dome builders from asiatic turkey and from samarkand; the mosaic workers from kanauj and from baghdad; the principal calligraphist for the inscriptions from shiraz. every part of india and central asia contributed the materials; jaipur, the marble; fatehpur sikri, the red sandstone; the panjab, jasper; china, the jade and crystal; tibet, turquoises; ceylon, lapis lazuli and sapphires; arabia, coral and cornelian; panna in bundelkund, diamonds; persia, onyx and amethyst. twenty thousand men were employed in the construction, which took seventeen years to complete. [9] the sarcophagus was originally enclosed by a fence or screen of gold studded with gems. this was removed in 1642, and replaced by the present exquisite screen of pierced marble (plate vii.). the taj also possessed formerly two wonderful silver doors. austin de bordeaux, a french goldsmith, who was employed by shah jahan in making the celebrated peacock throne, may possibly have executed some of this metal-work in the taj; but there is no evidence worthy of consideration to support the common anglo-indian belief that he designed or superintended the _pietra dura_, or inlaid marble decoration of the building, which is entirely of the persian school. these silver doors were looted and melted down by the jâts in 1764. besides the lavish expenditure on the building, lakhs of rupees were spent in providing the richest of persian silk carpets, golden lamps, and magnificent candlesticks. a sheet of pearls, valued at several lakhs, was made to cover the sarcophagus. this was carried off by the amir husein ali khan, in 1720, as part of his share of the spoil of agra. the total expenditure, according to native accounts, amounted to nearly 185 lakhs of rupees. it is said that shah jahan had intended to construct a mausoleum for himself opposite to the taj, on the other side of the jumna and to connect the two by a great bridge. the project was interrupted and never completed, owing to the usurpation of aurangzîb, shortly after the foundations were laid. the intention of the taj. the taj has been the subject of numberless critical essays, but many of them have missed the mark entirely, because the writers have not been sufficiently conversant with the spirit of eastern artistic thought. all comparisons with the parthenon or other classic buildings are useless. one cannot compare homer with the mâhabhâratâ, or kalîdâs with euripides. the parthenon was a temple for pallas athene, an exquisite casket to contain the jewel. the taj is the jewel--the ideal itself. indian architecture is in much closer affinity to the great conceptions of the gothic builders than it is to anything of classic or renaissance construction. the gothic cathedral, with its sculptured arches and its spires pointing heavenwards, is a symbol, as most eastern buildings are symbols. the mogul artists, being prevented by the precepts of the muhammadan religion from attempting sculpture, as understood in europe, succeeded in investing their great architectural monuments with an extraordinary personal character. there is a wonderful personality in the dignity and greatness of akbar's tomb; we see the scholar and the polished courtier in itmâd-ud-daulah's. but the taj carries this idea of personality further than had been attempted in any of the mogul monuments; it represents in art the highest development towards individualism, the struggle against the restraints of ritualism and dogma, which akbar initiated in religion. every one who has seen the taj must have felt that there is something in it, difficult to define or analyze, which differentiates it from all other buildings in the world. sir edwin arnold has struck the true note of criticism in the following lines:- "not architecture! as all others are, but the proud passion of an emperor's love wrought into living stone, which gleams and soars with body of beauty shrining soul and thought; ... as when some face divinely fair unveils before our eyes- some woman beautiful unspeakably- and the blood quickens, and the spirit leaps, and will to worship bends the half-yielded knees, while breath forgets to breathe. so is the taj!" this is not a mere flight of poetic fancy, but a deep and true interpretation of the meaning of the taj. what were the thoughts of the designers, and of shah jahan himself, when they resolved to raise a monument of eternal love to the crown of the palace--taj mahal? surely not only of a mausoleum--a sepulchre fashioned after ordinary architectural canons, but of an architectonic ideal, symbolical of her womanly grace and beauty. those critics who have objected to the effeminacy of the architecture unconsciously pay the highest tribute to the genius of the builders. the taj was meant to be feminine. the whole conception, and every line and detail of it, express the intention of the designers. it is mumtaz mahal herself, radiant in her youthful beauty, who still lingers on the banks of the shining jumna, at early morn, in the glowing midday sun, or in the silver moonlight. or rather, we should say, it conveys a more abstract thought; it is india's noble tribute to the grace of indian womanhood--the venus de milo of the east. bearing this in mind, we can understand how foolish it is to formulate criticisms of the taj based on ordinary architectural principles as practised in europe. many of these criticisms, which might be appropriate enough if applied to a modern provincial town hall, are only silly and impertinent in reference to the taj. some are born tone-deaf, others colour-blind, and there are many who can find beauty in one particular form or expression of art and in no others. so the taj will always find detractors. but whoever tries to understand the imaginative side of eastern thought will leave the critics to themselves, and take unrestrained delight in the exquisitely subtle rhythm of this marvellous creation of mogul art. * * * * * the gateway of the taj faces a spacious quadrangle surrounded by arcades. this is a _caravan serai_, or place where travellers halted. here, also, the poor were provided with food and shelter, and on the anniversary day vast sums were distributed in charity from the funds with which the taj was endowed. it is well to pause before entering, and admire the proportions and perfect taste of the decoration of this gateway; for afterwards one has no eyes for anything but the taj itself. it is much finer in design than the similar gateway of akbar's tomb at sikandra. an arabic inscription in black marble, of passages taken from the koran, frames the principal arch, and invites the pure of heart to enter the gardens of paradise. the first view of the taj is from within this noble portal, framed by the sombre shadow of the great arch which opens on to the garden. at the end of a long terrace, its gracious outline partly mirrored in the still water of a wide canal, a fairy vision of silver-white--like the spirit of purity--seems to rest so lightly, so tenderly, on the earth, as if in a moment it would soar into the sky. the beauty of the taj, as in all great art, lies in its simplicity. one wonders that so much beauty can come from so little effort. yet nothing is wanting, nothing in excess; one cannot alter this and that and say that it is better. the garden, as originally planned, was an integral part of one great design. the solemn rows of cypresses were planted so as to help out the lines of the architecture; the flowering trees and flower-beds completed the harmony with a splendid glow of colour. [10] beautiful as the first view of the taj is even now, one can hardly realize how glorious it must have been when the whole intention of the design was fulfilled. at present there is not a single spot in the garden itself which gives a view of the composition as a whole. advancing down the main terrace, paved with stone and laid out with geometric flower-beds, we reach a marble platform with its fountain (see frontispiece), [11] where a nearer view of the taj may be enjoyed. such a platform was the central feature in all mogul gardens. the terraces to the right and left of it end in two fine pavilions of red sandstone, intended for the accommodation of the custodians of the mausoleum and for storehouses. from this point we can admire the effect of the exquisite inlaid decoration, fine and precious as the embroidery on the raiment of mumtaz herself. at the end of the main terrace we reach the steps leading up to the great platform on which the taj and its minarets, "four tall court ladies tending their princess," are raised. let us reverently enter the central chamber, where mumtaz mahal and shah jahan, her lord and lover, lie. fergusson has truly said, no words can express its chastened beauty seen in the soft gloom of the subdued light coming from the distant and half-closed openings. the screen of marble tracery which surrounds the tombs is in itself a masterpiece. even with all the artistic resources which shah jahan had at his command, it was a work of ten years. mumtaz mahal lies in the centre. the white marble of her tomb blossoms with a never-fading garden of persian flowers, which the magic of the mogul artists has created. the inscription on it is as follows: "the illustrious sepulchre of arjumand banu begam, called mumtaz mahal. died in 1040 a.h." (1630 a.d.). at the head of the tomb is the line: "he is the everlasting: he is sufficient;" and the following passage from the koran: "god is he, besides whom there is no god. he knoweth what is concealed and what is manifest. he is merciful and compassionate." on one side of it: "nearer unto god are those who say 'our lord is god.'" the inscription in the tomb of shah jahan is as follows: "the illustrious sepulchre and sacred resting-place of his most exalted majesty dignified as razwan (the guardian of paradise), having his abode in paradise, and his dwelling in the starry heaven, inhabitant of the regions of bliss, the second lord of the qirán, [12] shah jahan, the king valiant. may his tomb ever flourish; and may his abode be in the heavens. he travelled from this transitory world to the world of eternity on the night of the 28th of the month of rajab, 1076 a.h." (1666 a.d.). the real cenotaphs containing the remains of shah jahan and his wife are immediately under these tombs, in the vault below. not the least of the wonders of this wonderful building is in its acoustic qualities. it does not respond to vulgar noises, but if a few notes be slowly and softly sung in this vault, and especially if the chord of the seventh be sounded; they are caught up by the echoes of the roof and repeated in endless harmonies, which seem to those listening above as if a celestial choir were chanting angelic hymns. "it haunts the air above and around; it distils in showers upon the polished marble; it rises, it falls.... it is the very element with which sweet dreams are builded. it is the spirit of the taj, the voice of inspired love!" surrounding the central chamber are eight smaller ones for the mullahs who chanted the koran and for musicians who played soft indian and persian melodies. the vault below was only opened once a year, on the anniversary day, when the emperor and all his court attended a solemn festival. even on ordinary occasions none but muhammadans were admitted into the interior. bernier tells us that he had not seen it, on that account, but he understood that nothing could be conceived more rich and magnificent. the two mosques of red sandstone on either side of the taj are in the same style as the entrance gateway, the interiors being decorated with fresco and fine cut plaster-work. the one towards the west was intended for prayers only; the floor is panelled into separate spaces for each worshipper. the opposite mosque was known, as the _jamaat khana_, or meeting-place for the congregation before prayers, and on the occasion of the great anniversary service. standing on the platform in front of this mosque, one has a splendid view of the taj, the river, and the distant fort. as the garden is now arranged; a full view of the magnificent platform, with its two mosques, and the taj itself, can only be obtained from the opposite side of the river, which is not very accessible except by boat. when the traveller leaves agra by rail, going east, the taj in all its glory can be seen in the distance, floating like the mirage of some wondrous fairy palace over the waving tufts of the pampas grass, until at last it sinks into the pale horizon. * * * * * note.--a small museum has been established lately by the archæological department, in the western half of the taj main gateway. it contains an interesting collection of photographs and drawings of the taj at different periods, and specimens of the stones used in the _pietra dura_, or inlay work of the building. there are also samples illustrating the technique of _pietra dura_, and the tools used by native workmen. itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb the tomb of itmâd-ud-daulah, "the lord high treasurer," is on the east or left bank of the river, and is reached by crossing the pontoon bridge. it was built by nur mahal, the favourite wife of jahangir, as a mausoleum for her father, mirza ghîas beg, who, according to one account, was a persian from teheran, and by another a native of western tartary. a story is told of the mirza's early life, of which it can only be said, _se non é vero é ben trovato_. he left his home, accompanied by his wife and children, to seek his fortune in india, where he had some relatives at akbar's court. his slender provision for the journey was exhausted in crossing the great desert, and they were all in danger of perishing from hunger. in this extremity his wife gave birth to a daughter. the unhappy parents, distracted by hunger and fatigue, left the infant under a solitary shrub. with the father supporting his wife and children on the one bullock which remained to them, they pushed on in the hope of finding relief; but as the tiny landmark where the infant lay disappeared in the distance, the mother, in a paroxysm of grief, threw herself to the ground, crying, "my child! my child!" the piteous appeal forced the father to return to restore the babe to her mother, and soon afterwards a caravan appeared in sight and rescued the whole party. the child born under these romantic circumstances became the empress nur mahal, who built this mausoleum. her father reached lahore, where akbar then held his court, and through the influence of his friends attracted the emperor's attention. his talents won for him speedy promotion, and under jahangir he became first lord high treasurer, and afterwards wazir, or prime minister. jahangir, in his memoirs, candidly discusses the character of his father-in-law. he was a good scholar, with a pretty taste for poetry, possessed many social qualities and a genial disposition. his accounts were always in perfect order, but "he liked bribes, and showed much boldness in demanding them." on his death his son, asaf khan, the father of mumtaz mahal, was appointed to succeed him. itmâd-ad-daulah and his wife are buried in the central chamber; his brother and sister and other members of his family occupy the four corners. the pavilion on the roof, enclosed by beautiful marble tracery (plate ix.), contains only replicas of the real tombs beneath. the mausoleum was commenced in 1622 and completed in 1628. as a composition it may lack inspiration, but it is exceedingly elegant, and scholarly like the lord high treasurer himself. in construction it marks the transition from the style of akbar to that of shah jahan; from the jahangiri mahal to the dîwan-i-khas, the mûti masjid, and the taj. the towers at the four corners might be the first suggestion of the detached minarets of the taj. the hindu feeling which is so characteristic of most of akbar's buildings is here only shown in the roof of the central chamber over the tomb; in pure saracenic architecture a tomb is always covered by a dome. this change in style greatly influenced the architecture of the whole of the north of india, hindu and jain as well as muhammadan. it must be remembered that comparatively few of the master-builders who actually constructed the most famous examples of mogul architecture were muhammadans. the remarkable decline of the mogul style which set in under aurangzîb was largely due to his bigotry in refusing to employ any but true believers. the family ties of itmâd-ud-daulah and his daughter, the empress, were closely connected with persia and central asia; and no doubt the fashion set by jahangir's court led to the saracenic element becoming predominant in the mogul style, both in construction and in decoration. many authorities have connected the marked difference between itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb and akbar's buildings to italian influence, only on the ground that jahangir is known to have been partial to europeans, and allowed them free access to his palace. there is not, however, a trace of italian art in any detail of the building; there is not a form or decorative idea which had not been used in india or in central asia for centuries. the use of marble inlaid work on so extensive a scale was a novelty, but it was only an imitation, or adaptation, of the splendid tile-mosaic and painted tile-work which were the commonest kinds of decoration employed in persia: wazir khan's mosque at lahore, built in jahangir's time, is a fine indian example of the latter. the art of inlaying stone had been practised in india for many years before this building; but here, for the first time, do we find the inlayers making attempts at direct imitation of persian pottery decoration. all the familiar _motifs_ of persian art, the tree of life and other floral types, the cypress tree, the flower-vases, fruits, wine-cups, and rose-water vessels are here reproduced exactly as they are found in persian mosaic tiles. in shah jahan's palace and in the taj they went a step further, and imitated the more naturalistic treatment of persian fresco painting and other pictorial art; but there is never the slightest suggestion of european design in the decoration of these buildings. it is quite possible that some italians may have shown the native inlayers specimens of florentine _pietra dura_, and suggested to them this naturalistic treatment, but if italians or other europeans had been engaged to instruct or supervise in the decoration of these buildings they would certainly have left some traces of their handiwork. in the technical part of the process the indian workmen had nothing to learn, and in the design they made no attempt to follow european forms, except in the one solitary instance of the decoration of the throne-chamber of the delhi palace, which is much later in date than itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb. [13] the whole scheme of the exterior decoration is so finely carried out, both in arrangement and colour, that its extreme elaboration produces no effect of unquietness. at a distance it only gives a suggestion of a soft bloom or iridescence on the surface of the marble. the soffits of the doorways are carved with extraordinary delicacy. inside the building there are remains of fresco and other painted decoration. beautifully placed on the river bank, there is a fine little mosque, which at sunset makes a charming picture. the boldness and greater simplicity of the decoration contrast well with the richness of that of the mausoleum. the chînî-ka-rauza beyond itmâd-ud-daulah's tomb, on the same side of the river, is a beautiful ruin, once entirely covered with the same persian mosaic tile-work, which suggested the more costly style of decoration in inlaid marble. it is called chînî-ka-rauza, or the china tomb, and is supposed to be the mausoleum of afzal khan, a persian poet, who entered the service of jahangir, and afterwards became prime minister to shah jahan. he died in lahore in 1639. the weather and ill-treatment of various kinds have removed a great deal of the exquisite enamel colours from the tiles, but enough remains to indicate how rich and magnificent the effect must have been originally. a part of the south façade which has fallen in shows how the builders employed earthen pots to lessen the weight of the concrete filling, a practice followed in the ancient dome construction of egypt and rome. the ram bagh among a number of more or less ruined garden-houses on this bank of the river, there is one, a little beyond the chînî-ka-rauza, of especial interest, on account of the tradition which associates it with the emperor babar. it is called the ram bagh, and is believed to have been one of the "elegant and regularly planned pleasure-grounds" which babar laid out and planted with fruit trees and flowers, as he has described in his memoirs. no doubt this was the scene of many imperial picnics; not the drunken revels of babar's kabul days--for just before the great battle with the rajputs in 1527 he smashed all his gold and silver drinking-cups and took a vow of total abstinence, which he kept faithfully--but the more sane and temperate pleasures which music, poetry, and his intense delight in the beauties of nature could furnish. here is a charming picture he has given of another garden he laid out in the istalif district of kabul:-"on the outside of the garden are large and beautiful spreading plane-trees, under the shade of which there are agreeable spots, finely sheltered. a perennial stream, large enough to turn a mill, runs through the garden, and on its banks are planted plane and other trees. formerly this stream flowed in a winding and crooked course, but i ordered its course to be altered according to a plan which added greatly to the beauty of the place. lower down ... on the lower skirts of the hills is a fountain, named kwâjeh-seh-yârân (kwâjeh three friends), around which are three species of trees; above the fountain are many beautiful plane trees, which yield a pleasant shade. on the two sides of the fountain, on small eminences at the bottom of the hills, there are a number of oak trees. except on these two spots, where there are groves of oak, there is not an oak to be met with on the hills of the west of kabul. in front of this fountain, towards the plain, there are many spots covered with the flowering arghwân tree, and, besides these arghwân plots, there are none else in the whole country. it is said that these three kinds of trees were bestowed on it by the power of these three holy men, beloved of god; and that is the origin of the name sej-yârân. i directed this fountain to be built round with stone, and formed a cistern of lime and mortar ten yez by ten. on the four sides of the fountain a fine level platform for resting was constructed on a very neat plan. at the time when the arghwân flowers begin to blow, i do not know of any place in the world to be compared with it. the yellow arghwân is here very abundant, and the yellow arghwân blossom mingles with the red." the ram bagh was the temporary resting-place of the body of babar before it was taken to kabul for interment in another of the gardens he loved so much. the old mogul style of gardening is a lost art, and one misses in the ram bagh the stately rows of cypress, interspersed with flowering trees, the formal flower-beds glowing with colour like a living carpet, which were planted by babar; but the terraces, the fountain, the water-channels, and the little stone water-shoots--cunningly carved so that the water breaks over them with a pleasant gurgling sound--which may have recalled to him the murmurings of his native mountain-streams--the old well from which the water of the jumna is lifted into the channels, can still be seen, as well as the pavilions on the river-bank, now modernized with modern bad taste. in later times the ram bagh was the garden-house of the empress nur mahal. it was kept up by all succeeding governments, and it is said to have obtained its name of ram bagh from the mahrattas in the eighteenth century. the zuhara bagh.--between the chînî-ka-rauza and the ram bagh there is another great walled enclosure, which contained the garden-house of zuhara, one of babar's daughters, and is named after her the zuhara, or zohra bagh. this formerly contained the largest garden-palace at agra, and is said to have possessed no less than sixty wells. a great well, just outside the enclosure, 220 feet in circumference, and of enormous depth, was filled up some years ago. sikandra sikandra, a village about five miles from agra, and the burial-place of akbar, is reached by two roads. the older one follows, to some extent, the alignment of the great military road to lahore and kashmir, planned by babar and completed by his successors. a few of the _kos-minars_, pillars which marked off the _kos_--a distance of about two and a half miles--can still be seen along the road, or in the adjoining fields. numerous remains of archæological interest are passed on the way of the old road. first the delhi gate of the old city walls. about a mile further on the right-hand side, is a great walled enclosure, named after ladli begam, the sister of abul fazl, akbar's famous prime minister and biographer. it formerly contained her tomb, as well as that of sheikh mubarak, her father, and of faizi, her eldest brother. many years ago the whole enclosure was sold by government. the purchasers, some wealthy hindu merchants of muttra, promptly pulled down the mausoleum, realized the materials, and built a pavilion on the site. in front of the great gateway was a splendid _baoli_, or well-house, the largest in the neighbourhood of agra. this was filled up about five years ago. not far from ladli begam's garden is the kandahâri bagh, where the first wife of shah jahan, a daughter of mozaffar husein, who was the great-grandson of shah ismail safvi, king of persia, is buried. about a mile further along the road, on the left-hand side, is a curious statue of a horse in red sandstone, which, tradition says, was put up by a nobleman whose favourite horse was killed at this spot; the syce who was killed at the same time has his tomb close by. nearly opposite to this is a large dried-up tank, called the guru-ka-tal, which, with the adjacent ruined buildings, are attributed to sikandar lodi, one of the afghan predecessors of the mogul emperors, who has given his name to sikandra. akbar's tomb. akbar's tomb stands in the midst of a vast garden, enclosed by four high battlemented walls. in the centre of each wall is an imposing gateway seventy feet high. the principal one, on the west side, has an inscription in persian, which states that the mausoleum was completed by the emperor jahangir, in the seventh year of his reign, or 1613 a.d. it is elaborately ornamented with bold but rather disjointed inlaid patterns, which seem to show that the designers were unaccustomed to this method of decoration. neither are the four minarets at the corners of the roof, which are said to have been broken by the jâts, contrived with the usual skill of the mogul architects. above the gateway is the nakkár khana, an arcaded chamber with a balcony, where at dawn and one watch after sunrise the drums and pipes sounded in honour of the dead. the mausoleum was commenced by akbar himself. it is different in plan from any other mogul monument, and, contrary to the usual muhammadan custom, the head of the tomb of akbar is turned towards the rising sun, and not towards mecca. the whole structure gives the impression of a noble but incompleted idea; both in its greatness and in its incompleteness, it is typical of akbar and his work. the original design was somewhat modified by jahangir. he has stated in his memoirs that on his first visit to the tomb after his accession he was dissatisfied with the work which had been done, and ordered certain parts of it to be rebuilt. fergusson supposes that the original intention was to cover the tombstone and raised platform of the uppermost story with a domed canopy, and in this he is supported by a statement of william finch, who visited the mausoleum when it was being built, that it was to be "inarched over with the most curious white and speckled marble, to be ceiled all within with pure sheet gold richly inwrought." such a canopy is just what is required by æsthetic considerations to complete the curiously truncated appearance of the top story, and there is nothing in the structural design to make it impossible or improbable. the approach to the interior of the mausoleum is through the central archway of the lower story, which opens into a vestibule richly ornamented with raised stucco work, and coloured in blue and gold, somewhat in the style of the alhambra. a part of this decoration has been lately restored. an inclined passage, like the entrance to an egyptian pyramid, leads down into a high vaulted chamber, dimly lighted from above, where a simple sarcophagus of white marble contains the mortal remains of the great akbar. whatever decoration there may have been on the walls is now covered with whitewash. the emperor's armour, clothes, and books, which were placed beside the tomb, are said to have been carried off by those insatiable marauders, the jâts of bharatpur. smaller chambers surrounding the central one, on the level of the platform, contain the tombs of two of akbar's daughters and a son of the emperor shah alam. these also have suffered much from neglect and whitewash, the whole of the façade of the lower story was originally faced with red sandstone, or perhaps with fine stucco decorated in fresco. the present coat of common plaster is modern work, which, except as a protection for the brickwork, would have been better left undone. the lower story is 320 feet square. above this are three others, diminishing in size up to the highest, which is just half these dimensions. the roof of the topmost is surrounded by cloisters, the outer arches of which are filled with very fine marble tracery (plate x.). in the centre, on a raised platform, is a solid block of pure white marble, delicately carved with flowers and sacred texts, representing the real tomb in the vault beneath. at the head is the inscription, "allah-o-akbar" (god is great), and at the foot, "jalli jalalohu" (magnificent is his glory). these sentences were the formula of akbar's new religion, which he called "the divine faith." on the sides the ninety-nine attributes of god are carved in the arabic character. the carved marble pedestal at the end of the tomb was a stand for a golden censer. the kanch mahal.--outside the enclosure of akbar's tomb, a little to the east of the principal entrance, is a rare and remarkably fine example of mogul domestic architecture. this is a two-storied building, known as the kanch mahal, and supposed to have been built by jahangir as a country seat. in its extremely elaborate ornamentation, inlaid stone and enamelled tiles have been most effectively combined with the carving. the repairs lately carried out under lord curzon's orders have been very carefully done, though it is easy to see the inferiority of the new work where the old carving had to be reproduced. our fatuous policy of adopting european styles in all public buildings in india is bound to cause a deterioration in the native art handicrafts, for it closes the principal source from which they have sprung. unless this policy is reversed, nothing will prevent the ultimate extinction of indian art. suraj-bhan-ka bagh.--this is another two-storied building of about the same period, but not quite so fine in style, facing the agra road, at a little distance from the kanch mahal. mariam zâmâni's tomb.--a short distance further on, in the direction of muttra, is the building supposed to have been originally the garden house of sikandar lodi, in which mariam zâmâni, one of akbar's wives, is said to have been buried. it has been used for many years as a printing establishment for a mission orphanage. other buildings and tombs at or near agra the tomb of feroz khan, opposite to the third milestone on the gwalior road, is an interesting building of akbar's time, richly carved and decorated with tile-work. close by is the tomb of the pahalwari, where a celebrated wrestler of shah jahan's time is buried. there are a considerable number of buildings and numerous ruins in agra, and round about, which possess only historical or archæological interest. in the town are the following:-the kali masjid, or black mosque, otherwise called the kalan masjid, or grand mosque, is of the early akbar style. it was built by the father of shah jahan's first wife, the kandahâri begum. this is near to the government dispensary. in the nai-ki-mundi quarter is the mosque of shah ala-ud-din majzub, commonly known as alawal bilawal, a saint who lived at the time of shere shah. he established a school of muhammadan law, and founded a monastery besides the mosque. the accumulations round the mosque have reached up to the springing of the arches, and tradition accounts for this by the following story: a camel-driver in shere shah's service stabled his beasts in the mosque, in spite of the protests of the saint thereupon the building began to sink into the ground, and did not cease descending until the camels and their driver were crushed to death. the hamman, or baths of ali verdi khan, in chipitolla street, built in the time of jahangir. an inscription over the gateway gives the date, 1620 a.d. they cannot be compared in interest with the splendid "hakim's baths," at fatehpur sikri. the roman catholic cemetery, in the quarter known as padritollah, near the law courts, is one of the most ancient christian cemeteries in india. the ground was granted to the mission by the emperor akbar. there are a number of portuguese and armenian tombs dating from early in the seventeenth century. it also contains the tomb of the notorious walter reinhardt, or samru, as he was called, the founder of the principality of sirdhana, whose history is given at p. 38. the dutch general messing, who held agra fort for the mahrattas in 1794, has a very florid mausoleum of red sandstone, more curious than beautiful; the design of which is in imitation of the taj. fatehpur sikri fatehpur sikri is the famous deserted city, about twenty-three miles from agra, built by akbar. it was formerly merely a village, called sikri, celebrated as the abode of sheikh salîm chishti, a muhammadan _pîr_, or saint. in 1564, akbar, returning from a campaign, halted near the cave in which the saint lived. the twin children of his rajput wife, mariam zâmâni, had recently died, and he was anxious for an heir. he consulted the holy man, who advised him to come and live at sikri. the emperor did so, and nine months afterwards mariam, who was taken to chishti's cell for her confinement, gave birth to a son, afterwards the emperor jahangir. he was called sultan salîm in honour of the saint. jahangir, who describes all these circumstances in his memoirs, adds: "my revered father, regarding the village of sikri, my birthplace, as fortunate to himself, made it his capital, and in the course of fourteen or fifteen years the hills and deserts, which abounded in beasts of prey, became converted into a magnificent city, comprising numerous gardens, elegant edifices and pavilions, and other places of great attraction and beauty. after the conquest of gujarat, the village was named fatehpur (the town of victory)." the glory of fatehpur sikri was short-lived. akbar held his court there for seventeen years, and then removed it to agra; some say on account of the badness of the water supply, others that the saint, disturbed in his devotions by the bustle and gaieties of the great city, declared that either he or akbar must go. "then," replied the emperor, "let it be your servant, i pray." the entire city was given up to the beasts of the surrounding jungle. finch, who visited it in the early part of the next reign, describes it: "ruin all; lying like a waste desert, and very dangerous to pass through in the night." this, however, was an exaggeration, for the principal buildings are still in a good state of preservation, probably owing to the remoteness of the place from any great highway or large town. the city, which was some six miles in circuit, was surrounded on three sides by high battlemented walls, which had nine gateways. the fourth side was formed by a great artificial lake, now dry. the principal buildings are on the summit of the high ridge which runs throughout the length of the city. the agra gate.--the visitor usually enters by the agra gate, concerning which an amusing story is told. one night akbar, attended by some of his ministers, was inspecting the ramparts near this gate, when he observed a highway robbery being committed close by the walls. turning severely to those responsible for the peace of the city, he demanded why such an outrage was permitted in the very presence of the emperor. "it is always darkest directly under the shadow of the lamp," was the courtly reply. the naubat khana.--inside the gate the road passes, by the right, a large quadrangle surrounded by a ruined cloister, which was probably used for barracks. beyond this the road was formerly lined on both sides by the houses of the bazar. it next passes through the inner gateway, called the _naubat khana_, or music house, where, as in all mogul fortresses, the court musicians played to announce the emperor's arrival or departure, and various state ceremonials. the mint.--some distance beyond the naubat khana, on the right, is a large building believed to have been the imperial mint. rare specimens of gold, silver, and copper coins from the fatehpur mint are in the british museum. the brick domes of this building are interesting, as they are probably the earliest examples in india of the use of radiating courses instead of horizontal layers in dome construction. opposite to the mint is a smaller building known as the treasury. the daftar khana.--passing through the great quadrangle of the dîwan-i-âm, the visitor arrives at the daftar khana, or record chamber, now adapted for a travellers' rest-house. this was akbar's office, and is immediately opposite to his own sanctum, the kwâbgâh, and the principal buildings of the imperial palace. a staircase in the south-east room leads to the roof, from which a fine view of the city and surrounding country can be obtained. the principal buildings can be easily identified by help of the plan. the palace.--a door in the side of the quadrangle, opposite to the daftar khana, leads into akbar's palace, the mahal-i-khas. the two-storied building on the left on entering contains akbar's private apartments. the first room on the ground floor is panelled into numerous recesses for keeping books, documents, or valuables. there are some remains of painted decoration representing flowers, such as the tulip, poppy, and almond flower, executed with much vigour and technical skill. behind this is a chamber which, according to edmund smith, was used by a hindu priest attached to akbar's court. it contains a stone platform raised on pillars, upon which he is said to have performed his devotions. it was more probably intended for akbar's own gaddi, or throne. a door in the west wall leads into the cloisters, which formerly connected akbar's apartments with the daftar khana and with jodh bai's palace. the kwâbgâh, or sleeping apartment, is a small pavilion on the roof. originally the walls were entirely covered by fresco paintings, but only a few fragments now remain. unfortunately, these have been protected by a coat of varnish, which reduces them all to a dull monochrome. it is to be regretted that a more scientific method of preserving them was not adopted. they are all in the persian style, and, except for the chinese element which is often present in persian art, there is no ground for edmund smith's supposition that chinese artists were employed here. on the side window over the eastern doorway is a painting of a winged figure, in front of a rock cave, supporting a new-born babe in its arms. in all probability it refers to the birth of jahangir in the cell of the saint salîm chishti, which akbar, no doubt, thought miraculous. many archæologists make the great mistake of attributing every winged figure in these decorations to some biblical story. heavenly beings with wings, the inhabitants of paradise, spirits of the air, or "angels," are very common in persian and indian painting, and are by no means a monopoly of european artists. it is known that akbar took a great interest in painting. abul fazl, in the "ain-i-akbari," states that "his majesty from the earliest youth has shown a great predilection for the art, and gives it every encouragement, as he looks upon it as a means both of study and amusement. hence the art flourishes, and many painters have obtained great reputations. the works of all painters are weekly laid before his majesty by the daroghas and the clerks; he confers rewards according to the excellence of workmanship, or increases their monthly salaries. much progress was made in the commodities required by painters, and the correct prices of such articles were carefully ascertained." akbar himself remarked, "bigoted followers of the law are hostile to the art of painting, but their eyes now see the truth. there are many that hate painting, but such men i dislike. it appears to me as if a painter had a peculiar means of recognizing god; for a painter, in sketching anything that has life and in drawing its limbs, must feel that he cannot bestow personality upon his work, and is thus forced to think of god, the giver of life, and will thus increase his knowledge." the enlightened court of akbar was evidently a paradise for artists. opposite to akbar's apartments is a large square tank with a platform in the centre, approached by four narrow stone paths. the tank was filled from the waterworks near the elephant gate, and the water was kept constantly fresh by an overflow channel connecting with the tank at the back of the dîwan-i-khâs. the turkish sultana's house.--in the north-east angle of the mahal-i-khas quadrangle is a small, picturesque building, one of the gems of fatehpur, called the turkish sultana's house. it contains only a single apartment, surrounded by a verandah, but in the carving of every surface within and without there is a wealth of invention and decorative skill rarely achieved even by the mogul artists. the dado panels are especially remarkable for the charming conventionalized rendering of trees, flowers, birds, and animals. they have suffered much from the hands of some of aurangzîb's fanatical followers, and all the representations of animate nature have been mutilated. the carving was intended as a groundwork for painting and gilding which were never added, for the fatehpur palace was abandoned even before it was finished. nothing is known with certainty of the lady who inhabited this delightful bower, but she must have been one of akbar's favourites. a covered passage connected the house with the kwâbgâh, and also with another block of buildings of no special interest, known as the girls' school. a staircase from the south verandah leads down to some interesting baths outside the south-west corner of the dîwan-i-âm quadrangle, which were probably for the use of the turkish sultana. they are worth seeing, though not so fine as the so-called hakim's baths. the latter, which are situated just opposite to these baths, on the steep slope of the ridge, are the finest of their kind existing in india. they form an extensive hydropathic establishment, decorated in the most excellent taste with polished plaster and _sgraffito_, or cut-plaster work. undoubtedly they were used by akbar himself, and they derive their present name from their close proximity to the quarters occupied by the hakims, or doctors. pachisi board.--in the northern half of the great palace quadrangle is a _pachisi_ board, cut on the pavement, similar to the one in the samman burj in the agra fort. here akbar and the ladies of the court would amuse themselves by playing the game with slave girls as living pieces. the dice were thrown on the small platform in the centre of the board. the dîwan-i-khâs.--further towards the north, immediately opposite to the kwâbgâh, is a square detached building, a fine example of the dignified style of the period, for it owes none of its effects to imposing dimensions, but only to the skill with which the architect has treated a difficult subject. this is the dîwan-i-khâs, or hall of private audience. on the outside it would appear to be a two-storied building, but on entering it is seen to contain only a single vaulted chamber, surrounded halfway up by a gallery. a magnificent carved column, with a gigantic bracket capital (plate xi.), standing alone in the centre of the chamber, supports four branches or railed passages, which meet this gallery at the four corners. this most original construction carried akbar's throne, which was placed immediately over the great column. the ministers attended at the four corners of the gallery; the great nobles and others admitted to the audience thronged the floor beneath. the gallery is approached by two staircases, in the thickness of the walls, which also lead up to the roof. [14] the ankh-michauli.--close by the dîwan-i-khâs, on the west side, is a building which the native guides, always ready to amuse the innocent tourist, describe as the ankh-michauli, or "blind-man's buff house." there is a legend that akbar here played hide-and-seek with the ladies of the zanana. the same story is told about a set of apartments in the jahangiri mahal in the agra fort, but the only ground for it seems to be that the arrangement of the rooms might lend itself to such diversions. it most probably contained strong-rooms for the safe custody of valuables, either state archives or jewels. the yogi's seat.--at the corner of the ankh-michauli is a square platform covered by a domed canopy. the great carved brackets which support the architraves are very characteristic of jaina construction. this was the seat of one of the yogis, or hindu fakirs, who enjoyed the emperor's favour. akbar devoted much attention to the occult powers claimed by these men. he even practised alchemy and showed in public some of the gold made by him. the hospital.--adjoining the ankh-michauli are the remains of a long, low building, which was the hospital; a few of the wards still remain. possibly this was arranged on the model of the hospital which akbar allowed the jesuit fathers to build in the city. he also permitted them to construct a small chapel. the records of the missionaries tell us that akbar once came there alone, removed his turban and offered prayers, first kneeling in the christian manner, then prostrating himself according to the muhammadan custom, and, finally, after the ritual of the hindus. one of the christian congregation having died about this time, he granted permission for the funeral procession to pass through the streets of fatehpur with all the ceremonies of the catholic faith. many of the inhabitants, both hindus and muhammadans, attended the funeral. akbar was never persuaded to become a convert to christianity, nor does there appear to be any ground for the belief that one of his wives was a christian. the dîwan-i-âm.--the west side of the dîwan-i-âm (hall of public audience) and its cloisters coincide for the whole length with the east of the palace quadrangle. the description already given of the dîwan-i-âm at agra will explain the functions for which this building was intended. the throne, or judgment seat, of akbar was placed between two pierced stone screens in the verandah in front of the hall. the panch mahal.--this curious five-storied pavilion is nearly opposite to the dîwan-i-âm. it is approached by a staircase from the mahal-i-khas. each story was originally enclosed by pierced stone screens; this, and the fact that the whole building overlooked the palace zanana, make it tolerably certain that it could only have been used as a promenade by akbar and the ladies of the court. the ground-floor, which was divided into cubicles by screens between the columns, may; as keene suggests, have been intended for the royal children and their attendants. the building is chiefly remarkable for the invention and taste shown in the varied designs of the columns, in which the three principal styles of northern india, the hindu, jain, and saracenic, are indiscriminately combined. miriam's kothi.--another doorway in the west side of the palace quadrangle leads to miriam's house, a very elegant two-storied building showing marked hindu feeling in the design. the râma incarnation of vishnu appears on one of the carved brackets of the verandah. it seems to have derived its name from akbar's hindu wife, mariam zâmâni, the mother of jahangir. her name literally means "mary of the age," a common designation used by muhammadan women in honour of the mother of jesus. this has led to the fable that the house was occupied by a christian wife of akbar. the whole building was originally covered with fresco paintings and gilding, and was hence called the sonahra makân, or "golden house." the frescoes are supposed to illustrate firdousi's great epic, the shahnama, or history of the kings of persia. as in the kwâbgâh, the fragments which remain have been covered with varnish as a preservative, which has had the effect of destroying all the charm of colour they once possessed; and will eventually, when the varnish turns brown with age, obliterate them altogether. the paintings are all in the style of the persian artists who were employed by akbar to illustrate his books and to paint the portraits of his court. over the doorway in the north-west angle of the building is a painting which the guides, perhaps misled by the suggestion of some uninformed traveller, point out as "the annunciation." there would be nothing _primâ facie_ improbable that akbar should have caused some events of biblical history to be painted on the walls of his palaces; but on the other hand, there is nothing whatever to connect this fresco with the annunciation. the winged figures here represented are of the type commonly found in paintings of stories from persian mythology. perhaps the most interesting of all the paintings is a portrait in a panel in one of the rooms. one would like to know whether this was the lady of the house; but there seems to be no tradition connected with it. judging from the style of the frescoes, it would seem probable that this was not the residence of mariam zâmâni, but of one of akbar's first two wives, whose connections were mostly with persia. jodh bai's palace. though "miriam's house" is generally regarded as the abode of mariam zâmâni, there is a great deal to support the view that the spacious palace known as jodh bai's mahal, or jahangiri mahal, was really her residence. it is undoubtedly one of the oldest buildings in fatehpur. we know that akbar went there on mariam's account; and, after jahangir's birth, akbar's first care would be to build a palace for the mother and her child, his long-wished-for heir. mariam was a hindu, and this palace in all its construction and nearly all its ornamentation belongs to the hindu and jaina styles of mariam's native country, rajputana. it even contains a hindu temple. [15] it is also the most important of all the palaces, and mariam, as mother of the heir-apparent, would take precedence of all the other wives. on the left of the entrance is a small guard-house. a simple but finely proportioned gateway leads through a vestibule into the inner quadrangle. the style of the whole palace is much less ornate than the other zanana buildings, but it is always dignified and in excellent taste. it must be remembered that the severity of the architectural design was relieved by bright colouring and rich purdahs, which were used to secure privacy for the ladies of the zanana and to diminish the glare of the sunlight. archæologically its construction and ornamentation are very interesting. many of the details are of jain origin, and of the same type as the mixed jain and saracenic style, which was being developed about the same period in gujarat. the arrangements of the palace are shown in the annexed plan. one of the most interesting features is the hawa mahal, a pavilion projecting from the north side, enclosed by pierced stone screens. here the ladies could enjoy the cool breezes and the view of the lake with the distant hills beyond, without being exposed to the vulgar gaze. the palace was formerly connected with akbar's private apartments by a covered way, supported on pillars, near the entrance. this was removed some years ago. another private passage led from the hawa mahal to the zanana garden opposite, and, probably, from thence right down to the tower known as the hiran minâr. rajah birbal's house, or birbal's daughter's house. rajah birbal was a brahman minstrel, who came to akbar's court in the beginning of his reign, and by his wit and abilities gained the emperor's favour. he was first created hindu poet laureate; from that dignity he was raised to the rank of rajah, and became one of akbar's most intimate friends and advisers. birbal was one of those who subscribed to akbar's new religion, "the divine faith." when he perished in an unfortunate expedition against some unruly afghan tribes, akbar's grief was for a long time inconsolable. the house which is named after him was originally enclosed within the precincts of the imperial zanana, and a covered way connected it with jodh bai's palace. it is one of the most richly decorated of all the adjacent buildings, and next to jodh bai's palace, the largest of the imperial residences. as in so many other instances, the vague local tradition which assigns this palace to rajah birbal seems to be at fault. abul fazl, that most careful and precise biographer, records that akbar ordered a palace to be built for the rajah, and that when it was finished in the twenty-seventh year of his reign (1582) the emperor honoured it with his presence. an inscription discovered by edmund smith upon the capital of a pilaster in the west façade of the building, states that it was erected in samvat 1629 (a.d. 1572), ten years before this date, and three years after the commencement of the city. though the rajah was one of akbar's most trusted friends, his palace would hardly be placed within the enclosure of the emperor's own zanana and connected with it; nor is it likely that akbar would provide birbal with a residence so incomparably more magnificent than those he gave to his other two intimate friends, abul fazl and faizi, by the side of the great mosque. all the probabilities are that this was one of the imperial palaces occupied by akbar's wives, which were the first buildings erected at fatehpur. fergusson's assumption that birbal's daughter was one of akbar's wives would explain everything; but the fact that abul fazl makes no mention of such a daughter, is very good evidence that akbar was not connected with birbal by marriage. the house is a two-storied building, splendidly ornamented with carving, both inside and out. from the construction, it would appear that hindus were the architects; but the decoration, from which it is easy to discover the taste of the occupants, is nearly all arabian or persian in style, and conveys no suggestion that the palace was built for a hindu rajah or his daughter. though on a much smaller scale, it is of the same type as akbar's splendid palace in the agra fort, and was evidently intended for one of the highest rank in the imperial zanana. [16] the hathi pol and adjoining buildings. close under birbal's house is the main road leading down to the great lake--now drained, the embankment of which formed the north-west boundary of the city. it passes through the gateway called the hathi pol, or elephant gate, from the two great stone elephants, mutilated by aurangzîb, standing on either side of the outer archway. on the left of the gateway are two buildings, the so-called pigeon's house, probably intended for a magazine; and the sangin burj, a great bastion supposed to be part of the fortifications begun by akbar and left unfinished, owing to the objections of shaikh salîm chishti. a little beyond this, on the right, are the remains of the waterworks which supplied the whole city. opposite to these, is the great traveller's rest-house, or karwân-serai, in a very ruined state. the, furthest of this block of buildings is a curious tower called the hiran minâr, or deer tower, 72 feet in height, ornamented with stone imitations of elephant tusks. according to tradition, it was built by akbar in memory of a favourite elephant, and used by him as a shooting tower; the plain on the margin of the lake being the haunt of antelope and other game. the splendid stretch of water, six miles long and two in breadth, induced many of the princes and nobles to build pavilions and garden houses on this side of the city. this was the place for great tournaments and festivities, and in the palmy days of fatehpur all the chivalry of the mogul court must have made a brave show here. the hiran minâr was connected with the zanana by a covered way, so that the ladies might assist at these spectacles and enjoy the cool breezes from the lake. the jâmi masjid, or cathedral mosque. the great mosque of fatehpur is worthy of its founder's lofty ideals and nobility of soul. it is one of the most magnificent of all akbar's buildings; the historic associations connected with it combine with its architectural splendour to make it one of the most impressive of its kind in the world. it is said to be copied from one at mecca; but this cannot be altogether true, because, though the plan and general design follow muhammadan precedent, many of the details show akbar's hindu proclivities. within the great mosque, akbar frequently held religious discussions with the learned doctors of islam; and here, also, after the chief mullahs had signed the famous document which declared akbar to be head of the church, the emperor mounted the pulpit, and stood before the congregation as the expounder of "the divine faith." he commenced to read a _khutbah_, or litany, which faizi, abul fazl's brother, had composed for the occasion- "the lord, who gave to us dominion, wisdom, and heart and strength, who guided us in truth and right, and cleansed our mind from all but right, none can describe his power or state, allahú akbar--god is great." but before he could finish three lines of it, the sense of the tremendous responsibility he had undertaken overpowered him. he descended the pulpit trembling with emotion, and left the imam of the mosque to continue the service. there are two entrances, approached by broad flights of steps. the one on the east side is the emperor's gate, by which akbar entered the mosque from the palace, and the other, the majestic baland darwaza, or high gate, which towers above everything on the south side, and even dwarfs the mosque itself with its giant proportions. the latter gate, however, was not a part of the original design, but was added many years after the completion of the mosque, to celebrate akbar's victorious campaign in the deccan. the mosque itself was built in honour of the saint of fatehpur, sheikh salîm chishti, whose tomb, enclosed in a shrine of white marble, carved with the delicacy of ivory-work, glitters like silver on the right of the quadrangle. barren women, both hindu and muhammadan, tie bits of string or shreds of cloth to the marble trellis-work as tokens that if blessed with a son they will present an offering to the shrine. close by is a plainer, but much larger mausoleum, for his grandson, nawab islam khan, who was made governor of bengal by jahangir. this also contains the remains of many other of the sheikh's male descendants. a separate vault, called the zanana rauza, for the women of his family is formed by enclosing a portion of the adjoining cloisters. the mosque proper contains three chapels, crowned by domes. the principal one, in the centre, is screened by the façade of the entrance, the doorway being recessed, in the usual style of saracenic buildings, in a great porch or semi-dome. an inscription over the main archway gives the date of the completion of the mosque as a.d. 1571. the chapels are connected with each other by noble colonnades of a decidedly hindu or jain character. the saracenic arches combine most happily with the hindu construction, and the view down the "long-drawn aisles" is singularly impressive. much of the charm of the interior is due to the quiet reserve and dignity of the decoration, which is nearly all in the style of arabian mosques, and may account for the statement on the central arch, that "this mosque is a duplicate of the holy place" (at mecca). at each end of the mosque there is a set of five rooms for the mullahs who conducted the service; above them are galleries for the ladies of the zanana. spacious cloisters surround three sides of the quadrangle; these are divided into numerous cells for the _maulvis_ and their pupils. the triumphal gateway, called the baland darwaza (plate xiii.), is really a building in itself. it must be seen from the outside of the quadrangle, for, magnificent as it is there, it certainly does not harmonize with the mosque viewed from the quadrangle. this mighty portal, 176 feet in height from the roadway, is a landmark for miles around. from the top of it the taj, twenty-five miles away, and the distant fort of bharatpur are visible. there are three doors recessed in the immense alcove on the front of the gate. one is the horseshoe door, so called from the numerous votive offerings of owners of sick horses, donkeys, and bullocks, which were nailed on in the hope of obtaining the favour of the saint. the doorway on the right of this has the following inscription carved over it in arabic:-"his majesty, king of kings, heaven of the court, shadow of god, jalâl-ud-din muhammad akbar, emperor. he conquered the kingdom of the south and dandes, which was formerly called khandes, in the 46th divine year [_i.e._ of his reign] corresponding to the hijira year, 1010 [a.d. 1602]. having reached fatehpur, he proceeded to agra. said jesus, on whom be peace! the world is a bridge, pass over it, but build no house there. he who hopeth for an hour, may hope for eternity; the world is but an hour, spend it in devotion; the rest is worth nothing," over the left doorway is the following:-"he that standeth up in prayer, and his heart is not in it, does not draw nigh to god, but remaineth far from him. thy best possession is what thou givest in the name of god; thy best traffic is selling this world for the next." akbar himself died four years after this great sermon in stone was written. the stone-cutters' mosque. at the back of the great mosque is a graveyard containing the tomb of an infant son of sheikh salîm. the legend concerning him is, that at the age of six months he addressed his father, telling him that all of akbar's children must die in infancy, unless some child died for them. he therefore had resolved to sacrifice himself for the emperor's sake, and immediately after this miraculous speech he died. jahangir was born nine months afterwards. sceptics have suggested that he was really a son of the sheikh, substituted for a still-born child of mariam zâmâni. some distance beyond this tomb there is a small mosque, built in honour of the saint by the quarrymen of fatehpur, before he had attracted the notice of the great emperor. it is called the stone-cutters' mosque, and is supposed to have been erected on the site of the cave where he lived the life of a hermit it is an unpretending little building; the brackets which support the cornice are the only noticeable architectural features. they are direct imitations of wooden construction, and are copied, with greater elaboration of carving, in the marble shrine inside the jâmi masjid. the cell where the saint is said to have lived is on the right-hand corner of the mosque. the birthplace of jahangir is pointed out in a dilapidated palace not far from this mosque. it is occupied by a lineal descendant of salîm chishti, and is only rarely shown to visitors. the houses of abul fazl and faizi. the houses where these two famous brothers, the friends of akbar, lived, are close under the north wall of the great mosque. their father, sheikh mubarak, was one of the most learned men of the age, and the sons were as distinguished as the father. faizi was the persian poet laureate, and tutor to the royal princes. he was also employed on many diplomatic missions. abul fazl was the author of the celebrated "akbarnâma," a history of the mogul emperors down to the forty-seventh year of akbar's reign. he was for a long time akbar's prime minister; he took a prominent part in the religious discussions inaugurated by the emperor, and often discomfited the orthodox followers of islam with his arguments. sheikh mubarak drew up the famous document declaring akbar to be the head of the church, and both his sons subscribed to it. abul fazl declares that the document "was productive of excellent results: (1) the court became the resort of the learned men and sages of all creeds and nationalities; (2) peace was given to all, and perfect tolerance prevailed; (3) the disinterested motives of the emperor, whose labours were directed to a search after truth, were rendered clear, and the pretenders to learning and scholarship were put to shame." notwithstanding his high character and generous disposition, abul fazl had many enemies at court. he was at last assassinated at the instigation of jahangir, who believed him to be responsible for a misunderstanding between himself and his father. there is nothing architecturally interesting about the two houses, which have been for some time used as a zillah school. * * * * * bharatpur and other places in the vicinity of agra. there are some other places of considerable interest easily accessible from agra, but it would be beyond the scope of this book to describe them in detail. bharatpur.--this place, which has been often alluded to, is the capital of a native state of that name, founded by the jâts under suraj mal about 1750. the origin of the jât race is obscure, but probably they are of scythian descent. some authorities have put forward a theory that the gypsies of europe and the jâts are of the same race. they form a large proportion of the population of north-western india. their religion varies with the locality, but the jâts who occupied agra under suraj mal were hindus. in 1809, the fort at bharatpur resisted for six weeks a siege by general, afterwards lord lake, who withdrew, after four desperate assaults. the palace of suraj mal is at dig, twenty-one miles by road from bharatpur. it was commenced about 1725, and is the finest and most original of the indian palaces of that period. the jât chief carried off to it a great deal of the loot from the agra fort. govardhan.--the tombs of suraj mal and his two ranis are at govardhan, a very picturesque place about eight miles from dig. there are also a number of very interesting tombs and buildings of later date. fergusson [17] says of one of these, which was in course of construction when he was there in 1839, that he acquired from its native architect more knowledge of the secrets of art as practised in the middle ages than he had learnt from all the books he had read. the same living architectural art is practised all over rajputana at the present day. the preference we show for the incomparably inferior art of the mongrel eclectic styles we have imported into india, is only a proof that there is something wanting in the superior civilization and culture which we believe ourselves to possess. there is also at govardhan a very fine hindu temple, dating from the time of akbar. a great fair is held here every year about the end of october, or beginning of november, on the occasion of the hindu diwâli, or feast of lamps, one of the most beautiful and impressive of all the hindu festivals. muttra, the mathora of the greeks, about fourteen miles from govardhan, and within easy reach of agra by rail, is one of the most sacred places of the hindus, from being the reputed birthplace of krishna. it is a great centre for the worship of vishnu. brindâban, or bindarâban, which is a very short distance further by rail, possesses an old hindu temple, dedicated to govind deva, or vishnu, of the same period as the other at govardhan, and built by the same person, rajah man singh of amber, an ancestor of the present maharajah of jaipur. fergusson describes it as one of the most interesting and elegant temples in india. there is also a great vishnu temple of the last century, in the dravidian style of southern india, built by a hindu millionaire merchant. krishna's childhood and early youth were passed in the vicinity of brindâban, and on that account it is held especially sacred by the followers of the vaishnavite sect of hinduism, who flock there in thousands on the anniversary of krishna's birth, in the month of bhadon (august--september). notes [1] babar's "memoirs," translated by erskine. [2] for further particulars of babar's history the reader is referred to the "memoirs," or to stanley lane-poolers admirable "life of babar," in the "rulers of india series" (macmillan & co.). [3] the state documents of the mogul emperors, "given under the royal hand and seal," were sometimes actually impressed by the royal hand. plate i. reproduces part of a letter, addressed by shah jahan to an ancestor of the present maharajah of gidhour. in this letter the raja dalan singh is informed that "the auspicious impress of the royal hand" is sent as a mark of royal favour, and he is commanded to proceed to court to participate in the festivities and to pay homage to the emperor. [4] bernier's "travels"--constable's translation. [5] these elephant statues have been a vexed point with archæologists. bernier, in his description of delhi, refers to two great elephants of stone, with their riders, outside of the fort gates. the riders, he says, were portraits of the famous rajput chiefs jaymal and patta, slain by akbar at the siege of chitore. "their enemies, in admiration of the devotion of the two heroes, put up these statues to their memory." now, bernier does not say that the statues were put up by akbar, but general cunningham, inferring that bernier meant this, propounded a theory that they were originally in front of the agra fort, which akbar built, and removed to delhi by shah jahan, when he built his new palace there. keene, who discusses the question at length in his "handbook to delhi," accepts this suggestion. neither of these authorities seem to have been aware of the existence of the marks of the feet on the platform in front of the agra hathi pol. i have compared the measurements of these marks with the dimensions of the elephant which still exists at delhi, and find that they do not correspond in any way. the delhi elephant is a much larger animal, and would not fit into the platform at the agra gate. general cunningham's theory, therefore, falls to the ground. it is just possible that the delhi elephants were intended to be copies of those placed by akbar at agra. shah jahan is not likely to have intentionally perpetuated the memory of the rajput chiefs, but popular tradition or imagination may have fastened the story told by bernier on to the delhi statues. elephants were so commonly placed in front of indian palaces and fortresses that, except for this story, there would be no need to suppose any connection between those at agra and those at delhi. purchas, quoting william finch who visited agra in jahangir's time, describes the elephants at the hathi pol, but gives a different origin to the statues. "beyond these two gates you pass a second gate, over which are two rajaws in stone. it is said that they were two brother rajputs, tutors to a prince, their nephew, whom the king demanded of them. they refused, and were committed; but drew on the officers, slew twelve, and at last, by multitudes oppressing, were themselves slain, and here have elephants of stone and themselves figured." the expression "over" (the gate) has the meaning of "high up," and not, as keene supposes, its more modern sense of "on the top of." [6] the old mogul road led directly from the elephant gate to the entrance of the dîwan-i-âm. i understand that this road will be restored shortly by the archæological department. [7] an ugly modern marble rail, in imitation of wood, probably a reminiscence of the time when the palace was occupied by the british garrison, still disfigures and stunts the proportions of the upper storey of the samman burj. [8] this question is discussed at length in an article by the author, entitled "the taj and its designers," published in the june number of the _nineteenth century and after_, 1903. [9] tavernier says twenty-two years probably including all the accessory buildings. [10] the present garden is a jungle, planted by a european overseer without any understanding or feeling for the ideas of the mogul artists. the overgrown trees entirely block out the view of the mosques on either side, which are an essential part of the whole composition, serving as supporters to the slender, detached minarets. i understand, however, that it is intended to remove some of the more obstructive of the larger trees; but the avenue of cypress trees, which perished from drought some years ago, has been replanted on lines which eventually will clash seriously with the architectural composition. [11] this represents the condition of the garden twenty or thirty years ago. [12] the conjunction of jupiter and venus; referring to the circumstance that timur and himself were born at the conjunction of these planets. (keene.) [13] it is very probable that the black slate or marble panels in the delhi palace, which are purely florentine in design, were imported complete from italy, and fixed in the wall by indian workmen, who only designed the ornamental scrolls surrounding the panels. [14] it is known that in 1575 akbar completed a great building at fatehpur, called the ibadat khana, or hall in which the learned men of all religions assembled for discussion. it was described as containing four halls, the western for the sayyids, or descendants of the prophet; the southern for learned men who had studied or acquired knowledge; the northern for those famed for inspired wisdom: the eastern hall was reserved for the nobles and state officers. thousands of people from all quarters of the world assembled in the courtyard. the emperor attended every friday night and on holy festivals, moving from one to the other of the guests and conversing with them. keene, in his "handbook to agra," suggests that possibly the dîwan-i-khâs may be the building thus described (taking the word _aiwan_, or hall, to mean a side gallery), as no other building at all answering to the description now remains at fatehpur. this supposition is highly improbable, if only for the reason given by edmund smith, namely, that an assembly of this kind would not take place within the precincts of the palace. the description given by abul fazl and badâyûni clearly indicates a building like the dîwan-i-âm, enclosing a great quadrangle. [15] keene suggests that akbar's first wife and cousin, sultana raqia begam, lived here, but she was a muhammadan. it is quite possible that the name of jodh bai (princess of jodhpur) really refers to mariam, and not to jahangir's rajput wife (the daughter of the raja of jodhpur), as is commonly supposed. miriam's family resided in the province of ajmir, which adjoins jodhpur. she might have been known as the princess of jodhpur. in any case, it is easy to see how a confusion might have arisen between jahangir's mother and his wife, both hindus and rajputs. [16] birbal's house is now used as a travellers' rest-house for high officials and "distinguished" visitors; which is not only very inconvenient for the undistinguished who may wish to see it, but involves alterations which should never be permitted in buildings of such unique artistic and archæological interest. neither the daftar khana nor this building should be devoted to such purposes, merely to avoid the paltry expense of providing proper dak bungalows. [17] "history of indian and eastern architecture." scanned images of public domain material from the internet archive. _nooks & corners_ _of_ old new york by charles hemftreet _illustrated_ _by_ e. c. peixotto new york charles scribner's sons mdccccv copyright, 1899 by charles scribner's sons new york _introductory note_ the points of interest referred to in this book are to be found in the lower part of the island of manhattan. settlements having early been made in widely separated parts of the island, streets were laid out from each settlement as they were needed without regard to the city as a whole; with the result that as the city grew the streets lengthened and those of the various sections met at every conceivable angle. this resulted in a tangle detrimental to the city's interests, and in 1807 a commission was appointed to devise a city plan that should protect the interests of the _whole_ community. a glance at a city map will show the confusion of streets at the lower end of the island and the regularity brought about under the city plan above houston street on the east, and fourteenth street on the west side. the plan adopted by the commission absolutely disregarded the natural topography of the island, and resulted in a city of straight lines and right angles. list of illustrations page no. 7 state street 6 fraunces' tavern 11 the "jack knife," gold and platt streets 23 golden hill inn 24 cell in the prison under the hall of records 35 statue of nathan hale, city hall park 38 no. 11 reade street, where aaron burr had an office 40 the tombs 41 park street, with church of the transfiguration 44 hudson and watts streets 55 grave of charlotte temple 62 tomb of alexander hamilton 66 washington's pew, st. paul's chapel 76 montgomery's tomb 77 a house of other days 79 "murderers' row" 97 old houses, wiehawken street 112 looking south from minetta lane 114 old theological seminary, chelsea square 126 church of sea and land 135 bone alley 139 milestone on the bowery 143 entrance to marble cemetery 152 college of the city of new york 186 gate of old house of refuge 188 the little church around the corner 192 milestone on third avenue 204 nooks and corners of old new york i [sidenote: fort amsterdam] on the centre building of the row which faces bowling green park on the south there is a tablet bearing the words: the site of fort amsterdam, built in 1626. within the fortifications was erected the first substantial church edifice on the island of manhattan. in 1787 the fort was demolished and the government house built upon this site [sidenote: dutch west india co.] this was the starting-point of the settlement which gradually became new york. in 1614 a stockade, called fort manhattan, was built as a temporary place of shelter for representatives of the united new netherland co., which had been formed to trade with the indians. this company was replaced by the dutch west india co., with chartered rights to trade on the american coast, and the first step towards the forming of a permanent settlement was the building of fort amsterdam on the site of the stockade. in 1664 new amsterdam passed into british possession and became new york, while fort amsterdam became fort james. under queen anne it was fort george, remaining so until demolished in 1787. on the fort's site was built the government house, intended for washington and the presidents who should follow him. but none ever occupied it as the seat of government was removed to philadelphia before the house was completed. after 1801 it became an office building, and was demolished in 1815 to make room for the present structures. [sidenote: bowling green] the tiny patch of grass at the starting-point of broadway, now called bowling green park, was originally the centre of sports for colonists, and has been the scene of many stirring events. the iron railing which now surrounds it was set up in 1771, having been imported from england to enclose a lead equestrian statue of king george iii. on the posts of the fence were representations of heads of members of the royal family. in 1776, during the revolution, the statue was dragged down and molded into bullets, and where the iron heads were knocked from the posts the fracture can still be seen. [sidenote: the battery] when the english took possession of the city, in 1664, the fort being regarded as useless, it was decided to build a battery to protect the newly acquired possession. thus the idea of the battery was conceived, although the work was not actually carried out until 1684. beyond the fort there was a fringe of land with the water reaching to a point within a line drawn from water and whitehall streets to greenwich street. sixty years after the battery was built fifty guns were added, it having been lightly armed up to that time. the battery was demolished about the same time as the fort. the land on which it stood became a small park, retaining the name of the battery, and was gradually added to until it became the battery park of to-day. [sidenote: castle garden] a small island, two hundred feet off the battery, to which it was connected by a drawbridge, was fortified in 1811 and called fort clinton. the armament was twenty-eight 32-pounders, none of which was ever fired at an enemy. in 1822 the island was ceded back to the city by the federal government--when the military headquarters were transferred to governor's island--and became a place of amusement under the name of castle garden. it was the first real home of opera in america. general lafayette was received there in 1824, and there samuel f. b. morse first demonstrated the possibility of controlling an electric current in 1835. jenny lind, under the management of p. t. barnum, appeared there in 1850. in 1855 it became a depot for the reception of immigrants; in 1890 the offices were removed to ellis island, and in 1896, after many postponements, castle garden was opened as a public aquarium. [illustration: no. 7 state street] [sidenote: state street] state street, facing the battery, during the latter part of the eighteenth and the early part of the nineteenth century, was the fashionable quarter of the city, and on it were the homes of the wealthy. several of the old houses still survive. no. 7, now a home for immigrant irish girls, was the most conspicuous on the street, and is in about its original state. at no. 9 lived john morton, called the "rebel banker" by the british, because he loaned large sums to the continental congress. his son, general jacob morton, occupied the mansion after his marriage in 1791, and commanded the militia. long after he became too infirm to actually command, from the balcony of his home he reviewed on the battery parade grounds the tompkins blues and the light guards. the veterans of these commands, by legislative enactment in 1868, were incorporated as the "old guard." [sidenote: the "stadhuis"] on the building at 4 and 6 pearl street, corner state street, is a tablet which reads: 1636 1897 on this site stood the "stadhuis" of new amsterdam----erected 1636 this tablet is placed here in loving memory of the first dutch settlers by the holland dames of the new netherlands and the knights of the legion of the crown lavinia konigin it was set up october 7, 1897, and marks the supposed site of the first city hall. what is claimed by most authorities to be the real site is at pearl street, opposite coenties slip. whitehall street was one of the earliest thoroughfares of the city, and was originally the open space left on the land side of the fort. [sidenote: the beaver's path] beaver street was first called the beaver's path. it was a ditch, on either side of which was a path. when houses were built along these paths they were improved by a rough pavement. at the end of the beaver's path, close to where broad street is now, was a swamp, which, before the pavements were made, had been reclaimed and was known as the sheep pasture. [sidenote: petticoat lane] marketfield street, whose length is less than a block, opens into broad street at no. 72, a few feet from beaver street. this is one of the lost thoroughfares of the city. almost as old as the city itself, it once extended past the fort and continued to the river in what is now battery place. it was then called petticoat lane. the first french huguenot church was built on it in 1688. now the produce exchange cuts the street off short and covers the site of the church. [sidenote: broad street] through broad street, when the town was new amsterdam, a narrow, ill-smelling inlet extended to about the present beaver street, then narrowed to a ditch close to wall street. the water-front was then at pearl street. several bridges crossed the inlet, the largest at the point where stone street is. another gave bridge street its name. in 1660 the ways on either side were paved, and soon became a market-place for citizens who traded with farmers for their products, and with the indians who navigated the inlet in their canoes. the locality has ever since been a centre of exchange. when the inlet was finally filled in it left the present "broad" street. where beaver street crosses this thoroughfare, on the northwest corner, is a tablet: to commemorate the gallant and patriotic act of marinus willett in here seizing june 6, 1775, from the british forces the muskets with which he armed his troops. this tablet is erected by the society of the sons of the revolution, new york, nov. 12, 1892 on one side of the tablet is a bas-relief of the scene showing the patriots stopping the ammunition wagons. [illustration: fraunces' tavern] [sidenote: fraunces' tavern] fraunces' tavern, standing at the southeast corner of broad and pearl streets, is much the same outwardly as it was when built in 1700, except that it has two added stories. etienne de lancey, a huguenot nobleman, built it as his homestead and occupied it for a quarter of a century. it became a tavern under the direction of samuel fraunces in 1762. it was washington's headquarters in 1776, and in 1783 he delivered there his farewell address to his generals. [sidenote: pearl street] pearl street was one of the two early roads leading from the fort. it lay along the water front, and extended to a ferry where peck slip is now. the road afterwards became great queen street, and was lined with shops of store-keepers who sought the long island trade. the other road in time became broadway. on a building at 73 pearl street, facing coenties slip, is a tablet which reads: the site of the first dutch house of entertainment on the island of manhattan later the site of the old "stadt huys" or city hall this tablet is placed here by the holland society of new york september, 1890 [sidenote: the first city hall] this is the site of the first city hall of new amsterdam, built 1642. it stood by the waterside, for beyond water street all the land has been reclaimed. there was a court room and a prison in the building. before it, where the pillars of the elevated road are now, was a cage and a whipping-post. there was also the public "well of william cox." beside the house ran a lane. it is there yet, still called coenties lane as in the days of old. but it is no longer green. now it is narrow, paved, and almost lost between tall buildings. opposite coenties lane is coenties slip, which was an inlet in the days of the stadt huys. the land about was owned by conraet ten eyck, who was nicknamed coentje. this in time became coonchy and was finally vulgarized to "quincy." the filling in of this waterway began in 1835 and the slip is now buried beneath jeanette park. the filled-in slip accounts for the width of the street. for the same reason there is considerable width at wall, maiden lane and other streets leading to the water front. [sidenote: first printing press in the colony] at 81 pearl street, close by coenties slip, the first printing-press was set up by william bradford, after he was appointed public printer in 1693. a tablet marks the site, with the inscription: on this site william bradford appointed public printer april 10, a. d. 1693 established the first printing press in the colony of new york erected by the new york historical society april 10, a. d. 1893 in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the introduction of printing in new york [sidenote: fire of 1835] across the way, on a warehouse at 88 pearl street, is a marble tablet of unique design, to commemorate the great fire of 1835, which started in merchant street, burned for nineteen hours, extended over fifty acres and consumed 402 buildings. directly through the block from this point is cuyler's alley, a narrow way between the houses running off water street. although it is a hundred years old the only incident connected with its existence that has crept into the city's history, is a murder. in 1823, a boston merchant was waylaid and murdered for his money, and was dragged through this street for final disposition in the river, but the murderer made so much noise in his work that the constable heard him and came upon the abandoned corpse. [sidenote: stone street] through a pretty garden at the back of the stadt huys, stone street was reached. it was the first street to be laid with cobble-stones (1657), and so came by its name, which originally had been brouwer street. delmonico's establishment at beaver and william streets is on the site of the second of the delmonico restaurants. (see fulton and william streets.) [sidenote: flat and barrack hill] exchange place took its name from the merchants' exchange, which was completed in william street, fronting on wall, in 1827 (the present custom house). before that date it had been called garden street. from hanover to broad street was a famous place for boys to coast in winter, and the grade was called "flat and barrack hill." scarcely more than an alley now, the street was even narrower once and was given its present width in 1832. [sidenote: wall street] wall street came by its name naturally, for it was a walled street once. when war broke out between england and holland in 1653, governor peter stuyvesant built the wall along the line of the present street, from river to river. his object was to form a barrier that should enclose the city. it was a wall of wood, twelve feet high, with a sloping breastwork inside. after the wall was removed in 1699, the street came to be a chief business thoroughfare. [sidenote: federal hall] a new city hall, to replace the stadt huys, was built in 1699, at nassau street, on the site of the present sub-treasury building. in front of the building was the cage for criminals, stocks and whipping-post. when independence was declared, this building was converted into a capitol and was called federal hall. the declaration of independence was read from the steps in 1776. president washington was inaugurated there in 1789. the wide strip of pavement on the west side of nassau street at wall street bears evidence of the former existence of federal hall. the latter extended across to the western house line of the present nassau street, and so closed the thoroughfare that a passage-way led around the building to nassau street. when the sub-treasury was built in 1836, on the site of federal hall, nassau street was opened to wall, and the little passage-way was left to form the wide pavement of to-day. [sidenote: where alexander hamilton lived] alexander hamilton, in 1789, lived in a house on the south side of wall street at broad. his slayer, aaron burr, then lived back of federal hall in nassau street. the custom house at william street and wall was completed in 1842. at this same corner once stood a statue of william pitt, earl of chatham. in 1776, during the revolution, the statue was pulled down by british soldiers, the head cut off and the remainder dragged in the mud. the people petitioned the assembly in 1766 to erect the statue to pitt, as a recognition of his zealous defence of the american colonies and his efforts in securing the repeal of the stamp act. at the same time provision was made for the erection of the equestrian statue of george iii in bowling green. the statue of pitt was of marble, and was erected in 1770. [sidenote: tontine coffee house] the tontine building at the northwest corner of wall and water streets marks the site of the tontine coffee house, a celebrated house for the interchange of goods and of ideas, and a political centre. it was a prominent institution in the city, resorted to by the wealthy and influential. the building was erected in 1794, and conducted by the tontine society of two hundred and three members, each holding a $200 share. under their plan all property was to revert to seven survivors of the original subscribers. the division was made in 1876. [sidenote: meal market] close to where the coffee house was built later, a market was set up in the middle of wall street in 1709, and being the public market for the sale of corn and meal was called the "meal market." cut meat was not sold there until 1740. in 1731 this market became the only public place for the sale and hiring of slaves. trinity church has stood at the head of wall street since 1697. before 1779 the street was filled with tall trees, but during the intensely cold winter of that year most of them were cut down and used for kindling. the ferry wharf has been at the foot of the street since 1694, when the water came up as far as pearl street. it was here that washington landed, coming from elizabethport after his journey from virginia, april 23, 1789, to be inaugurated. the united states hotel, fulton, between water and pearl streets, was built in 1823 as holt's hotel. it was the headquarters for captains of whaling ships and merchants. a semaphore, or marine telegraph, was on the cupola, the windmill-like arms of which served to indicate the arrival of vessels. [sidenote: middle dutch church] on the building at the northeast corner of nassau and cedar streets is a tablet reading: here stood the middle dutch church dedicated a. d. 1729 made a british military prison 1776 restored 1790 occupied as the united states post-office 1845-1875 taken down 1882 this church was a notable place of worship; the last in the city to represent strict simplicity of religious service as contrasted with modern ease and elegance. the post-office occupied the building until its removal to the structure it now occupies. the second home of the middle dutch church was in lafayette place. [sidenote: pie woman's lane] nassau street was opened in 1696, when teunis de kay was given the right to make a cartway from the wall to the commons (now city hall park). at first the street was known as pie woman's lane. [sidenote: the maiden's lane] where maiden lane is there was once a narrow stream or spring water, which flowed from about the present nassau street. women went there to wash their clothing, so that it came to be called the virgin's path, and from that the maiden's lane. a blacksmith having set up a shop at the edge of the stream near the river, the locality took the name of smit's v'lei, or the smith's valley, afterwards shortened to the v'lei, and then readily corrupted to "fly." it was natural, then, when a market was built on the maiden's lane, from pearl to south streets, to call it the fly market. this was pulled down in 1823. [illustration: the jack knife, gold & platt sts.] [sidenote: the jack-knife] on gold street, northwest corner of platt street, is a wedge-shaped house of curious appearance. it is best seen from the platt street side. when this street was opened in 1834 by jacob s. platt, who owned much of the neighboring land and wanted a street of his own, the house was large and square and had been a tavern for a great many years. the new street cut the house to its present strange shape, and it came to be called the "jack-knife." [illustration: golden hill inn] [sidenote: golden hill] golden hill, celebrated since the time of the dutch, is still to be seen in the high ground around cliff and gold streets. pearl street near john shows a sweeping curve where it circled around the hill's base, and the same sort of curve is seen in maiden lane on the south and fulton street on the north. the first blood of the revolution was shed on this hill in january, 1770, after the british soldiers had cut down a liberty pole set up by the liberty boys. the fight occurred on open ground back of an inn which still stands at 122 william street, and is commemorated in a tablet on the wall of a building at the corner of john and william streets. it reads: "golden hill" here, jan. 18, 1770 the fight took place between the "sons of liberty" and the british regulars, 16th foot first bloodshed in the war of the revolution the inn is much the same as in early days, except that many buildings crowd about it now, and modern paint has made it hideous to antiquarian eyes. [sidenote: delmonico's] on the east side of william street, a few doors south of fulton, john delmonico opened a dingy little bake shop in 1823, acted as chef and waiter, and built up the name and business which to-day is synonymous with good eating. in 1832 he removed to 23 william street. burned out there in 1835, he soon opened on a larger scale with his brother at william and beaver streets, on which site is still an establishment under the delmonico name. in time he set up various places--at chambers street and broadway; fourteenth street and fifth avenue; twenty-sixth street and broadway, and finally at forty-fourth street and fifth avenue. [sidenote: john street church] john street church, between nassau and william streets, was the first methodist church in america. in 1767 it was organized in a loft at 120 william street, then locally known as horse and cart street. in 1768 the church was built in john street. it was rebuilt in 1817 and again in 1841. john street perpetuates the name of john harpendingh, who owned most of the land thereabout. [sidenote: john street theatre] at what is now 17, 19 and 21 john street, in 1767 was built the old john street theatre, a wooden structure, painted red, standing sixty feet back from the street and reached by a covered way. an arcade through the house at no. 17 still bears evidence of the theatre. the house was closed in 1774, when the continental congress recommended suspension of amusements. throughout the revolutionary war, however, performances were given, the places of the players being filled by british officers. washington frequently attended the performances at this theatre after he became president. the house was torn down in 1798. the site of the shakespeare tavern is marked by a tablet at the southwest corner of nassau and fulton streets. the words of the tablet are: on this site in the old shakespeare tavern was organized the seventh regiment national guard, s. n. y. aug. 25, 1824 [sidenote: shakespeare tavern] this tavern, low, old-fashioned, built of small yellow bricks with dormer windows in the roof, was constructed before the revolution. in 1808 it was bought by thomas hodgkinson, an actor, and was henceforth a meeting-place for thespians. it was resorted to--in contrast to the business men guests of the tontine coffee house--by the wits of the day, the poets and the writers. in 1824 hodgkinson died, and the house was kept up for a time by his son-in-law, mr. stoneall. [sidenote: first clinton hall] at the southwest corner of beekman and nassau streets was built, in 1830, the first home of the mercantile library, called clinton hall. in 1820 the first steps were taken by the merchants of the city to establish a reading room for their clerks. the library was opened the following year with 700 volumes. in 1823 the association was incorporated. it was located first in a building in nassau street, but in 1826 was moved to cliff street, and in 1830 occupied its new building in beekman street. de witt clinton, governor of the state, had presented a history of england as the first volume for the library. the new building was called clinton hall in his honor. in 1850, the building being crowded, the astor place opera house was bought for $250,000, and remodeled in 1854 into the second clinton hall. the third building of that name is now on the site at the head of lafayette place. [sidenote: st. george's church] the st. george building, on the north side of beekman street, just west of cliff street, stands on the site of st. george's episcopal church, a stately stone structure which was erected in 1811. in 1814 it was burned; in 1816 rebuilt, and in 1845 removed to rutherford place and sixteenth street, where it still is. next to the st. george building is the tall shot-tower which may be so prominently seen from the windows of tall buildings in the lower part of the city, but is so difficult to find when search is made for it. [sidenote: barnum's museum] barnum's museum, opened in 1842, was on the site of the st. paul building, at broadway and ann street. there p. t. barnum brought out tom thumb, the woolly horse and many other curiosities that became celebrated. on the stage of a dingy little amphitheatre in the house many actors played who afterwards won national recognition. [sidenote: original park theatre] the original park theatre was built in 1798, and stood on park row, between ann and beekman streets, facing what was then city hall park and what is now the post office. it was 200 feet from ann street, and extended back to the alley which has ever since been called theatre alley. john howard payne, author of "home, sweet home," appeared there for the first time on any stage, in 1809, as the "young american roscius." in 1842 a ball in honor of charles dickens was given there. many noted actors played at this theatre, which was the most important in the city at that period. it was rebuilt in 1820 and burned in 1848. [sidenote: first brick presbyterian church] at the junction of park row and nassau street, where the _times_ building is, the brick presbyterian church was erected in 1768. there was a small burying-ground within the shadow of its walls, and green fields stretched from it in all directions. it was sold in 1854, and a new church was built at fifth avenue and thirty-seventh street. [sidenote: where leisler was hanged] within a few steps of where the statue of benjamin franklin is in printing house square, jacob leisler was hanged in his own garden in 1691, the city's first martyr to constitutional liberty. a wealthy merchant, after james iii fled and william iii ascended the throne, leisler was called by the committee of safety to act as governor. he assembled a continental congress, whose deliberations were cut short by the arrival of col. henry sloughter as governor. enemies of leisler decided on his death. the new governor refused to sign the warrant, but being made drunk signed it unknowingly and leisler was hanged and his body buried at the foot of the scaffold. a few years later, a royal proclamation wiped the taint of treason from leisler's memory and his body was removed to a more honored resting-place. [sidenote: tammany hall] the walls of the _sun_ building at park row and frankfort street, are those of the first permanent home of tammany hall. besides the hall it contained the second leading hotel in the city, where board was $7 a week. tammany hall, organized in 1789 by william mooney, an upholsterer, occupied quarters in borden's tavern in lower broadway. in 1798 it removed to martling's tavern, at the southeast corner of nassau and spruce, until its permanent home was erected in 1811. [sidenote: a liberty pole] there is a tablet on the wall of the south corridor of the post-office building, which bears the inscription: on the common of the city of new york, near where this building now stands, there stood from 1766 to 1776 a liberty pole erected to commemorate the repeal of the stamp act. it was repeatedly destroyed by the violence of the tories and as repeatedly replaced by the sons of liberty, who organized a constant watch and guard. in its defence the first martyr blood of the american revolution was shed on jan. 18, 1770. the cutting down of this pole led to the battle of golden hill. [sidenote: city hall park] [sidenote: potter's field in city hall park] the post-office building was erected on a portion of the city hall park. this park, like all of the island of manhattan, was a wilderness a few hundred years ago. by 1661, where the park is there was a clearing in which cattle were herded. in time the clearing was called the fields; later the commons. on the commons, in dutch colonial days, criminals were executed. still later a potter's field occupied what is now the upper end of the park; above it, and extending over the present chambers street was a negro burying-ground. on these commons, in 1735, a poor-house was built, the site of which is covered by the present city hall. from time to time other buildings were erected. [illustration: cell in the prison under the hall of records] the new jail was finished in 1763, and, having undergone but few alterations, is now known as the hall of records. it was a military prison during the revolution, and afterwards a debtors' prison. in 1830 it became the register's office. it was long considered the most beautiful building in the city, being patterned after the temple of diana of ephesus. the bridewell, or city prison, was built on the commons in 1775, close by broadway, on a line with the debtors' prison. it was torn down in 1838. [sidenote: third city hall] [sidenote: governor's room] the present city hall was finished in 1812. about that time the commons were fenced in and became a park, taking in besides the present space, that now occupied by the post-office building. the constructors of the city hall deemed it unnecessary to use marble for the rear wall as they had for the sides and front, and built this wall of freestone, it being then almost inconceivable that traffic could ever extend so far up-town as to permit a view of the rear of the building. the most noted spot in the city hall is the governor's room, an apartment originally intended for the use of the governor when in the city. in time it became the municipal portrait gallery, and a reception room for the distinguished guests of the city. the bodies of abraham lincoln and of john howard payne lay in state in this room. with it is also associated the visit of lafayette when he returned to this country in 1824 and made the room his reception headquarters. the room was also the scene of the celebration after the capture of the "guerriã¨re" by the "constitution"; the reception to commodore perry after his lake erie victory; the celebration in connection with the laying of the atlantic cable; and at the completion of the erie canal. it contains a large gilt punch-bowl, showing scenes in new york a hundred years ago. this was presented to the city by general jacob morton, secretary of the committee of defense, at the opening of the city hall. at the western end of the front wall of city hall is a tablet reading: near this spot in the presence of gen. george washington the declaration of independence was read and published to the american army july 9th, 1776 [sidenote: first savings bank] other buildings erected in the park were the rotunda, 1816, on the site of the brown stone building afterwards occupied by the court of general sessions, where works of art were exhibited; and the new york institute on the site of the court house, occupied in 1817 by the american, or scudder's museum, the first in the city. the chambers street bank, the first bank for savings in the city, opened in the basement of the institute building in 1818. in 1841 philip hone was president of this bank. it afterwards moved to the north side of bleecker street, between broadway and crosby, and became the bleecker street bank. now it is at twenty-second street and fourth avenue, and is called the bank for savings. [illustration: statue of nathan hale city hall park] [sidenote: fences of city hall park] the statue of nathan hale was erected in city hall park by the sons of the revolution. some authorities still insist that the martyr spy was hanged in this park. until 1821 there were fences of wooden pickets about the park. in that year iron railings, which had been imported from england, were set up, with four marble pillars at the southern entrance. the next year trees were set out within the enclosure, and just within the railing were planted a number of rose-bushes which had been supplied by two ladies who had an eye to landscape gardening. frosts and vandals did not allow the bushes more than a year of life. four granite balls, said to have been dug from the ruins of troy, were placed on the pillars at the southern entrance, may 8, 1827. they were given to the city by captain john b. nicholson, u. s. n. the building 39 and 41 chambers street, opposite the court house, stands on the site of the pretty little palmo opera house, built in 1844 for the production of italian opera, by f. palmo, the wealthy proprietor of the cafã© des mille colonnes on broadway at duane street. he lost his fortune in the operatic venture and became a bartender. in 1848 the house became burton's theatre. about 1800, this site was occupied by the first reformed presbyterian church, a frame building which was replaced by a brick structure in 1818. the church was moved to prince and marion streets in 1834. [illustration: no. 11 reade st. where aaron burr had an office....] [sidenote: office of aaron burr] at no. 11 reade street is a dingy little house, now covered with signs and given over to half a dozen small business concerns, about which hover memories of aaron burr. it was here he had a law office in 1832, and here when he was seventy-eight years old he first met mme. jumel whom he afterwards married. the house is to be torn down to make way for new municipal buildings. [sidenote: an historic window] at rose and duane streets stands the rhinelander building, and on the rose street side close by the main entrance is a small grated window. this is the last trace of a sugar-house, which, during the revolutionary war, was used as a british military prison. the building was not demolished until 1892, and the window, retaining its original position in the old house, was built into the new. [illustration: the tombs] [sidenote: the tombs prison] [sidenote: the collect] where the tombs prison stands was once the collect, or fresh water pond. this deep body of water took up, approximately, the space between the present baxter, elm, canal and pearl streets. when the island of manhattan was first inhabited, a swamp stretched in a wide belt across it from where roosevelt slip is now to the end of canal street on the west side. the collect was the centre of this stretch, with a stream called the wreck brook flowing from it across a marsh to the east river. at a time near the close of the eighteenth century a drain was cut from the collect to the north river, on a line with the present canal street. with the progress of the city to the north, the pond was drained, and the swamp made into firm ground. in 1816, the corporation yards occupied the block of elm, centre, leonard and franklin streets, on the ground which had filled in the pond. the tombs, or city prison, was built on this block in 1838. [sidenote: the five points] the five points still exists where worth, baxter and park streets intersect, but it is no longer the centre of a community of crime that gained international notoriety. it was once the gathering-point for criminals and degraded persons of both sexes and of all nationalities, a rookery for thieves and murderers. its history began more than a century and a half ago. during the so-called negro insurrection of 1741, when many negroes were hanged, the severest punishment was the burning at the stake of fourteen negroes in this locality. [sidenote: mulberry bend slum] one of the five "points" is now formed by a pleasant park which a few years ago took the place of the last remnant of the old-time locality. in no single block of the city was there ever such a record for crime as in this old "mulberry bend" block. set low in a hollow, it was a refuge for the outcasts of the city and of half a dozen countries. the slum took its name, as the park does now, from mulberry street, which on one side of it makes a deep and sudden bend. in this slum block the houses were three deep in places, with scarcely the suggestion of a courtyard between them. narrow alleys, hardly wide enough to permit the passage of a man, led between houses to beer cellars, stables and time-blackened, tumbledown tenements. obscure ways honeycombed the entire block--ways that led beneath houses, over low sheds, through fragments of wall--ways that were known only to the thief and the tramp. there "bottle alley," "bandit's roost" and "rag-picker's row" were the scenes of many wild fights, and many a time the ready stiletto ended the lives of men, or the heavy club dashed out brains. the five points house of industry's work was begun in 1850, and has been successful in ameliorating the moral and physical condition of the people of the vicinity. the institution devoted to this work stands on the site of the "old brewery," the most notorious criminal resort of the locality. [illustration: park st. with church of the transfiguration] [sidenote: an ancient church] at mott and park streets is now the church of the transfiguration (catholic). on a hill, the suggestion of which is still to be seen in steep park street, the zion lutheran church was erected in 1797. in 1810 it was changed to zion episcopal church. it was burned in 1815; rebuilt 1819, and sold in 1853 to the church of the transfiguration, which has occupied it since. this last church had previously been in chambers street, and before that it had occupied several quarters. it was founded in 1827, and is the fourth oldest church in the diocese. zion episcopal church moved in 1853 to thirty-eighth street and madison avenue, and in 1891 consolidated with st. timothy's church at no. 332 west fifty-seventh street. the madison avenue building was sold to the south (reformed) dutch church. [sidenote: chatham square] chatham square has been the open space it is now ever since the time when a few houses clustered about fort amsterdam. the road that stretched the length of the island in 1647 formed the only connecting link between the fort and six large bouweries or farms on the east side. the bouwerie settlers in the early days were harassed by indians, and spent as much time defending themselves and skurrying off to the protection of the fort as they did in improving the land. the earliest settlement in the direction of these bouweries, which had even a suggestion of permanency, was on a hill which had once been an indian outlook, close by the present chatham square. emanuel de groot, a giant negro, with ten superannuated slaves, were permitted to settle here upon agreeing to pay each a fat hog and 22-1/2 bushels of grain a year, their children to remain slaves. north of this settlement stretched a primeval forest through which cattle wandered and were lost. then the future chatham square was fenced in as a place of protection for the cattle. [sidenote: bouwerie lane] the lane leading from this enclosure to the outlying bouweries, during the revolution was used for the passage of both armies. at that period the highway changed from the bouwerie lane of the dutch to the english bowery road. in 1807 it became "the bowery." [sidenote: kissing bridge] the earliest "kissing bridge" was over a small creek, on the post road, close by the present chatham square. travelers who left the city by this road parted with their friends on this bridge, it being the custom to accompany the traveler thus far from the city on his way. what is now park row, from city hall park to chatham square, was for many years called chatham street, in honor of william pitt, earl of chatham. in 1886 the aldermen of the city changed the name to park row, and in so doing seemed to stamp approval of an event just one hundred years before which had stirred american manhood to acts of valor. this was the dragging down by british soldiers in 1776 of a statue of the earl of chatham which had stood in wall street. [sidenote: tea water pump] the most celebrated pump in the city was the tea water pump, on chatham street (now park row) near queen (now pearl) street. the water was supplied from the collect and was considered of the rarest quality for the making of tea. up to 1789 it was the chief water-works of the city, and the water was carted about the city in casks and sold from carts. [sidenote: home of charlotte temple] within a few steps of the bowery, on the north side of pell street, in a frame house, charlotte temple died. the heroine of mrs. rowson's "tale of truth," whose sorrowful life was held up as a moral lesson a generation ago, had lived first in a house on what is now the south side of astor place close to fourth avenue. her tomb is in trinity churchyard. [sidenote: bull's head tavern] the bull's head tavern was built on the site of the present thalia theatre, formerly the bowery theatre, just above chatham square, some years before 1763. it was frequented by drovers and butchers, and was the most popular tavern of its kind in the city for many years. washington and his staff occupied it on the day the british evacuated the city in 1783. it was pulled down in 1826, making way for the bowery theatre. [sidenote: first bowery theatre] the bowery theatre was opened in 1826, and during the course or its existence was the home of broad melodrama, that had such a large following that the theatre obtained a national reputation. many celebrated actors appeared in the house. it was burned in 1828, rebuilt and burned again in 1836, again in 1838, in 1845 and in 1848. new bowery street was opened from the south side of chatham square in 1856. the street carried away a part of a jewish burying-ground, a portion of which, crowded between tenement-houses and shut off from the street by a wall and iron fence, is still to be seen a few steps from chatham square. the first synagogue of the jews was in mill street (now south william). the graveyard mentioned was the first one used by this congregation, and was opened in 1681, so far from the city that it did not seem probable that the latter could ever reach it. early in the nineteenth century the graveyard was moved to a site which is now sixth avenue and eleventh street. [sidenote: washington's home on cherry hill] the franklin house was the first cherry hill place of residence of george washington in the city, when he became president in 1789. it stood at the corner of franklin square (then st. george square) and cherry street. a portion of the east river bridge structure rests on the site. pearl street, passing the house, was a main thoroughfare in those days. the house was built in 1770 by walter franklin, an importing merchant. it was torn down in 1856. the site is marked by a tablet on the bridge abutment, which reads: the first presidential mansion no. 1 cherry street occupied by george washington from april 23, 1789 to february 23, 1790 erected by the mary washington colonial chapter, d.a.r. april 30, 1899 at no. 7 cherry street gas was first introduced into the city in 1825. this is the cherry hill district, sadly deteriorated from the merry days of its infancy. its name is still preserved in cherry street, which is hemmed in by tenement-houses which the italian population crowd in almost inconceivable numbers. at the top of the hill, where these italians drag out a crowded existence, richard sackett, an englishman, established a pleasure garden beyond the city in 1670, and because its chief attraction was an orchard of cherry trees, called it the cherry garden--a name that has since clung to the locality. [illustration] ii [illustration: hudson & watts sts.] ii [sidenote: the origin of broadway] from new amsterdam, which centered about the fort, the only road which led through the island branched out from bowling green. it took the line of what is now broadway, and during a period of one hundred years was the only road which extended the length of the island. that broadway, beyond st. paul's chapel, ever became a greatly traveled thoroughfare, was due more to accident than design, for to all appearances the road which turned to the east was to be the main artery for the city's travel, and all calculations were made to that end. broadway really ended at st. paul's. [sidenote: the first graveyard] morris street was called beaver lane before the name was changed in 1829. on this street, near broadway, the first graveyard of the city was situated. it was removed and the ground sold at auction in 1676, when a plot was acquired opposite wall street. this last was used in conjunction with trinity church until city interment was prohibited. [sidenote: the first house built] on the office building at 41 broadway there is fixed a tablet which bears the inscription: this tablet marks the site of the first habitations of white men on the island of manhattan adrian block commander of the "tiger" erected here four houses or huts after his vessel was burned november, 1613 he built the restless, the first vessel made by europeans in this country the restless was launched in the spring of 1614 adrian block was one of the earliest fur traders to visit the island after henry hudson returned to holland with the news of his discovery. the "tiger" took fire in the night while anchored in the bay, and block and his crew reached the shore with difficulty. they were the only white men on the island. immediately they set about building a new vessel, which was named the "restless." next door, at no. 39, president washington lived in the macomb's mansion, moving there from the franklin house in 1790. subsequently the house became a hotel. [sidenote: tin pot alley] there is a rift in the walls between the tall buildings at no. 55 broadway, near rector street, a cemented way that is neither alley nor street. it was a green lane before new amsterdam became new york, and for a hundred years has been called tin pot alley. with the growth of the city the little lane came near being crowded out, and the name, not being of proper dignity, would be forgotten but for a terra cotta tablet fixed in a building at its entrance. this was placed there by rev. morgan dix, the pastor of trinity church. at the southwest corner of broadway and rector street, where a sky-scraper is now, grace church once stood with a graveyard about it. the church was completed in 1808, and was there until 1846, when the present structure was erected at broadway and tenth street. upon the rector street site, the trinity lutheran church, a log structure, was built in 1671. it was rebuilt in 1741, and was burned in the great fire of 1776. [sidenote: trinity churchyard] trinity churchyard is part of a large tract of land, granted to the trinity corporation in 1705, that was once the queen's farm. [sidenote: annetje jans's farm] in 1635 there were a number of bouweries or farms above the fort. the nearest--one extending about to where warren street is--was set apart for the dutch west india company, and called the company's farm. above this was another, bounded approximately by what are now warren and charlton streets, west of broadway. this last was given by the company, in 1635, to roelof jansz (contraction of jannsen), a dutch colonist. he died the following year, and the farm became the property of his wife, annetje jans. (in the feminine, the z being omitted, the form became jans.) the farm was sold to francis lovelace, the english governor, in 1670, and he added it to the company's farm, and it became thereafter the duke's farm. in 1674 it became the king's farm. when queen anne began her reign it became the queen's farm, and it was she who granted it to trinity, making it the church farm. in 1731, which was sixty-one years after the annetje jans's farm was sold to governor lovelace, the descendants of annetje jans for the first time decided that they had yet some interest in the farm, and made an unsuccessful protest. from time to time since protests in the form of lawsuits have been made, but no court has sustained the claims. the city's growth was retarded by church ownership of land, as no one wanted to build on leasehold property. it was not until the greater part of available land on the east side of the island was built upon that the church property was made use of on the only terms it could be had. not until 1803 were the streets from warren to canal laid out. trinity church was built in 1697. for years before, however, there had been a burying-ground beyond the city and the city's wall that became the trinity graveyard of to-day. the waving grass extended to a bold bluff overlooking hudson river, which was about where greenwich street now is. through the bluff a street was cut, its passage being still plainly to be seen in the high wall on the trinity place side of the graveyard. [sidenote: oldest grave in trinity churchyard] the oldest grave of which there is a record is in the northern section of the churchyard, on the left of the first path. it is that of a child, and is marked with a sandstone slab, with a skull, cross-bones and winged hour-glass cut in relief on the back, the inscription on the front reading: w. c. hear . lyes . the . body of . richard . chvrch er . son . of . willia m . chvrcher . who . died . the . 5 of . april 1681 . of . age 5 years and . 5 . months the records tell nothing of the churcher family. within a few feet of this stone is another that countless eyes have looked at through the iron fence from broadway, which says: ha, sydney, sydney! lyest thou here? i here lye, 'til time is flown to its extremity. it is the grave of a merchant--once an officer of the british army--sydney breese, who wrote his epitaph and directed that it be placed on his tombstone. he died in 1767. [illustration] [sidenote: grave of charlotte temple] on the opposite side of the path, nearer to broadway, is a marble slab lying flat on the ground and each year sinking deeper into the earth. it was placed there by one of the sextons of trinity more than a century ago, in memory of charlotte temple. close by the porch of the north entrance to the church is the stone that marks the grave of william bradford, who set up the first printing-press in the colony and was printer to the colonial government for fifty years. he was ninety-two years old when he died in 1752. the original stone was crumbling to decay when, in 1863, the vestry of trinity church replaced it by the present stone, renewing the original inscription (see page 14). [sidenote: martyr's monument] the tall freestone gothic shaft, the only monumental pile in the northern section of the churchyard, serves to commemorate the unknown dead of the revolution. trinity church with all its records, together with a large section of the western part of the city, was burned in 1776 when the british army occupied the city. during the next seven years the only burials in the graveyard were the american prisoners from the provost jail in the commons and the other crowded prisons of the city, who were interred at night and without ceremony. no record was kept of who the dead were. [sidenote: a churchyard cryptograph] close to the martyrs' monument is a stone so near the fence that its inscription can be read from broadway: here lies deposited the body of james leeson, who departed this life on the 28th day of september, 1794, aged 38 years. and above the inscription are cut these curious characters: [illustration] it is a cryptograph, but a simple one, familiar to school children. in its solution three diagrams are drawn and lettered thus: [illustration] the lines which enclose the letters are separated from the design, and each section used instead of the letters. for example, the letters a, b, c, become: [illustration] the second series begins with k, because the i sign is also used for j. the letters of the three series are distinguished by dots; one dot being placed with the lines of the first series; two dots with the second, but none with the third. if this be tried, any one can readily decipher the meaning of the cryptograph, and read "remember death." close to the north door of the church are interred the remains of lady cornbury, who could call england's queen anne cousin. she was the wife of edward hyde, lord cornbury, who was governor of new york in 1702. he was a grandson of the earl of clarendon, prime minister of charles ii; and son of that earl of clarendon who was brother-in-law of james ii. so lady cornbury was first cousin of queen anne. she was baroness of clifton in her own right, and a gracious lady. she died in 1706. [illustration: tomb of alexander hamilton] [sidenote: alexander hamilton's tomb] the tomb of alexander hamilton, patriot, soldier and statesman, stands conspicuously in the southern half of the churchyard, about forty feet from broadway and ten feet from the iron railing on rector street. in the same part of the churchyard are interred the remains of philip, eldest son of alexander hamilton. the son in 1801 fell in a duel with george l. eacker, a young lawyer, when the two disagreed over a political matter. three years later eacker died and was buried in st. paul's churchyard, and the same year alexander hamilton fell before the duelling pistol of aaron burr. [sidenote: last friend of aaron burr] close by hamilton's tomb, a slab almost buried in the earth bears the inscription "matthew l. davis' sepulchre." strange that this "last friend that aaron burr possessed on earth" should rest in death so close to his friend's great enemy. he went to the jersey shore in a row-boat with burr on the day the duel was fought with hamilton, and stood not far away with dr. hosack to await the outcome. he was imprisoned for refusing to testify before the coroner. afterwards he wrote a life of burr. he was a merchant, with a store at 49 stone street, and was highly respected. [sidenote: tomb of capt. james lawrence] within a few steps of broadway, at the southern entrance to the church, is the tomb of captain james lawrence, u. s. n., who was killed on board the frigate chesapeake during the engagement with h. b. m. frigate "shannon." his dying words, "don't give up the ship!" are now known to every school-boy. the handsome mausoleum close by the church door, and the surrounding eight cannon, first attract the eye. these cannon, selected from arms captured from the english in the war of 1812, are buried deep, according to the directions of the vestry of trinity, in order that the national insignia, and the inscription telling of the place and time of capture, might be hidden and no evidence of triumph paraded in that place--where all are equal, where peace reigns and enmity is unknown. the monument was erected august 22, 1844. before that the remains of captain lawrence had been interred in the southwest corner of the churchyard, beneath a shaft of white marble. this first resting-place was selected in september, 1813, when the body was brought to the city and interred, after being carried in funeral procession from the battery. "d. contant" is the inscription on the first vault at the south entrance, one of the first victims of the revocation of the edict of nantes to be buried in the city. there are many huguenot memorials in the churchyard, the oddest being a tombstone with a latin inscription telling that withamus de marisco, who died in 1765, was "most noble on the side of his father's mother." [sidenote: cresap, the indian fighter] at the rear of the church, to the north, is a small headstone: in memory of michael cresap first captain of the rifle battalions and son of colonel thomas cresap who departed this life oct. 18, a. d. 1775. his father had been a friend and neighbor of washington in virginia, and he himself was a brilliant indian fighter on the frontier of his native state. it was the men under his command who, unordered, exterminated the family of logan, the indian chief, "the friend of the white man." many a boy, who in school declaimed, unthinkingly, "who is there to mourn for logan? not one!" grown to manhood, cannot but look with interest on the grave of logan's foe. tradition has been kind to cresap's memory, insisting that his heart broke over the accusation of responsibility for the death of logan's family. there is another slab, close by the grave of captain cresap, which tells: "here lieth ye body of susannah nean, wife of elias nean, born in ye city of rochelle, in france, in ye year 1660, who departed this life 25 day of december, 1720, age 60 years." "here lieth enterred ye body of elias nean, catechist in new york, born in soubise, in ye province of caentonge in france in ye year 1662, who departed this life 8 day of september 1722 aged 60 years." "this inscription was restored by order of their descendant of the 6th generation, elizabeth champlin perry, widow of the late com'r o. h. perry, of the u. s. navy, may, anno domini, 1846." but the stone does not tell that the huguenot refugee was for many years a vestryman of trinity church, and that among his descendants are the belmonts and a dozen distinguished families. before coming to america, elias nean was condemned to the galleys in france because he refused to renounce the reformed religion. [sidenote: where gov de lancy was buried] beneath the middle aisle in the church lie the bones of the eldest son of stephen (etienne) de lancey--james de lancey. he was chief justice of the colony of new york in 1733, and lieutenant-governor in 1753. he died suddenly in 1760 at his country house which was at the present northwest corner of delancey and chrystie streets. a lane led from the house to the bowery. [sidenote: home of the de lanceys] thames street is as narrow now as it was one hundred and fifty years ago, when it was a carriageway that led to the stables of etienne de lancey. the huguenot nobleman left his broad street house for the new home he had built at broadway and cedar street in 1730. in 1741, at his death, it became the property of his son, james, the lieutenant-governor. it was the most imposing house in the town, elegantly decorated, encircled by broad balconies, with an uninterrupted garden extending to the river at the back. after the death of lieutenant-governor de lancey in 1760, the house became a hotel, and was known under many names. it was a favorite place for british officers during the revolution, and in 1789 was the scene of the first "inauguration ball" in honor of president washington. the house was torn down in 1793. in 1806 the city hotel was erected on its site and became the most fashionable in town. it was removed in 1850 and a line of shops set up. in 1889 the present buildings were erected. a tablet on the building at 113 broadway, corner of cedar street, marks the site, reading: the site of lieut. gove. de lancey's house, later the city hotel. it was here that the non-importation agreement, in opposition to the stamp act, was signed, oct. 15th, 1766. the tavern had many proprietors by whose names it was successively called. it was also known as the province arms, the city arms and burns coffee house or tavern. opposite liberty (then crown) street, in the centre of broadway, there stood in 1789 a detached building 42 x 25 feet. it was the "up-town market," patronized by the wealthy, who did their own marketing in those days, their black slaves carrying the purchases home. [sidenote: washington market] washington market, at the foot of fulton street, was built in 1833. the water washed the western side of it then, and ships sailed to it to deliver their freight. since then the water has been crowded back year by year with the growing demand for land. in its early days it was variously called country market, fish market and exterior market. [sidenote: st. paul's chapel] at the outskirts of the city, in a field that the same year had been sown with wheat, the cornerstone of st. paul's chapel was laid on may 14, 1764. the church was opened two years later, and the steeple added in 1794. it fronted the river which came up then as far as to where greenwich street is now, and a grassy lawn sloped down to a beach of pebbles. during the days of english occupancy, major andrã©, lord howe and sir guy carleton worshipped there. another who attended services there was the english midshipman who afterwards became william iv. [illustration: washington pew st. paul's chapel] [sidenote: the washington pew in st. paul's] president washington, on the day of his inauguration, marched at the head of the representative men of the new nation to attend service in st. paul's, and thereafter attended regularly. the pew he occupied has been preserved and is still to be seen next the north wall, midway between the chancel and the vestry room. directly opposite is the pew occupied at the same period by governor george clinton. back of the chancel is the monument to major-general richard montgomery, who fell before quebec in 1775, crying, "men of new york, you will not fail to follow where your general leads!" congress decided on the monument, and benjamin franklin bought it in france for 300 guineas. a privateer bringing it to this country was captured by a british gunboat, which in turn was taken, and the monument, arriving safe here, was set in place. the body was removed from its first resting-place in quebec, and interred close beside the monument in 1818. in the burying-ground, which has been beside the church since it was built, are the monuments of men whose names are associated with the city's history: dr. william james macneven, who raised chemistry to a science; thomas addis emmet, an eminent jurist and brother of robert emmet; christopher collis, who established the first water works in the city, and who first conceived the idea of constructing the erie canal; and a host of others. [illustration] [sidenote: the actor cooke's grave] the tomb of george frederick cooke, the tragedian, is conspicuous in the centre of the yard, facing the main door of the church. cooke was born in england in 1756, and died in new york in 1812. early in life he was a printer's apprentice. by 1800 he had taken high rank among tragic actors. the grave of george l. eacker, who killed the eldest son of alexander hamilton in a duel, is near the vesey street railing. [sidenote: astor house] the astor house, occupying the broadway block between vesey and barclay streets, was opened in 1836 by boyden, a hotel keeper of boston. this site had been part of the church farm, and as early as 1729, when there were only a few scattered farm houses on the island above what is now liberty street, there was a farm house on the astor house site; and from there extended, on the broadway line, a rope-walk. prior to the erection of the hotel in 1830, the site for the most part had been occupied by the homes of john jacob astor, john g. coster and david lydig. on a part of the site, at 221 broadway, in 1817, m. paff, popularly known as "old paff," kept a bric-ã -brac store. he dealt especially in paintings, having the reputation of buying worthless and old ones and "restoring" them into masterpieces. his was the noted curiosity-shop of the period. [illustration] [sidenote: a house of other days] where vesey and greenwich streets and west broadway come together is a low, rough-hewn rock house. it has been used as a shoe store since the early part of the century. on its roof is a monster boot bearing the date of 1832, which took part in the croton water parade and a dozen other celebrations. in pre-revolutionary days, when the ground where the building stands was all hudson river, and the water extended as far as the present greenwich street, according to tradition, this was a lighthouse. there have been many changes in the outward appearance, but the foundation of solid rock is the same as when the waters swept around it. [sidenote: the road to greenwich] greenwich street follows the line of a road which led from the city to greenwich village. this road was on the waterside. it was called greenwich road. south of canal street, west of broadway, was a marshy tract known as lispenard's meadows. over this swamp greenwich road crossed on a raised causeway. when the weather was bad for any length of time, the road became heavy and in places was covered by the strong tide from the river. at such times travel took an inland route, along the post road (now the bowery) and by obelisk lane (now astor place and greenwich avenue). [sidenote: st. peter's church] st. peter's church, at the southeast corner of barclay and church streets, the home of the oldest roman catholic congregation in the city, was built in 1786, and rebuilt in 1838. the congregation was formed in 1783, although mass was celebrated in private houses before that for the few scattered catholic families. [sidenote: columbia college] the two blocks included between barclay and murray streets, west broadway and church street, were occupied until 1857 by the buildings and grounds of columbia college. that part of the queen's farm lying west of broadway between the present barclay and murray streets--a strip of land then in the outskirts of the city--in 1754 was given to the governors of king's college. during the revolution the college suspended exercises, resuming in 1784 as columbia college under an act passed by the legislature of the state. in 1814, in consideration of lands before granted to the college which had been ceded to new hampshire in settlement of the boundary, the college was granted by the state a tract of farming land known as the hosack botanical garden. this is the twenty acres lying between forty-seventh and forty-ninth streets, fifth and sixth avenues. at that time the city extended but little above the city hall park, and this land was unprofitable and for many years of considerable expense to the college. by 1839 the city had crept past the college and the locality being built up the college grounds were cramped between the limits of two blocks. in 1854, park place was opened through the grounds of the college from church street to west broadway (then called college place). until about 1816 the section of park place west of the college grounds was called robinson street. in 1857 the college was moved to madison avenue, between forty-ninth and fiftieth streets, and in 1890 it was re-organized on a university basis. [sidenote: chapel place] west broadway was originally a lane which wound from far away canal street to the chapel of columbia college, and was called chapel place. later it became college place. in 1892 the street was widened south of chambers street, in order to relieve the great traffic from the north, and extended through the block from barclay to greenwich street. evidence of the former existence of the old street can be seen in the pillars of the elevated road on the west side of west broadway at murray street, for these pillars, once on the sidewalk, are now several feet from it in the street. [sidenote: bowling green garden and first vauxhall] in the vicinity of what is now greenwich and warren streets, the bowling green garden was established in the early part of the eighteenth century. it was a primitive forest, for there were no streets above crown (now liberty) street on the west side, and none above frankfort on the east. the land on which the garden stood was a leasehold on the church farm. the place was given the name of the vauxhall garden before the middle of the same century, and for forty years thereafter was a fashionable resort and sought to be a copy of the vauxhall in london. there was dancing and music, and groves dimly lighted where visitors could stroll, and where they might sit at tables and eat. by the time the city stretched past the locality, all that was left of the resort was what would now be called a low saloon, and its pretty garden had been sold for building lots. the second vauxhall was off the bowery, south of astor place. [sidenote: a. t. stewart's store] the stewart building, on the east side of broadway, between chambers and reade streets, has undergone few external changes since it was the dry goods store of alexander t. stewart. on this site stood washington hall, which was erected in 1809. it was a hotel of the first class, and contained the fashionable ball room and banqueting-hall of the city. the building was destroyed by fire july 5, 1844. the next year stewart, having purchased the site from the heirs of john g. coster, began the construction of his store. stewart came from ireland in 1823, at the age of twenty. for a time after his arrival he was an assistant teacher in a public school. he opened a small dry goods store, and was successful. the broadway store was opened in 1846. four years later stewart extended his building so that it reached reade street. all along broadway by this year business houses were taking the place of residences. the stewart residence at the northwest corner of thirty-fourth street and fifth avenue, was, at the time it was built, considered the finest house in america. mr. stewart died in 1876, leaving a fortune of fifty millions. his body was afterwards stolen from st. mark's churchyard at tenth street and second avenue. at broadway and duane street, roasted chestnuts were first sold in the street. a frenchman stationed himself at this corner in 1828, and sold chestnuts there for so many years that he came to be reckoned as a living landmark. at the same corner was the popular cafã© des mille colonnes, the proprietor of which, f. palmo, afterwards built and conducted palmo's opera house in chambers street. [sidenote: first sewing machine] in a store window on broadway, close to duane street, the first sewing-machine was exhibited. a young woman sat in the window to exhibit the working of the invention to passers-by. it was regarded as an impracticable toy, and was looked at daily by many persons who considered it a curiosity unworthy of serious attention. [sidenote: masonic hall] at nos. 314 and 316 broadway, on the east side of the street just south of pearl street, stood masonic hall, the cornerstone of which was laid june 24, 1826. it looked imposing among the structures of the street, over which it towered, and was of the gothic style of architecture. while it was in course of erection, william morgan published his book which claimed to reveal the secrets of masonry. his mysterious disappearance followed, and shortly after, the rise of the anti-masonic party and popular excitement put masonry under such a ban that the house was sold by the order, and the name of the building was changed to gothic hall. on the second floor was a room looked upon as the most elegant in the united states: an imitation of the chapel of henry viii, it was of gothic architecture, furnished in richness of detail and appropriateness of design, and was one hundred feet long, fifty wide and twenty-five high. in it were held public gatherings of social and political nature. [sidenote: new york hospital] the two blocks now enclosed by duane, worth, broadway and church streets, were occupied by the buildings and grounds of the new york hospital. thomas street was afterwards cut through the grounds. as the city hospital, the institution had been projected before the war of the revolution. the building was completed about 1775. during the war it was used as a barrack. in 1791 it was opened for the admission of patients. on the lawn, which extended to broadway, various societies gathered on occasions of annual parades and celebrations. the hospital buildings were in the centre of the big enclosure. at the northern end of the lawn, the present corner of broadway and worth street, was the new jerusalem church. [sidenote: riley's fifth ward hotel] on the corner of west broadway and franklin street was riley's fifth ward hotel, which was a celebrated place in its day. it was the prototype of the modern elaborately fitted saloon, but was then a place of instruction and a moral resort. in a large room, reached by wide stairs from the street, were objects of interest and art in glass cases--pictures of statesmen, uniforms of the soldiers of all nations, indian war implements, famous belongings of celebrated men, as well as such simple curiosities as a two-headed calf. on franklin street, before riley's door, was a marble statue minus a head, one arm and sundry other parts. it was all that remained of the statue of the earl of chatham, william pitt, which had stood in wall street until dragged down by british soldiers. for twenty-five years the battered wreck had lain in the corporation yard, until found and honored with a place before his door by riley. at the latter's death the historical society took the remains of the statue, and it is in its rooms yet. the passage of washington through the island is commemorated by a tablet on a warehouse at 255 west street, near laight, which is inscribed: to mark the landing place of general george washington, june 25, 1775, on his way to cambridge to command the american army. [sidenote: st. john's church] st. john's church of trinity parish, in varick street close to beach, was built in 1807. when the church was finished st. john's park, occupying the entire block opposite--between varick and hudson, laight and beach streets--was established for the exclusive use of residents whose houses faced it. before it was established, the place had been a sandy beach that stretched to the river. the locality became the most fashionable of the city in 1825. by 1850 there had begun a gradual decline, for persons of wealth were moving up-town, and it degenerated to a tenement-house level after 1869, when the park disappeared beneath the foundations of the big freight depot which now occupies the site. around the corner from the church, a block away in beach street, is a tiny park, one of the last remnants of the annetje jans farm. the bit of farm is carefully guarded now, much more so than was the entire beautiful tract. it forms a triangle and is fenced in by an iron railing, with one gate, that is fast barred and never opened. there is one struggling tree, wrapped close in winter with burlap, but it seems to feel its loneliness and does not thrive. [sidenote: the red fort] from the centre of st. john's park on the west, hubert street extends to the river. this street, now given over to manufacturers, was, in 1824, the chief promenade of the city next to the battery walk. it led directly to the red fort at the river. the fort was some distance from the shore. it was built early in the century, was round and of brick, and a bridge led to it. it was never of any practical use, but, like castle garden, was used as a pleasure resort. [sidenote: lispenard's meadows] [sidenote: cows on broadway] early in the eighteenth century, anthony rutgers held under lease from trinity a section of the church farm which took in the dominie's bouwerie, a property lying between where broadway is and the hudson river. the southern and northern lines were approximately the present reade and canal streets. it was a wild spot, remaining in a primitive condition--part marsh, part swamp--covered with dwarf trees and tangled underbrush. cattle wandered into this region and were lost. it was a dangerous place, too, for men who wandered into it. to live near it was unhealthy, because of the foul gases which abounded. it seemed to be a worthless tract. about the year 1730, anthony rutgers suggested to the king in council that he would have this land drained and made wholesome and useful provided it was given to him. his argument was so strong and sensible that the land--seventy acres, now in the business section of the city--was given him and he improved it. at the northern edge of the improved waste lived leonard lispenard, in a farm house which was then in a northern suburb of the city, bounded by what is hudson, canal and vestry streets. lispenard married the daughter of rutgers, and the land falling to him it became lispenard's meadows. in lispenard's time broadway ended where white street is now and a set of bars closed the thoroughfare against cows that wandered along it. the one bit of the meadows that remains is the tiny park at the foot of canal street on the west side. anthony rutgers' homestead was close by what is broadway and thomas street. after his death in 1750 it became a public house, and, with the surrounding grounds, was called ranelagh garden, a popular place in its time. [sidenote: canal street] on a line with the present canal street, a stream ran from the fresh water pond to the hudson river, at the upper edge of lispenard's meadows. a project, widely and favorably considered in 1825, but which came to nothing, advocated the extension of canal street, as a canal, from river to river. the street took its name naturally from the little stream which was called a canal. when the street was filled in and improved, the stream was continued through a sewer leading from centre street. the locality at the foot of the street has received the local title of "suicide slip" because of the number of persons in recent years who have ended their lives by jumping into hudson river at that point. in broadway, between grand and howard streets, in 1819, west's circus was opened. in 1827 this was converted into a theatre called the broadway. later it was occupied by tattersall's horse market. [sidenote: original olympic theatre] next door to tattersall's, at no. 444 broadway, the original olympic theatre was built in 1837. w. r. blake and henry e. willard built and managed the house. it was quite small and their aim had been to present plays of a high order of merit by an exceptionally good company. the latter included besides blake, mrs. maeder and george barrett. after a few months of struggle against unprofitable business, prices were lowered. little success was met with, the performances being of too artistic a nature to be popular, and blake gave up the effort and the house. in december, 1839, wm. mitchell leased the house and gave performances at low prices. at no. 453 broadway, between grand and howard streets, in 1844 john littlefield, a corn doctor, set up a place, designating himself as a chiropodist--an occupation before unknown under that title. at no. 485 broadway, near broome street, brougham's lyceum was built in 1850, and opened in december with an "occasional rigmarole" and a farce. in 1852 the house was opened, september 8, as wallack's lyceum, having been acquired by james w. wallack. wallack ended his career as an actor in this house. in 1861 he removed to his new theatre, corner thirteenth street and broadway. still later the lyceum was called the broadway theatre. [illustration] "murderers' row" has its start where watts street ends at sullivan, midway of the block between grand and broome streets. it could not be identified by its name, for it is not a "row" at all, merely an ill-smelling alley, an arcade extending through a block of battered tenements. after running half its course through the block, the alley is broken by an intersecting space between houses--a space that is taken up by push carts, barrels, tumbledown wooden balconies and lines of drying clothes. "murderers' row" is celebrated in police annals as a crime centre. but the evil doers were driven out long years ago and the houses given over to italians. these people are excessively poor, and have such a hard struggle for life as to have no desire to regard the laws of the health board. constant complaints are made that the houses are hovels and the alley a breeding-place for disease. [sidenote: greenwich village] greenwich village sprang from the oldest known settlement on the island of manhattan. it was an indian village, clustering about the site of the present west washington market, at the foot of gansevoort street, when hendrick hudson reached the island, in 1609. the region was a fertile one, and its natural drainage afforded it sanitary advantages which even to this day make it a desirable place of residence. there was abundance of wild fowl and the waters were alive with half a hundred varieties of fish. there were sand hills, sometimes rising to a height of a hundred feet, while to the south was a marsh tenanted by wild fowl and crossed by a brook flowing from the north. it was this manetta brook which was to mark the boundary of greenwich village when governor kieft set aside the land as a bouwerie for the dutch west india company. the brook arose about where twenty-first street now crosses fifth avenue, flowed to the southwest edge of union square, thence to fifth avenue and eighth street, across where washington square is, along the line of minetta street, and then to hudson river, between houston and charlton streets. [sidenote: sir peter warren] the interests of the little settlement were greatly advanced in 1744, when sir peter warren, later the hero of louisburg, married susannah de lancey and went to live there, purchasing three hundred acres of land. epidemics in the city from time to time drove many persons to greenwich as a place of refuge. but it remained for the fatal yellow-fever epidemic of 1822, when 384 persons died in the city, to make greenwich a thriving suburb instead of a struggling village. twenty thousand persons fled the city, the greater number settling in greenwich. banks, public offices, stores of every sort were hurriedly opened, and whole blocks of buildings sprang up in a few days. streets were left where lanes had been, and corn-fields were transformed into business and dwelling blocks. [sidenote: evolution of greenwich streets] the sudden influx of people and consequent trade into the village brought about the immediate need for street improvements. existing streets were lengthened, footpaths and alleys were widened, but all was done without any regard to regularity. the result was the jumble of streets still to be met with in that region, where the thoroughfares are often short and often end in a cul-de-sac. in time the streets of the city plan crept up to those of greenwich village, and the village was swallowed up by the city. but it was not swallowed up so completely but that the irregular lines of the village streets are plainly to be seen on any city map. near where spring street crosses hudson there was established, about 1765, brannan's garden, on the northern edge of lispenard's meadows. it was like the modern road-house. greenwich road was close to it, and pleasure-seekers, who thronged the road on the way from the city to greenwich village, were the chief guests of the house. [sidenote: duane street church] crowded close between dwellings on the east side of hudson street, fifty feet south of spring, is the duane m. e. church, a quaint-looking structure, half church, half business building. this is the successor of the north church, the north river church and the duane street church, founded in 1797, which, before it moved to hudson street, in 1863, was in barley (now duane) street, between hudson and greenwich streets. in spring street, near varick, is the spring street presbyterian church, which was built in 1825. before its erection the "old" spring street presbyterian church stood on the site, having been built in 1811. [sidenote: richmond hill] although the leveling vandalism of a great city has removed every trace of richmond hill, the block encircled by macdougal, charlton, varick and vandam streets, is crowded thick with memories of men and events of a past generation. long before there was a thought of the city getting beyond the wall that hemmed in a few scattering houses, and when the indian settlement, which afterwards became greenwich village, kept close to the water's edge, a line of low sand hills called the zandtberg, stretched their curved way from where now eighth street crosses broadway, ending where varick street meets vandam. at the base of the hill to the north was manetta creek. the final elevation became known as richmond hill, and that, with a considerable tract of land, was purchased by abraham mortier, commissioner of the forces of george iii. of england. in 1760 he built his home on the hill and called it also richmond hill. [sidenote: burr's pond] the house was occupied by general washington as his headquarters in 1776, and by vice-president adams in 1788. aaron burr obtained it in 1797, entertained lavishly there, improved the grounds, constructed an artificial lake long known as burr's pond, and set up a beautiful entrance gateway at what is now macdougal and spring streets, which he passed through in 1804 when he went to fight his duel with alexander hamilton. burr gave up the house in 1807, and, the hill being cut away in the opening of streets in 1817, the house was lowered and rested on the north side of charlton street just east of varick. it became a theatre later and remained such until it was torn down in 1849. a quiet row of brick houses occupies the site now. [sidenote: st. john's burying ground] what is now a pleasant little park enclosed by hudson, leroy and clarkson streets, was part of a plot set aside for a graveyard when st. john's chapel was built. it was called st. john's burying-ground. its early limits extended to carmine street on one side and to morton street on the other. under the law burials ceased there about 1850. there were 10,000 burials in the grounds, which, unlike the other trinity graveyards, came to be neglected. the tombstones crumbled to decay, the weeds grew rank about them and the trees remained untrimmed and neglected. about 1890 property owners in the vicinity began steps to have the burying-ground made into a park. conservative trinity resisted the project until the city won a victory in the courts and the property was bought. relatives of the dead were notified and some of the bodies were removed. in september, 1897, the actual work of transforming the graveyard into a park was begun. laborers with crowbars knocked over the tombstones that still remained and putting the fragments in a pit at the eastern end of the grounds covered them with earth to make a play-spot for children. [sidenote: bedford street church] at morton and bedford streets is the bedford street m. e. church. the original structure was built in 1810 in a green pasture. beside it was a quiet graveyard, reduced somewhat in 1830 when the church was enlarged, and wiped out when the land became valuable and the present structure was set up in 1840. the church was built for the first congregation of methodists in greenwich village, formed in 1808 at the house of samuel walgrove at the north side of morton street close to bleecker. [sidenote: where thomas paine lived and died] thomas paine--famous for his connection with the american and french revolutions, but chiefly for his works, "the age of reason," favoring deism against atheism and christianity; and "common sense," maintaining the cause of the american colonies--died in greenwich village june 8, 1809, having retired there in 1802. the final years of his life were passed in a small house in herring (now bleecker) street. on the site is a double tenement numbered no. 293 bleecker street, southeast corner barrow. this last named street was not opened until shortly after paine's death. it was first called reason street, a compliment to the author of "the age of reason." this was corrupted to raisin street. in 1828 it was given its present name. shortly before his death paine moved to a frame building set in the centre of a nearby field. grove street now passes over the site which is between bleecker and west fourth streets, the back of the building having been where no. 59 grove street is now. about the time that barrow street was opened grove street was cut through. it was called cozine street, then columbia, then burrows, and finally, in 1829, was changed to grove. when the street was widened in 1836, the house in which paine had died, until then left standing, was demolished. [sidenote: admiral warren and his family] the homestead of admiral sir peter warren occupied the ground now taken up in the solidly built block bounded by charles, fourth, bleecker and perry streets. the house was built in 1744, in the midst of green fields, and for more than a century it was the most important dwelling in greenwich. admiral warren of the british navy was, next to the governor, the most important person in the province. his house was the favorite resort of social and influential new york. the admiral's influence and popularity had a marked effect on the village, which, by his coming, was given an impetus that made it a thriving place. of the three daughters of admiral warren, charlotte, the eldest, married willoughby, earl of abingdon; the second, ann, married charles fitzroy, afterwards baron southampton, and susannah, the youngest, married william skinner, a colonel of foot. these marriages had their effect also on greenwich village, serving to continue the prosperity of the place. roads which led through the district, of which the warren family controlled a great part, were named in honor of the different family branches. the only name now surviving is that of abingdon square. in the later years of his life, sir peter warren represented the city of westminster in parliament. he was buried in westminster abbey. [sidenote: state prison] in 1796 the state prison was built on about four acres of ground, surrounded by high walls, and taking in the territory now enclosed by washington, west, christopher and perry streets. the site is now, for the most part, occupied by a brewery, but traces of the prison walls are yet to be seen in those of the brewery. there was a wharf at the foot of christopher street. in 1826 the prison was purchased by the corporation of the state. the construction of a new state prison had begun at sing sing in 1825. in 1828 the male prisoners were transferred to sing sing, and the female prisoners the next year. [sidenote: convict labor] the yard of the early prison extended down to the river, there were fields about and a wide stretch of beach. it was here that the first system of prison manufactures was organized. a convict named noah gardner, who was a shoemaker, induced the prison officials to permit him the use of his tools. in a short time he had trained most of the convicts into a skilled body of shoemakers. the gathering together of a number of convicts in a workroom was at first productive of some disorder, owing to the difficulty of keeping them under proper discipline under the new conditions. in 1799 came the first riot. the keepers fired upon and killed several convicts. there was another revolt in 1803. gardner had been found guilty of forgery, but was reprieved on the gallows through the influence of the society of friends, of which he was a member, and sentenced to life imprisonment. because of his services in organizing the prison work, he was liberated after serving seven years. becoming then a shoe manufacturer, he was successful for several years, when he absconded, taking with him a pretty quakeress, and was never heard of again. [illustration: old houses wiehawken st.] [sidenote: quaint houses in wiehawken street] although the prison has been swept away, an idea of its locality can be had from the low buildings at the west side of nearby wiehawken street. these buildings have stood for more than a hundred years, having been erected before the prison. that part of greenwich village that was transformed from fields into a town in a few days, during the yellow fever scare of 1822, centered at the point where west eleventh street crosses west fourth street. at this juncture was a cornfield on which, in two days, a hotel capable of accommodating three hundred guests was built. at the same time a hundred other houses sprang up, as if by magic, on all sides. [sidenote: bank street] bank street was named in 1799. the year previous a clerk in the bank of new york on wall street was one of the earliest victims of yellow fever, and the officials decided to take precautions in case of the bank being quarantined at a future time. eight lots were purchased on a then nameless lane in greenwich village. the bank was erected there, and gave the lane the name of bank street. [sidenote: washington square] washington square was once a potter's field. a meadow was purchased by the city for this purpose in 1789, and the pauper graveyard was established about where the washington arch is now. [illustration: looking south from minetta lane] manetta creek, coming from the north, flowed to the west of the arch site, crossed to what is now the western portion of the square, ran through the present minetta street and on to the river. in 1795, during a yellow fever epidemic, the field was used as a common graveyard. in 1797 the pauper graveyard which had been in the present madison square, was abandoned in favor of this one. there was a gallows on the ground and criminals were executed and interred on the spot as late as 1822. in 1823 the potter's field was abandoned and removed to the present bryant park at forty-second street and sixth avenue. in 1827, three and one half acres of ground were added to the plot and the present washington square was opened. [sidenote: obelisk lane] past the pauper graveyard ran an inland road to greenwich village. this extended from the post road (now the bowery) at the present astor place near cooper union, continued in a direct line to about the position of the washington arch, and from that point to the present eighth avenue just above fifteenth street. this road, established through the fields in 1768, was called greenwich lane. it was also known as monument lane and obelisk lane. a small section of it still exists in astor place from bowery to broadway. a larger section is greenwich avenue from eighth to fourteenth streets. monument lane took its name from a monument at fifteenth street where the road ended, which had been erected to the memory of general wolfe, the hero of quebec. the monument disappeared in a mysterious way during the british occupation. it is thought to have been destroyed by soldiers. [sidenote: graveyard in a side street] a few feet east of sixth avenue, on the south side of eleventh street, is a brick wall and railing, behind which can be seen several battered tombstones in a triangular plot of ground. this is all that is left of a jewish graveyard established almost a century ago. milligan's lane was the continuation of amos (now west tenth) street, from greenwich avenue to twelfth street where it joined the union road. this lane struck the line of sixth avenue where eleventh street is now. at the southwest corner of this junction the course of the lane can be seen yet in the peculiar angle of the side wall of a building there, and in a similar angle of other houses near by. close by this corner the second graveyard of shearith israel synagogue was established early in this century. it took the place of the beth haim, or place of rest, down town, a remnant of which is to be seen in new bowery off chatham square. [sidenote: milligan's lane] the eleventh street graveyard, established in the midst of green fields, fronted on milligan's lane and extended back 110 feet. when eleventh street was cut through under the conditions of the city plan, in 1830, it passed directly through the graveyard, cutting it away so that only the tiny portion now there was left. at that time a new place of burial was opened in twenty-first street west of sixth avenue. [sidenote: union road] at a point just behind the house numbered 23 eleventh street, midway of the block between fifth and sixth avenues, union road had its starting-point. it was a short road, forming a direct communicating line between skinner and southampton roads. skinner road, running from hudson river along the line of the present christopher street, ended where union road began; and union road met southampton at what is now the corner of fifteenth street and seventh avenue. this point was also the junction of southampton and great kiln roads. evidences of the union road are still to be seen in twelfth street, at the projecting angle of the houses numbered 43 and 45. it was just at this point that milligan's lane ended. on thirteenth street, the course of union road is shown by the slanting wall of a big business building, numbered 36. [sidenote: first presbyterian church] in twelfth street, between sixth and seventh avenues, is the first reformed presbyterian church. the congregation was started as a praying society in 1790 at the house of john agnew at no. 9 peck slip. in 1798 the congregation worshipped in a school house in cedar street. they soon after built their first church at nos. 39 and 41 chambers street, where the american news company building is now. it was a frame building, and was succeeded in 1818 by a brick building on the same site. in 1834 a new church was erected at prince and marion streets. the foundation for the present church was laid in 1848, and the church occupied it in the following year. [sidenote: society library] the new york society library, at 107 university place, near fourteenth street, claims to be the oldest institution of its kind in america. it is certainly the most interesting in historical associations, richness of old literature and art works. it is the direct outcome of the library established in 1700, with quarters in the city hall, in wall street, by richard, earl of bellomont, the governor of new york. in 1754 an association was incorporated for carrying on a library, and their collection, added to the library already in existence, was called the city library. the board of trustees consisted of the most prominent men in the city. in 1772 a charter was granted by george iii, under the name of the new york society library. during the revolutionary war the books became spoil for british soldiers. many were destroyed and many sold. after the war the remains of the library were gathered from various parts of the city and again collected in the city hall. in 1784 the members of the federal congress deliberated in the library rooms. in 1795 the library was moved to nassau street, opposite the middle dutch church; in 1836 to chambers street; in 1841 to broadway and leonard street; in 1853 to the bible house, and in 1856 to the present building. [sidenote: great kiln road] at the point that is now seventh avenue and fifteenth street, then intersected by the union road, the great kiln road ended. its continuation was called southampton road. from that point it continued to nineteenth street, east of sixth avenue, and then parallel with sixth avenue to love lane, the present twenty-first street. the line of this road, where it joined the great kiln road, is still clearly shown in the oblique side wall of the house at the northwest corner of seventh avenue and fifteenth street. here, also, it has a marked effect on the east wall of st. joseph's home for the aged. the first-mentioned house, with the cutting through of the streets, has been left one of those queer triangular buildings, with full front and running to a point in the rear. [sidenote: weavers' row] when the road reached what is now sixteenth street, a third of a block east of seventh avenue, it passed through the block in a sweeping curve to the present corner of seventeenth street and sixth avenue. the evidence of its passage is still to be seen in the tiny wooden houses buried in the centre of the block, which are remnants of a row called paisley place, or weavers' row. this row was built during the yellow-fever agitation of 1822, and was occupied by scotch weavers who operated their hand machines there. the road took its name from sir peter warren's second daughter, who married charles fitzroy, who later became the baron southampton. [sidenote: graveyard behind a store] in twenty-first street, a little west of sixth avenue, is the unused though not uncared-for graveyard of the shearith israel synagogue. the graveyard cannot be seen from the street, but from the rear windows of a nearby dry-goods store a glimpse can be had of the ivy-covered receiving-vault and the time-grayed tombstones. when this "place of rest" was established the locality was all green fields. the graveyard had been forced from further down town by the cutting through of eleventh street in 1830. interments were made in this spot until 1852, when the cemetery was removed to cypress hills, l. i., the common council having in that year prohibited burials within the city limits. but though there were no burials, the congregation have persistently refused to sell this plot, just as they have the earlier plots, the remains of which are off chatham square and in eleventh street, near sixth avenue. [sidenote: love lane] abingdon road in the latter years of its existence was commonly called love lane, and more than a century ago followed close on the line of the present twenty-first street from what is now broadway to eighth avenue. it was the northern limit of a tract of land given by the city to admiral sir peter warren in recognition of his services at the capture of louisburg. from this road, when the warren estate was divided among the daughters of the admiral, two roads, the southampton and the warren, were opened through this upper part of the estate. the name love lane was given to the road in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and was retained until it was swallowed up in twenty-first street. this last was ordered opened in 1827, but was not actually opened until some years later. there is no record to show where the name came from. the generally accepted idea is that being a quiet and little traveled spot, it was looked upon as a lane where happy couples might drive, far from the city, and amid green fields and stately trees confide the story of their loves. it was the longest drive from the town, by way of the post road, bloomingdale road and so across the west to southampton, great kiln roads, through greenwich village and by the river road back to town. the road originally took its name from the oldest daughter of admiral warren, who married the earl of abingdon. there are still traces of love lane in twenty-first street. the two houses numbered 25 and 27 stood on the road. the houses 51, 53 and 55, small and odd appearing, are more closely identified with the lane. when built, these houses were conspicuous and alone, at the junction where southampton road from greenwich village ran into love lane. they are thought to have been a single house serving as a tavern. close by, at the northeast corner of twenty-first street and sixth avenue, the house with the gable roof is one that also stood on the old road, though built at a later date than the three next to it. the road ended for many years about on the line with the present eighth avenue, where it ran into the fitzroy road. some years previous to the laying out of the streets under the city plan in 1811, love lane was continued to hudson river. before it reached the river it was crossed, a little east of seventh avenue, by the warren road, although there is no trace of the crossing now. [sidenote: chelsea village] [illustration: old theological seminary chelsea square] although chelsea village was long ago swallowed up by the city, and its boundaries blotted out by the rectangular lines of the plan under which the streets were mapped out in 1811, there is still a suggestion of it in the green lawns and gray buildings of the general theological seminary of the protestant episcopal church, which occupies the block between twentieth and twenty-first streets, ninth and tenth avenues. chelsea got its name in 1750, when captain thomas clarke, an old soldier, gave the name to his country seat, in remembrance of the english home for invalided soldiers. it was between two and three miles from the city, a stretch of country land along the hudson river with not another house anywhere near it. the house stood, as streets are now, at the south side of twenty-third street, about two hundred feet west of ninth avenue, on a hill that sloped to the river. the captain had hoped to die in his retreat, but his home was burned to the ground during his severe illness, and he died in the home of his nearest neighbor. soon after his death the house was rebuilt by his widow, mrs. mollie clarke. the latter dying in 1802, a portion of the estate with the house went to bishop benjamin moore, who had married mrs. clarke's daughter, charity. it passed from him in 1813 to his son, clement c. moore. the latter reconstructed the house, and it stood until 1850. clement c. moore's estate was included within the present lines of eighth avenue, nineteenth to twenty-fourth streets and hudson river. these are approximately the bounds of chelsea village which grew up around the old chelsea homestead. it came to be a thriving village, conveniently reached by the road to greenwich and then by fitzroy road; or by the bowery road, bloomingdale, and then along love lane. [sidenote: london terrace] in 1831 the streets were cut through and the village thereafter grew up on the projected lines of the city plan. it was for this reason that chelsea, when the city reached it, was merged into it so perfectly that there is not an imperfect street line to tell where the village had been and where the city joined it. there are houses of the old village still standing; notably those still called the chelsea cottages in twenty-fourth street west of ninth avenue, and the row called the london terrace in twenty-third street between ninth and tenth avenues. the block on which the general theological seminary stands was given to the institution by clement c. moore, and was long called chelsea square. the cornerstone of the east building was laid in 1825, and of the west building, which still stands, in 1835. it was this clement c. moore, living quietly in the village that had grown up around him, who wrote the child's poem which will be remembered longer than its writer--"'twas the night before christmas." [illustration] iii iii [sidenote: oliver street baptist church] the oliver street baptist church was built on the northwest corner of oliver and henry streets in 1795. it was rebuilt in 1800, and again in 1819. later it was burned, and finally restored in 1843. the structure is now occupied by the mariners' temple, and the record of its burning is to be seen on a marble tablet on the front wall. oliver street--that is, the two blocks from chatham square to madison street--was called fayette street before the name was changed to oliver in 1825. james street was once st. james street. the change was made prior to 1816. mariners' church, at 46 catherine street, was erected in 1854, on the southeast corner of madison street. prior to that, and as far back as 1819, it had been at 76 roosevelt street. [sidenote: madison street] banker street having become a byword, because of the objectionable character of its inhabitants, the name was changed to madison street in 1826. between jefferson and clinton streets, and south of henry, was a pond, the only bit of water which, in early days, emptied into the east river between what afterward became roosevelt street and houston street. a wet meadow, rather than a distinct stream, extended from this pond to the river as an outlet. this became later the region of shipyards. [illustration: church of sea & land] [sidenote: where nathan hale was hanged] on what is now cherry street, between clinton and jefferson streets, was the house of col. henry rutgers, the revolutionary patriot, and his farm extended from that point in all directions. on a tree of this farm nathan hale, the martyr spy of the revolution, was hanged, september 22, 1776. on this same farm the church of the sea and land, still standing with its three-foot walls, at market and henry streets, was built in 1817. in 1828, at the corner of henry and scammel streets, was erected all saints' church (episcopal). it still stands, now hemmed in by dwelling-houses. it is a low rock structure. a bit of green, a stunted tree and some shrubs still struggle through the bricks at the rear of the church, and can be seen through a tall iron railing from narrow scammel street. in 1825 the church occupied a chapel on grand street at the corner of columbia. [sidenote: first tenement house] the first house designed especially for many tenants was built in 1833, in water street just east of jackson, on which site is now included corlears hook park. it was four stories in height, and arranged for one family on each floor. it was built by thomas price, and owned by james p. allaire, whose noted engine works were close by in cherry street, between walnut (now jackson) and corlears street. where grand and pitt streets cross is the top of a hill formerly known as mount pitt. on this hill the building occupied by the mount pitt circus was built in 1826. it was burned in 1828. at grand, corner of ridge street, is the st. mary's church (catholic), which was built in 1833, a rough stone structure with brick front and back. in 1826 it was in sheriff, between broome and delancey streets. it had the first roman catholic bell in the city. in 1831 the church was burned by a burglar, and the new structure was built in grand street. actual work on the pier for the new east river bridge, at the foot of delancey street, was begun in the spring of 1897. [sidenote: manhattan island] much confusion has arisen, and still exists, in the designation of the territory under the names of manhattan island and island of manhattan. the two islands a hundred years ago were widely different bodies. they are joined now. manhattan island was the name given to a little knoll of land which lay within the limits of what is now third, houston and lewis streets and the east river. at high tide the place was a veritable island. there seems to be still a suggestion of it in the low buildings which occupy the ground of the former island. about the ancient boundary, as though closing it in, are tall tenements and factory buildings. on the grounds of this old island the first recreation pier was built, in 1897, at the foot of third street. the island of manhattan has always been the name applied to the land occupied by the old city of new york, now the borough of manhattan. in the heart of the block surrounded by rivington, stanton, goerck and mangin streets, there is still to be seen the remains of a slanting-roofed market, closed in by the houses which have been built about it. it was set up in 1827, and named manhattan market after the nearby island. [illustration: bone alley] [sidenote: bone alley] work on the hamilton fish park was begun in 1896, in the space bounded by stanton, houston, pitt and sheriff streets, then divided into two blocks by willett street. this was a congested, tenement-house vicinity, where misery and poverty pervaded most of the dingy dwellings. in wiping out the two solidly built-up blocks, bone alley, well known in police history for a generation, was effaced. on the west side of willett street, midway of the block, bone alley had its start and extended sixty feet into the block--a twenty-five-foot space between tall tenements, running plump into a row of houses extending horizontal with it. when these houses were erected they each had long gardens, which were built upon when the land became too valuable to be spared for flower-beds or breathing-spots. in time they became the homes of rag-and bone-pickers, and thus the alley which led to them got its name, which it kept even after the rag-pickers and the law-breakers who succeeded them had been driven away by the police. there was, forty years ago, a well of good, drinkable water at the point where rivington and columbia streets now cross. [sidenote: "mother mandelbaum"] the little frame house at the northwest corner or rivington and clinton streets was the home of "mother" frederica mandelbaum for many years, until she was driven from the city in 1884. this "queen of the crooks," receiver of stolen goods and friend of all the criminal class, compelled, in a sense, the admiration of the police, who for years battled in vain to outwit her cleverness. when the play, "the two orphans," was first produced, mrs. wilkins, as the "frochard," copied the character of "mother" mandelbaum and gave a representation of the woman that all who knew the original recognized. other plays were written, and also many stories, having her as a central figure. she died at hamilton, ontario, in 1894. at the crossing of rivington and suffolk streets was the source of stuyvesant's creek. from there, as the streets exist now, it crossed stanton street, near clinton; houston, at sheriff; second, near houston; then wound around to the north of manhattan island, and emptied into the east river at third street. [sidenote: allen street memorial church] in rivington street, between ludlow and orchard, is the allen street memorial church (m. e.), built in 1888. the original church, which was built in 1810, is two blocks away, in allen street, between delancey and rivington streets. it was rebuilt in 1836, and when the new rivington street structure was erected the old house was sold to a jewish congregation, who still occupy it as a synagogue. in grand street, between essex and ludlow streets, the essex market was built in 1818. the court next to it, in essex street, was built in 1856. [illustration] [sidenote: mile stone on the bowery] on the bowery, opposite rivington street, is a milestone (one of three that yet remain) which formerly marked the distance from the city hall, in wall street, on the post road. the land to the east of the bowery belonged to james de lancey, who was chief justice of the colony in 1733, and in 1753 became lieutenant-governor. a lane led from the bowery, close by the milestone, to his country house, which was at the present northwest corner of delancey and chrystie streets. it was in this house that he died suddenly in 1760. james de lancey was the eldest son of etienne (stephen) de lancey, who built the house which afterwards was known as fraunces' tavern, and which still stands at broad and pearl streets. he later built the homestead at broadway and cedar street. originally the name was "de lanci." it became "de lancy" in the seventeenth century, and was anglicized in the eighteenth century to "de lancey." where grand street crosses mulberry was, until 1802, the family burial-vault of the bayard family, it having been the custom of early settlers to bury their dead near their homesteads. the locality was called bunker hill. [sidenote: st. patrick's church] st. patrick's church, enclosed now by the high wall at mott and prince streets, was completed in 1815, the cornerstone having been laid in 1809. it was surrounded by meadows and great primitive trees. this region was so wild that in 1820 a fox was killed in the churchyard. in 1866 the interior of the church was destroyed by fire. it was at once reconstructed in its present form. amongst others buried in the vaults are "boss" john kelly, vicar-general starr and bishop connelly, first resident bishop of new york. at prince and marion streets, northwest corner, the house in which president james monroe lived while in the city still stands. [sidenote: an unsolved crime] the st. nicholas hotel was at broadway and spring street, and on the ground floor john anderson kept a tobacco store, to which the attention of the entire country was directed in july, 1842, because of the murder of mary rogers. this tragedy gave edgar allan poe material for his story "the mystery of marie roget," into which he introduced every detail of the actual happening. mary rogers was a saleswoman in the tobacco store, and being young and pretty she attracted considerable attention. she disappeared one july day, and, soon after, her body was found drowned near the sibyl's cave at hoboken. the deepest mystery surrounded her evident murder, and much interest was taken in attempts at a solution, but it remained an unsolved crime. on the east side of broadway, between prince and houston streets, on july 4, 1828, william niblo opened his garden, hotel and theatre, to be known for many years thereafter as niblo's garden. prior to that, he had kept the bank coffee house, at william and pine streets. [sidenote: niblo's garden] the metropolitan hotel was built in niblo's garden, on the corner that is now broadway and prince street, in 1852, at a cost of a million dollars. the theatre in the hotel building was called niblo's garden. the building was demolished in 1894, and a business block was put up on the site. across the street from niblo's, on broadway, in a modest brick house, lived, at one time, james fenimore cooper, the novelist. at no. 624 broadway, between houston and bleecker streets, was laura keene's theatre. on march 1, 1858, polly marshall made her first appearance on any stage at that theatre. later it became the olympic theatre. at broadway and bleecker streets, a well was drilled, in 1832, which was four hundred and forty-eight feet deep, and which yielded forty-four thousand gallons of water a day. [sidenote: tripler hall] tripler hall was at no. 677 broadway, near bond street. adelina patti appeared there on september 22, 1852, when ten years old, giving evidence of her future greatness. she sang there for some time, usually accompanied by the boy violinist, paul julien. tripler hall had been renamed the metropolitan hall, when it was destroyed by fire in 1854. lafarge house, which stood next it, was also burned. the house was rebuilt on the site, and opened in september, 1854, under the name of the new york theatre and metropolitan opera house. rachel the great was first seen in america at this house, september 3, 1855. later the house became the winter garden. [sidenote: first marble-fronted houses] the first marble-fronted houses in the city were built on broadway, opposite bond street, in 1825. they were called the marble houses, and attracted much attention. being far out of the city, excursions were made to view them. afterwards they became the tremont house, and are still in use as a hotel. a pipe for a well was sunk in broadway, opposite bond street, in april, 1827, it being thought that enough water for the supply of the immediate neighborhood could be obtained therefrom. the water was not found, however. [sidenote: burdell murder] no. 31 bond street was the scene of a celebrated murder. the house is torn down now, but it was identical with the one which now stands at no. 29. on january 3, 1857, dr. harvey burdell, a dentist, was literally butchered there, being stabbed fifteen times. a portion of the house had been occupied by a widow named cunningham, and her two daughters. after the murder, mrs. cunningham claimed a widow's share of the doctor's estate, on the ground that she had been married to him some months before. this claim started an investigation, which resulted in mrs. cunningham's being suspected of the crime, arrested, tried and acquitted. soon after her acquittal, she attempted to secure control of the entire burdell estate, by claiming that she had given birth to an heir to the property. the scheme failed, for the physician through whom she obtained a new-born child from bellevue hospital, disclosed the plot to district attorney a. oakey hall. the woman and her daughters left the city suddenly, and were not heard of again. the mystery of the murder was never solved. the part of houston street east of the bowery was, prior to november, 1833, called north street. at the time the change in names was made the street was raised. between broadway and the bowery had been a wet tract of land many feet below the grade. in 1844 the street was extended from lewis street to the east river. the bleecker street bank, which was just east of broadway, on the north side of bleecker street, was moved in october, 1897, to twenty-first street and fourth avenue, and called the bank for savings. it had originally been in the new york institute building in city hall park. [illustration: entrance to marble cemetery] [sidenote: marble cemetery] in the heart of the block inclosed by the bowery, second avenue, second and third streets, is a hidden graveyard. it is the new york marble cemetery, and so completely has it been forgotten that its name no longer appears in the city directory. on four sides it is hemmed about by tenements and business buildings, so that one could walk past it for a lifetime without knowing that it was there. on the second avenue side, the entrance is formed by a narrow passage between houses, which is closed by an iron gateway. but the gate is always locked, and at the opposite end of the passage is another gate of wood set in a brick wall, so high that nothing but the tops of trees can be seen beyond it. from the upper rear windows of the neighboring tenements a view of the place can be had. it is a wild spot, four hundred feet by one hundred, covered by a tangled growth of bushes and weeds, crossed by neglected paths, and enclosed by a wall seventeen feet high. there is no sign of a tombstone. in the southwest corner is a deadhouse of rough hewn stone. on the south wall the names of vault owners are chiseled. among these were some of the best known new yorkers fifty years ago. the records of the city show that this land was owned by henry eckford and marion, his wife. they deeded it to anthony dey and george w. strong when the cemetery corporation was organized, july 30, 1830. there were one hundred and fifty-six vaults, and fifteen hundred persons were buried there. this cemetery is forgotten almost as completely as its own dead, and its memories do not molest the dwellers in the surrounding tenements who overlook it from their rear windows, and use it as a sort of dumping-ground for all useless things that can readily be thrown into it. [sidenote: the second marble cemetery] there is another marble cemetery which historians sometimes confuse with this hidden graveyard, namely, one on second street, between first and second avenues. some of the larger merchants of the city bought the ground in 1832, and created the new york city marble cemetery. among the original owners was robert lenox. when he died, in 1839, his body was placed in a vault of the first presbyterian church at 16 wall street. when that church was removed to fifth avenue and twelfth street the remains of lenox with others were removed to this marble cemetery. the body of president james monroe was first interred here, but was removed in 1859 to virginia. thomas addis emmet, the famous jurist, is also buried here. one of the most conspicuous monuments in st. paul's churchyard, the shaft at the right of the church, was erected to the memory of emmet. a large column on the other side of the church preserves the memory of another man whose body does not lie in the churchyard, for william james macneven was interred in the burying-ground of the riker family at bowery bay, l. i. in second street, between avenue a and first avenue, stood a methodist church, and beside it a graveyard, until 1840; when the building was turned into a public school. there were fifteen hundred bodies in the yard, but they were not removed to evergreen cemetery until 1860. only fifteen bodies were claimed by relatives. one man who applied for his father's body refused that offered him, claiming that the skull was too small, and that some mistake had been made in disinterment. second street methodist episcopal church, between avenues c and d, was built in 1832, the congregation having previously worshipped in private houses in the vicinity. at one time this was the most prominent and wealthiest church on the eastern side of the city. [sidenote: bouwerie village] the bouwerie village was another of the little settlements--once a busy spot, but now so effaced that every outline of its existence is blotted out. it centred about the site of the present st. mark's church, second avenue and tenth street. in 1651, when peter stuyvesant, the last of the dutch governors, had ruled four years, he purchased the great bouwerie, a tract of land extending two miles along the river north of what is now grand street, taking in a section of the present bowery and third avenue. as there was, from time to time, trouble with the indians, the governor ordered the dwellers on his bouwerie, as well as those on adjoining bouweries, to form a village and gather there for mutual protection at the first sign of an outbreak. very soon the settlement included a blacksmith's shop, a tavern and a dozen houses. in this way the bouwerie village was started. peter stuyvesant in time built a chapel, and in it hermanus van hoboken, the schoolmaster, after whom the city of hoboken is named, preached. years after the founding of the village, when new amsterdam had become new york, and when the old governor had returned from holland, where he had, before the states-general, fought for vindication in so readily giving up the province to the english, stuyvesant returned to end his days in the bouwerie village. he died there at the age of eighty, and was buried in the graveyard of the bouwerie church. st. mark's church, at tenth street and second avenue, stands on the site of the old church, and a memorial stone to peter stuyvesant is still to be seen under the porch. it reads: [sidenote: grave of peter stuyvesant] in this vault lies buried petrus stuyvesant, late captain-general and governor in chief of amsterdam in new netherland now called new york and the dutch west indies, died in a. d. 1671/2 aged 80 years. when judith, the widow of peter stuyvesant, died, in 1692, she left the church in which the old governor had worshipped to the dutch reformed church. a condition was that the stuyvesant vault should be forever protected. by 1793 the church had fallen into decay. then another peter stuyvesant, great-grandson of the dutch governor, who was a vestryman of trinity church, gave the site and surrounding lots, together with $2,000, and the trinity corporation added $12,500, and erected the present st. mark's church. the cornerstone was laid in 1795 and the building completed in 1799. it had no steeple until 1829, when that portion was added. in 1858 the porch was added. in the churchyard were buried the remains of mayor philip hone and of governor daniel d. tompkins. it was here that the body of alexander t. stewart rested until stolen. close by the church was the mansion of governor stuyvesant. it was an imposing structure for those days, built of tiny bricks brought from holland. a fire destroyed the house at the time of the revolution. when peter stuyvesant returned from holland he brought with him a pear tree, which he planted in a garden near his bouwerie village house. this tree flourished for more than two hundred years. at thirteenth street and third avenue, on the house at the northeast corner, is a tablet inscribed: on this corner grew petrus stuyvesant's pear tree * * * * * recalled to holland in 1664, on his return he brought the pear tree and planted it as his memorial, "by which," said he, "my name may be remembered." the pear tree flourished and bore fruit for over two hundred years. this tablet is placed here by the holland society of new york september, 1890. [sidenote: first sunday school] in 1785 half a dozen persons in the first bouwerie village, then scattering to the school east from the site of cooper union, met at the "two mile stone"--so called from being two miles from federal hall--in the upper room of john coutant's house, on the site where cooper institute stands now. the room was used as a shoe store during the week. here, on sundays, ministers from the john street church instructed converts. peter cooper, who was a member of the church, a few years later conceived the idea of connecting the school with the church. the organization was perfected, and he was chosen superintendent of this, the first sunday school of new york. [sidenote: bowery village church] the quarters becoming cramped, in 1795 the congregation moved to a two-story building a block away, on nicholas william street. this street, long since blotted out, extended from what is now fourth avenue and seventh street, across the cooper institute site and part of the adjoining block, to eighth (now st. mark's place), midway of the block between third and second avenues. the street was named after nicholas william stuyvesant. when the old john street church was taken down, in 1817, the timber from it was used to erect a church next to the sunday school (called the academy). this church was called the bowery village church. in 1830, the bowery village church having been wiped out by the advancing streets of the city plan, nicholas william street went with it, and a church was then established a short distance to the east, on the line of what is now seventh street, north side, and this became the seventh street church. in 1837 persons living near by who objected to the church revivals presented the trustees with two lots, nearer third avenue. there a new church was built, which still stands. [sidenote: second vauxhall garden] vauxhall garden occupied (according to the present designation of the streets) the space south of astor place, between fourth avenue and broadway, to the line of fifth street. fourth avenue was then bowery road, and the main entrance to the garden was on that side, opposite the present sixth street. at broadway the garden narrowed down to a v shape. on this ground, for many years, john sperry, a swiss, cultivated fruits and flowers, and when he had grown old he sold his estate, in 1799, to john jacob astor. the latter leased it to a frenchman named delacroix, who had previously conducted the vauxhall garden on the bayard estate, close by the present warren and greenwich streets. during the next eight years delacroix transformed his newly-acquired possession into a pleasure garden, by erecting a small theatre and summer-house, and by setting out tables and seats under the trees on the grounds, and booths with benches around the inside close up to the high board fence that enclosed the garden. he called the place vauxhall, thereby causing some confusion to historians, who often confound this garden with the earlier one of the same name. this last vauxhall was situated a mile out of town on the bowery road. it was an attractive retreat, and the tableaux were so fine, the ballets so ingenius and the singing of such excellence, that the resort became immensely popular, and remained so continuously until the garden was swept out of existence in 1855. admission to the grounds was free, and to the theatre two shillings. in its last years it was a favorite place for the holding of large public meetings. [sidenote: cooper union] cooper union, at the upper end of the bowery, was built in 1854. peter cooper, merchant and philanthropist, made the object of his life the establishment of an institution designed especially to give the working classes opportunity for self-education better than the existing institutions afforded. his store was on the site of the present building, which he founded. by a deed executed in 1859 the institution, with its incomes, he devoted to the instruction and improvement of the people of the united states forever. the institution has been taxed to its full capacity since its inception. from time to time it has been enriched by gifts from mr. cooper's heirs and friends. the statue of peter cooper, in the little park in front of the building, was unveiled may 28th, 1897. it is the work of augustus st. gaudens, once a pupil in the institute. on a part of the site of cooper union, at the east side of what was then the bowery, and what is now fourth avenue, stood a house which was said to have been haunted. it was demolished to make way for cooper union. no permanent tenant, it is said, had occupied it for sixty years. it was a peaked-roofed brick structure, two stories high. the house of peter cooper was on the site of the present bible house, at eighth street and third avenue. he removed in 1820 to twenty-eighth street and fourth avenue, and his dwelling may still be seen there. [sidenote: astor place] astor place is part of old greenwich lane, which led from the bowery lane past the pauper cemetery, where washington square is now, over the sand hills where university place now is, and took the line of the present greenwich avenue. this was also called monument lane, because of a monument to the memory of general wolfe erected on the spot where the road ended, at the junction of eighth avenue and fifteenth street. astor place, as far as fifth avenue, was called art street when it was changed from a road to a street. the continuation of astor place to the east, now stuyvesant street, was originally stuyvesant road, and extended to the river at about fifteenth street. it was also called art when it became a street. on the south side of this thoroughfare, just west of fourth avenue, charlotte temple lived in a small stone house. at the head of lafayette place, fronting on astor place, is a building used at this time as a german theatre. it was built for dr. schroeder, once the favorite preacher of the city, of whom it was said that if anyone desired to know where schroeder preached, he had only to follow the crowds on sunday. but he became dissatisfied and left trinity for a church of his own. he very soon gave up this church, and for a time the building was occupied by st. ann's roman catholic congregation. afterward it became a theatre and failed to succeed. the ground at the junction of astor place and eighth street was made a public square in 1836. in the midst of it may now be seen a statue of samuel s. cox. [sidenote: scene of forrest-macready riots] astor place opera house, at the junction of eighth street and astor place, where clinton hall stands now, was built in 1847. it was a handsome theatre for those days, and contained eighteen hundred seats. it was opened on november 22nd with "ernani." on may 7th, 1849, at this house occurred the first of the macready riots. the bitter jealousy existing between william charles macready, the english actor, and edwin forrest, which had assumed the proportions of an international quarrel, so far as the two actors and their friends were concerned, was the cause. the admirers of forrest sought, on this night, to prevent the performance of "macbeth," and a riot ensued in which no particular damage was done. on may 10th, in response to a petition signed by many prominent citizens, macready again sought to play "macbeth." an effort was made to keep all forrest sympathizers from the house. many, however, gained admission, and the performance was again frustrated. the ringleaders were arrested. a great crowd blocked astor place, and an assault upon the theatre was attempted. macready escaped by a rear door. the seventh regiment and a troop of cavalry cleared eighth street and reached astor place. the mob resisted. the riot act was read. that producing no effect, and the assault upon the building and the soldiers defending it becoming more violent each moment, the mob was fired upon. three volleys were fired. thirty-four persons were killed and some hundred injured. over one hundred soldiers and many policemen were also hurt. on august 30th, 1852, the name of the house was changed to the new york theatre, under the direction of charles r. thorne. in a month's time he gave up the venture and frank chanfrau took it up. he also abandoned it after a few weeks. [sidenote: clinton hall] in 1854 the opera house was reconstructed and occupied by the mercantile library. it was given the name of clinton hall, which had been the name of the library's first home in beekman street. this building in time gave way to the present clinton hall on the same site. [sidenote: lafayette place] lafayette place was opened through the vauxhall garden in 1826. the astor library, in lafayette place, was completed in 1853, and was opened in 1854. the site cost $25,000. the middle dutch reformed church was built in lafayette place in 1839, at the northwest corner of fourth street after its removal from nassau and cedar streets. a new church was built at seventh street and second avenue in 1844. in the lafayette place building was a bell which had been cast in holland in 1731, and which had first been used when the church was in nassau street. it was the gift of abraham de peyster, and now hangs in the reformed church at fifth avenue and forty-eighth street. next to this church, for many years, lived madam canda, who kept the most fashionable school for ladies of a generation ago. her beautiful daughter was dashed from a carriage, and killed on her eighteenth birthday--the age at which she was to make her dã©but into society. the entire city mourned her loss. [sidenote: la grange terrace] soon after lafayette place was opened, la grange terrace was built. it was named after general lafayette's home in france. the row is still prominent on the west side of the thoroughfare, and is known as colonnade row. a riot occurred at the time it was built, the masons of the city being aroused because the stone used in the structure was cut by the prisoners in sing sing prison. john jacob astor lived on this street. he died march 29th, 1848, and was buried from the home of his son, william b. astor, just south of the library building. [sidenote: sailors' snug harbor] a line drawn through astor place and continued to the washington arch in washington square, through fifth avenue to the neighborhood of tenth street, with fourth avenue as an eastern boundary, would roughly enclose what used to be the eliot estate in the latter part of the eighteenth century. it was a farm of about twenty-one acres in 1790, when it was purchased for five thousand pounds from "baron" poelnitz, by captain robert richard randall, who had been a ship-master and a merchant. randall dying in 1801, bequeathed the farm for the founding of an asylum for superannuated sailors, together with the mansion house in which he had lived. the house stood, approximately, at the present northwest corner of ninth street and broadway. it was the intention of captain randall that the sailors' snug harbor should be built on the property, and the farming land used to raise all vegetables, fruit and grain necessary for the inmates. there were long years of litigation, however, for relatives contested the will. when the case was settled in 1831, the trustees had decided to lease the land, and to purchase the staten island property where the asylum is now located. the estate, at the time of captain randall's death, yielded an annual income of $4,000. at present the income is about $400,000 a year. it is conceded that the property would have increased more rapidly in value had it been sold outright, instead of becoming leasehold property in perpetuity. many efforts have been made to cut through eleventh street from fourth avenue to broadway. the first was in 1830, when the street was open on the lines of the city plan. hendrick brevoort, whose farm adjoined the sailors' snug harbor property, had a homestead directly in the line of the proposed street, between fourth avenue and broadway. he resisted the attempted encroachment on his home so successfully that the street was not opened through that block. he was again similarly successful in 1849, when an ordinance was passed for the removal of his house and the opening of the street. [sidenote: grace church] grace church, at tenth street and broadway, was completed in 1846. previous to that date it had been on the southwest corner of broadway and rector street, opposite trinity church. there is a reason for the sudden bend in broadway at tenth street, close by grace church. the bowery lane, which is now fourth avenue, curved in passing through what is now union square until, at the line of the present seventeenth street it turned and took a direct course north and was from thereon called the bloomingdale road. this road to bloomingdale was opened long before broadway, and it was in order to let the latter connect as directly as possible with the straight road north that the direction of broadway was changed about 1806 by the tenth street bend and a junction effected with the other road at the seventeenth street line. at thirteenth street and fourth avenue there was constructed in 1834 a tank which was intended to furnish water for extinguishing fires. it had a capacity of 230,000 gallons, and was one hundred feet above tide water. water was forced into it by a 12-horse power engine from a well and conducting galleries at the present tenth street and sixth avenue, on the site of the jefferson market prison. [sidenote: wallack's theatre] in 1861 james w. wallack moved from wallack's lyceum at broome street, and occupied the new wallack's, now the star theatre, at thirteenth street and broadway. his last appearance was when he made a little speech at the close of the season of 1862. he died in 1864. [sidenote: union square] union square was provided for in the city plan, under the name of union place. the commissioners decided that the place was necessary, as an opening for fresh air would be needed when the city should be built up. furthermore, the union of so many roads intersecting at that point required space for convenience; and if the roads were continued without interruption the land would be divided into such small portions as to be valueless for building purposes. the fountain in the square was operated for the first time in 1842, on the occasion of the great croton water celebration. the bronze equestrian statue of washington was erected in the square close by where the citizens had received the commander of the army when he entered the city on evacuation day, november 25, 1783. the statue is the work of henry k. brown. the dedication occurred on july 4, 1856, and was an imposing ceremony. rev. george w. bethune delivered an oration, and there was a military parade. [sidenote: academy of music] the academy of music, at fourteenth street and irving place, was built in 1854 by a number of citizens who desired a permanent home for opera. on october 2nd of that year, hackett took his company, headed by grisi and matio, there, the weather being too cold to continue the season at castle garden. the building was burned in 1866 and rebuilt in 1868. in third avenue, between sixteenth and seventeenth streets, is an old milestone which marked the third mile from federal hall on the post road. the friends' meeting house, at east sixteenth street and rutherford place, has existed since 1860. in 1775 it was in pearl street, near franklin square. in 1824 it was taken down and rebuilt in 1826 in rose street, near pearl. [sidenote: st. george's church] st. george's (episcopal) church, at rutherford place and sixteenth street, was built in 1845. the church was organized in 1752, and before occupying the present site was in beekman street. early in the century a stream of water ran from stuyvesant's pond, close by what is now fourteenth street and second avenue, to first avenue and nineteenth street, having an outlet into the east river at about sixteenth street. in winter this furnished an excellent skating-ground. [sidenote: gramercy park] gramercy park, at twentieth and twenty-first streets and lexington avenue, was originally part of the gramercy farm. in 1831 it was given by samuel b. ruggles to be used exclusively by the owners of lots fronting on it. it was laid out and improved in 1840. in the pavement, in front of the park gate on the west side, is a stone bearing this inscription: gramercy park founded by samuel b. ruggles 1831 commemorated by this tablet imbedded in the gramercy farm by john ruggles strong. 1875. [sidenote: madison square] there was no evidence during the last part of the eighteenth century that the town would ever creep up to and beyond the point where twenty-third street crosses broadway. this point was the junction of the post road to boston and the bloomingdale road. the latter was the fashionable out-of-town driveway, and it followed the course that broadway and the boulevard take now. the post road extended to the northeast. at this point, in 1794, a potter's field was established. there were many complaints at its being located there, where pauper funerals clashed with the vehicles of the well-to-do, and there was much rejoicing three years later, when the burying-ground was removed to the spot that is now washington square. [sidenote: arsenal in madison square] in 1797 was built, where the burying-ground had been, an arsenal which extended from twenty-fourth street and over the site of the worth monument. in the city plan, completed in 1811, provision was made for a parade-ground to extend from twenty-third to thirty-fourth streets, and seventh to third avenue. the commissioners decided that such a space was needed for military exercises, and where, in case of necessity, there could be assembled a force to defend the city. in 1814, the limits of the parade-ground were reduced to the space between twenty-third and thirty-first streets, sixth and fourth avenues, and given the name of madison square. [sidenote: house of refuge] the arsenal in madison square was turned into a house of refuge in 1824, and opened january 1, 1825. this was the result of the work of an association of citizens who formed a society to improve the condition of juvenile delinquents. the house of refuge was burned in 1839, and another institution built at the foot of twenty-third street the same year. a portion of the old outer wall of this last structure is still to be seen on the north side of twenty-third street, between first avenue and avenue a. in 1845, at the suggestion of mayor james harper, madison square was reduced to its present limits and laid out as a public park. up to this time a stream of water had crossed the square, fed by springs in the district about sixth avenue, between twenty-first and twenty-seventh streets. it spread out into a pond in madison square, and emptied into the east river at seventeenth street. it was suggested that a street be created over its bed from madison avenue to the river. this was not carried out, and the stream was simply buried. [sidenote: post road] the road which branched out of the bloomingdale road at twenty-third street, sometimes called the boston post road, sometimes the post road, sometimes the boston turnpike, ran across the present madison square, striking fourth avenue at twenty-ninth street; went through kipsborough which hugged the river between thirty-third and thirty-seventh streets, swept past turtle bay at forty-seventh street and the east river, crossed second avenue at fifty-second street, recrossed at sixty-third street, reached the third avenue line at sixty-fifth street, and at seventy-seventh street crossed a small stream over the kissing bridge. then proceeded irregularly on this line to one hundred and thirtieth street, where it struck the bridge over the harlem river at third avenue. the road was closed in 1839. the monument to major-general william j. worth, standing to the west of madison square, was dedicated november 25, 1857. general worth was the main support of general scott in the campaign of mexico. his body was first interred in greenwood cemetery. on november 23rd the remains were taken to city hall, where they lay in state for two days, then were taken, under military escort, and deposited beside the monument. [sidenote: fifth avenue hotel] for twenty years, or more, prior to 1853, the site of the present fifth avenue hotel, at twenty-third street and broadway, was occupied by a frame cottage with a peaked roof, and covered veranda reached by a flight of wooden stairs. this was the inn of corporal thompson, and a favorite stopping-place on the bloomingdale road. an enclosed lot, extending as far as the present twenty-fourth street, was used at certain times of the year for cattle exhibitions. in 1853 the cottage made way for franconi's hippodrome, a brick structure, two stories high, enclosing an open space two hundred and twenty-five feet in diameter. the performances given here were considered of great merit and received with much favor. in 1856 the hippodrome was removed, and in 1858 the present fifth avenue hotel was opened. the madison square presbyterian church, at madison avenue and twenty-fourth street, was commenced in 1853, the earlier church of the congregation having been in broome street. it was opened december, 1854, with rev. dr. william adams as pastor. [illustration: college of the city of new york] [sidenote: college of city of new york] at the southeast corner of twenty-third street and lexington avenue, the college of the city of new york has stood since 1848, the opening exercises having taken place in 1849. in 1847 the legislature passed an act authorizing the establishment of a free academy for the benefit of pupils who had been educated in the public schools of this city. the name free academy was given to the institution, and under that name it was incorporated. it had the power to confer degrees and diplomas. in 1866 the name was changed to its present title, and all the privileges and powers of a college were conferred upon it. in 1882 the college was thrown open to all young men, whether educated in the public schools of this city or not. in 1898 ground was set aside in the northern part of the city, overlooking the hudson river, for the erection of modern buildings suitable to meet the growth of the college. [illustration: gate of old house of refuge] [sidenote: old house of refuge wall] the house of refuge in madison square was, after the fire in 1839, rebuilt on the block bounded by twenty-third and twenty-fourth streets, first avenue and the east river. it was surrounded by a high wall, a section of which is still standing on the north side of twenty-third street, between first avenue and avenue a. the river at that time extended west to beyond the avenue a line. the old gateway is there yet, and is used now as the entrance to a coal-yard. some of the barred windows of the wall can still be seen. in 1854 the inmates were removed to randall's island, and were placed in charge of the state. [sidenote: bellevue hospital] bellevue hospital has occupied its present site; at the foot of east twenty-sixth street, since about 1810. the hospital really had its beginning in 1736, in the buildings of the public work-house and house of correction in city hall park. there were six beds there, in charge of the medical officer, dr. john van beuren. about the beginning of the nineteenth century, yellow fever patients were sent to a building known as belle vue, on the belle vue farm, close by the present hospital buildings. in about 1810 it was decided to establish a new almshouse, penitentiary and hospital on the belle vue farm. work on this was completed in 1816. the almshouse building was three stories high, surmounted by a cupola, and having a north and south wing each one hundred feet long. this original structure stands to-day, and is part of the present hospital building, other branches having been added to it from time to time. the water line, at that time, was within half a block of where first avenue is now. in 1848 the almshouse section of the institution was transferred to blackwell's island. the ambulance service was started in 1869, and was the first service of its kind in the world. [sidenote: bull's head village] bull's head village was located in the district now included within twenty-third and twenty-seventh streets, fourth and second avenues. it became a centre of importance in 1826, when the old bull's head tavern was moved from its early home on the bowery, near bayard street, to the point which is now marked by twenty-sixth street and third avenue. it continued to be the headquarters of drovers and stockmen. as at that time there was no bank north of the city hall park, the bull's head tavern served as inn, bank and general business emporium for the locality. for more than twenty years this district was the great cattle market of the city. as business increased, stores and business houses were erected, until, toward the year 1850, the cattle mart, which was the source of all business, was crowded out. it was moved up-town to the neighborhood of forty-second street; later to ninety-fourth street, and in the early 80's to the jersey shore. the most celebrated person connected with the management of the bull's head tavern was daniel drew. he afterwards operated in wall street, became a director of the new york and erie railroad upon its completion in 1851, and accumulated a fortune by speculation. [sidenote: peter cooper's house] at twenty-eighth street and fourth avenue, on the southeast corner, the house numbered 399-401, stands the old "cooper mansion," in which peter cooper lived. it was formerly on the site where the bible house is now, at the corner of eighth street and fourth avenue. peter cooper himself superintended the removal of the house in 1820, and directed its establishment on the new site so that it should be reconstructed in a manner that should absolutely preserve its original form. now it presents an insignificant appearance crowded about by modern structures, and it is occupied by a restaurant. this corner of twenty-eighth street and fourth avenue was directly on the line of the boston post road. just at that point the middle road ran from it, and extended in a direct line to fifth avenue and forty-second street. [illustration: the little church around the corner] [sidenote: little church around the corner] the little church around the corner, a low, rambling structure, seemingly all angles and corners, is on the north side of twenty-ninth street, midway of the block between fifth and madison avenues. it is the episcopal church of the transfiguration. its picturesque title was bestowed upon it in 1871, when joseph holland, an english actor, the father of e. m. and joseph holland, the players known to the present generation, died. joseph jefferson, when arranging for the funeral, went to a church which stood then at madison avenue and twenty-eighth street, to arrange for the services. the minister said that his congregation would object to an actor being buried from their church, adding: "but there is a little church around the corner where they have such funerals." mr. jefferson, astonished that such petty and unjust distinctions should be persisted in even in the face of death, exclaimed: "all honor to that little church around the corner!" from that time until the present day, "the little church around the corner" has been the religious refuge of theatrical folk. for twenty-six years of that time, and until his death, the rev. dr. george h. houghton, who conducted the services over the remains of actor holland, was the firm friend of the people of the stage in times of trouble, of sickness and of death. [sidenote: lich gate] the lich gate at the entrance of the church is unique in this country, and is considered the most elaborate now in existence anywhere. it was erected in 1895, at a cost of $4,000. the congregation worshipped first in a house at no. 48 east twenty-fourth street, in 1850. the present building was opened in 1856. lester wallack was buried from this church, as were dion boucicault, edwin booth, and a host of others. in the church is a memorial window to the memory of edwin booth, which was unveiled in 1898. it represents a mediã¦val histrionic student, his gaze fixed on a mask in his hand. below the figure is the favorite quotation of booth, from "henry ii": "as one, in suffering all, that suffers nothing; a man that fortune's buffets and rewards has taken with equal thanks." and the further inscription: "to the glory of god and in loving memory of edwin booth this window has been placed here by 'the players.'" at lexington avenue and thirtieth street is the first moravian church, which has occupied the building since 1869. this congregation was established in 1749. in 1751 their first church was built at no. 108 fair (now fulton) street. in 1829 a second house was erected on the same site. in 1849 a new building was erected at the southwest corner of houston and mott streets. this property was sold in 1865, and the congregation then worshipped in the medical college hall, at the northwest corner of twenty-third street and fourth avenue, until the purchase of the present building from the episcopalians. it was erected by the baptists in 1825. [sidenote: brick presbyterian church] at fifth avenue and thirty-seventh street is the brick presbyterian church, which stood at the junction of park row and nassau street until 1858, when the present structure was erected. the locality was a very different one then, and the square quaintness of the church looks out of place amid its present modern surroundings. there is an air of solitude about it, as though it mourned faithfully for the green fields that shed peace and quietness about its walls when it was first built there. it is related of william c. h. waddell, who, in 1845, built a residence on the same site, that when he went to look at the plot, with a view to purchase, his wife waited for him near by, under the shade of an apple tree. the ground there was high above the city grade. [sidenote: bryant park] the ground between fifth and sixth avenues, fortieth and forty-second streets, now occupied by bryant park and the old reservoir, was purchased by the city in 1822, and in 1823 a potter's field was established there, the one in washington square having been abandoned in its favor. the reservoir, of egyptian architecture, was finished in 1842. its cost was about $500,000. on july 5th water was introduced into it through the new croton aqueduct, with appropriate ceremonies. the water is brought from the croton lakes, forty-five miles above the city, through conduits of solid masonry. the first conduit, which was begun in 1835, is carried across the harlem river through the high bridge, which was erected especially to accommodate it. at the time the reservoir was put in use the locality was at the northern limits of the city. on sundays and holidays people went on journeys to the reservoir, and from the promenades at the top of the structure had a good view from river to river, and of the city to the south. the reservoir has not been in use for many years. the park was called reservoir square until 1884, when the name was changed to bryant park. [sidenote: a world's fair] on july 4, 1853, a world's fair, in imitation of the crystal palace, near london, was opened in reservoir square, when president pierce made an address. the fair was intended to set forth the products of the world, but it attracted but little attention outside the city. it was opened as a permanent exposition on may 14, 1854, but proved a failure. one of the attractions was a tower 280 feet high, which stood just north of the present line of forty-second street and fifth avenue. in august, 1856, it was burned, and as a great pillar of flame it attracted more attention than ever before. the exposition buildings and their contents were in the hands of a receiver when they were destroyed by fire october 5, 1858. bryant park has been selected as the site for the future home of the consolidated tilden, astor and lenox libraries. [sidenote: murray hill] murray hill derives its name from the possessions of robert murray, whose house, inclenberg, stood at the corner of what is now thirty-sixth street and park avenue, on a farm which lay between the present thirty-third and thirty-seventh streets, bloomingdale road (now broadway) and the boston post road (the present third avenue). the house was destroyed by fire in 1834. on september 15, 1776, after the defeat on long island, the americans were marching northward from the lower end of the island, when the british, marching toward the west, reached the murray house. there the officers were well entertained by the murrays, who, at the same time, managed to get word to the american army: the latter hurried on and joined washington at about forty-third street and broadway, before the english suspected that they were anywhere within reach. the murray farm extended down to kip's bay at thirty-sixth street. the kip mansion was the oldest house on the island of manhattan when it was torn down in 1851. where it stood, at the crossing of thirty-fifth street and second avenue, there is now not a trace. jacob kip built the house in 1655, of brick which he imported from holland. the locality between the murray hill farm and the river, that is, east of what is now third avenue between thirty-third and thirty-seventh streets, was called kipsborough in revolutionary times. [sidenote: turtle bay] the british forces landed, on the day of the stop at the murray house, in turtle bay, that portion of the east river between forty-sixth and forty-seventh streets. it was a safe harbor and a convenient one. overlooking the bay, on a great bluff at the present forty-first street, was the summer home of francis bayard winthrop. he owned the turtle bay farm. the bluff is there yet, and subsequent cutting through of the streets has left it in appearance like a small mountain peak. winthrop's house is gone, and in its place is corcoran's roost, far up on the height, whose grim wall of stone on the fortieth street side at first avenue became in modern times the trysting-place for members of the "rag gang." [sidenote: the elgin garden] forty-seventh and forty-ninth streets, between fifth and sixth avenues, enclose the tract formerly known as the elgin garden. this was a botanical garden founded by david hosack, m. d., in 1801, when he was professor of botany in columbia college. in 1814 the land was purchased by the state from dr. hosack and given to columbia college, in consideration of lands which had been owned by the college but ceded to new hampshire after the settlement of the boundary dispute. the ground is still owned by columbia university. the block east of madison avenue, between forty-ninth and fiftieth streets, was occupied in 1857 by columbia college, when the latter moved from its down-town site at church and murray streets. the college occupied the building which had been erected in 1817 by the founders of the institute for the instruction of the deaf and dumb--the first asylum for mutes in the united states. the original intention had been to erect the college buildings on a portion of the elgin garden property, but the expense involved was found to be too great. the asylum property, consisting of twenty lots and the buildings, was purchased in 1856. subsequently the remainder of the block was also bought up. [sidenote: st. patrick's cathedral] at fiftieth street and fifth avenue is st. patrick's cathedral, the cornerstone of which was laid in 1858. the entire block on which it stands was, the preceding year, given to the roman catholics for a nominal sum--one dollar--by the city. the roman catholic orphan asylum in the adjoining block, on fifth avenue, between fifty-first and fifty-second streets, was organized in 1825, but not incorporated until 1852, when the present buildings were erected. [illustration: milestone 3rd ave. near 47th st.] [sidenote: four mile stone] there is still standing, in third avenue, just above fifty-seventh street, a milestone. it was once on the post road, four miles from federal hall in wall street. close by fiftieth street and third avenue, a potter's field was established about 1835. near it was a spring of exceptionally pure water. this water was carried away in carts and supplied to the city. even after the introduction of croton water the water from this spring commanded a price of two cents a pail from many who were strongly prejudiced against water that had been supplied through pipes. [sidenote: beekman house] memories of nathan hale, the martyr spy of the revolution, hover about the neighborhood of fifty-first street and first avenue. the beekman house stood just west of the avenue, between fifty-first and fifty-second streets, on the site where grammar school no. 135 is now. it was in a room of this house that major andrã© slept, and in the morning passed out to dishonor; and it was in a greenhouse on these grounds that nathan hale passed the last of his nights upon earth. the house was built in 1763 by a descendant of the william beekman who came from holland in 1647 with peter stuyvesant. during the revolution it was the headquarters of general charles clinton and sir william howe. it stood until 1874, by which time it had degenerated into a crumbling tenement, and was demolished when it threatened to fall of natural decay. [sidenote: an old shot tower] a very few steps from the east river, at fifty-third street, stands an old brick shot tower; a lonely and neglected sentinel now, but still proudly looking skyward and bearing witness to its former usefulness. it was built in 1821 by a mr. youle. on october 9th it was nearing completion when it collapsed. it was at once rebuilt, and, as has been said, still stands. in 1827 mr. youle advertised the sale of the lots near the tower, and designated the location as being "close by the old post road near the four mile stone." [sidenote: the de voor farm] within half a dozen steps of the old tower, in the same lumber yard, is a house said to be the oldest in the city. it is of dutch architecture, with sloping roof and a wide porch. the cutting through and grading of fifty-third street have forced it higher above the ground than its builders intended it to be. the outer walls, in part, have been boarded over, and some "modern improvements" have made it somewhat unsightly; but inside, no vandal's art has been sufficient to hide its solid oak beams and its stone foundations that have withstood the shocks of time successfully. it was a farm-house, and its site was the spring valley farm of the revolution. it is thought to have been built by some member of the de voor family, who, after 1677, had a grant of sixty acres of land along the river, and gave their name to a mill-stream long since forgotten, save for allusion in the pages of history. a block away in fifty-fourth street, between first avenue and the river, is another dutch house, though doubtless of much later origin. it stands back from the street and has become part of a brewery, being literally surrounded by buildings. [sidenote: central park] the first suggestion of a central park was made in the fall of 1850, when andrew j. downing, writing to the _horticulturist_, advocated the establishment of a large park because of the lack of recreation-grounds in the city. on april 5, 1851, mayor ambrose c. kingsland, in a special message to the common council, suggested the necessity for the new park, pointing out the limited extent and inadequacy of the existing ones. the common council, approving of the idea, asked the legislature for authority to secure the necessary land. the ground suggested for the new park was the property known as "jones' woods," which lay between sixty-sixth and seventy-fifth streets, third avenue and the east river. at an extra session of the legislature in july, 1851, an act known as the "jones' woods park bill" was passed, under which the city was given the right to acquire the land. the passage of this act opened a discussion as to whether there was no other location better adapted for a public park than jones' woods. in august a committee was appointed by the board of aldermen to examine the proposed plot and others. this committee reported in favor of what they considered a more central site, namely, the ground lying between fifty-ninth and one hundred and sixth streets, fifth and eighth avenues. on july 23, 1853, the legislature passed an act giving authority for the acquirement of the land, afterward occupied by central park, to commissioners appointed by the supreme court. the previous jones' woods act was repealed. these commissioners awarded for damages $5,169,369.69, and for benefits $1,657,590.00, which report was confirmed by the court in february, 1856. in may, 1856, the common council appointed a commission which took charge of the work of construction. on this commission were william c. bryant, washington irving and george bancroft. in 1857, however, a new board was appointed by the legislature, because of the inactivity of the first one. under the new board, in april of the year in which they were appointed, the designs of calvert vaux and frederick l. olmsted were accepted and actual work was begun. the plans for the improvement of the park, which have been consistently adhered to, were based upon the natural configuration of the land. as nearly as possible the hills, valleys and streams were preserved undisturbed. trees, shrubs and vines were arranged with a view to an harmonious blending of size, shape and color--all that would attract the eye and make the park as beautiful in every detail as in its entirety. the year 1857 was one of much distress to the poor, and work on the park being well under way, the common council created employment for many laborers by putting them to work grading the new park. the original limits were extended from one hundred and sixth to one hundred and tenth street in 1859. as it exists to-day, central park contains eight hundred and sixty-two acres, of which one hundred and eighty-five and one-quarter are water. it is two and a half miles long and half a mile wide. five hundred thousand trees have been set out since the acquisition of the land. there are nine miles of carriageway, five and a half miles of bridle-path, twenty-eight and one half miles of walk, thirty buildings, forty-eight bridges, tunnels and archways, and out-of-door seats for ten thousand persons. it is assessed at $87,000,000 and worth twice that amount. more than $14,000,000 have been spent on improvements. [illustration] index index abingdon, earl of, 109, 125 abingdon road, 123, 124 abingdon square, 109 academy of music, 178 all saints' church, 136 allen street memorial church, 142 american museum, 37 andrã©, major, 205 aquarium, public, 5 arsenal in madison square, 182 art street, 167 astor house, 78 astor, john jacob, 163, 172 astor library, 170, 171 astor place, 172 astor place opera house, 168, 169, 170 astor, william b., 172 bank coffee house, 146 bank street, 113 banker street, 134 bank for savings, the, 38, 151 barnum, p. t., 5, 30 barnum's museum, 30 barrow street, 108 battery, 4 battery park, 4 battery place, 9 bayard family vault, 144 beaver lane, 56 beaver's path, 8 beaver street, 8, 9, 10 bedford street m. e. church, 106 beekman house, 205 belle vue farm, 189 bellevue hospital, 188, 189, 190 bible house, 166, 191 bleecker street bank, 151 block, adrian, 56, 57 bloomingdale road, 124, 128, 175, 180, 185, 199 bond street, 149 bone alley, 139, 140 booth, edwin, 194 boston post road, 183, 192, 199 boston turnpike, 183 boulevard, 181 bouwerie lane, 46 bouwerie village, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161 bowery, the, 47 bowery lane, 166, 175 bowery road, 47, 128, 163, 164 bowery theatre, 49 bowery village church, 162 bowling green, 3, 55 bowling green garden, 84 bradford, william, 14 grave of, 63 brannan's garden, 101 breese, sydney, grave of, 62 brevoort, hendrick, 174 brick presbyterian church, 31, 196 bridewell, 35 bridge street, 9 broad street, 9, 10 broadway, 12, 55, 175, 180, 181 broadway theatre, 97 brougham's lyceum, 97 brouwer street, 15 bryant park, 114, 197, 198, 199 bull's head tavern, 49, 190 bull's head village, 190, 191 bunker hill, 144 burdell murder, the, 149, 150 burr, aaron, home of, 18, 104 office of, 40 last friend of, 67 burton's theatre, 39 cafã© des mille colonnes, 39, 86 canal street, 41, 42, 94, 95 canda, madam, 171 castle garden, 5, 178 cedar street, 21 cemetery, new york city marble, 154, 155 cemetery, new york marble, 151, 152, 153, 154 central park, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211 chambers street, 34 chambers street bank, 37 chanfrau, frank, 170 chapel place, 83 chatham, earl of, 18, 47, 90 chatham square, 45, 46 chatham street, 47 chelsea cottages, 129 chelsea village, 126, 127, 128, 129 cherry hill, 51, 52 cherry street, 51 church, all saints', 136 " allen street memorial, 142 " bedford street memorial, 106 " bowery village, 162 " brick presbyterian, 31, 196 " dr. schroeder's, 167 " duane m. e., 102 " first french huguenot, 9 " first moravian, 195 " first presbyterian, 154 " first reformed presbyterian, 40, 118 " friends' meeting house, 178 " grace, 58, 175 " john street, 26, 161, 162 " little, around the corner, 192, 193, 194, 195 " madison square presbyterian, 186 " mariners', 133, 134 " dutch middle reformed, 21, 22, 171 " new jerusalem, 89 " oliver street baptist, 133 " st. ann's, 167 " st. george's, 29, 179 " st. john's, 91 " st. mark's, 86, 156, 157, 158, 159 " st. mary's, 137 " st. patrick's, 144, 145 " st. patrick's cathedral, 203 " st. paul's, 75, 76, 77, 78 " st. peter's, 81 " sea and land, of, 135 " second street methodist, 156 " spring street presbyterian, 102 " transfiguration, of the (episcopal), 192, 193, 194, 195 " transfiguration, of the (catholic), 44, 45 " trinity, 20, 56, 58, 60, 61 church farm, 59 churchyard, st. paul's, 155 " trinity, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72 churcher, richard, grave of, 61 city hall, 35 city hall (first) site of, 7, 8, 12 city hall in wall street, 17 city hall park, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 city hospital, 88, 89 city hotel, 73, 74 city library, 120 city prison in city hall park, 35 clarke, capt. thomas, 127 cliff street, 24 clinton, gen. charles, 205 clinton hall, 28, 168, 169 coenties lane, 13 coenties slip, 12, 13 collect, the, 41 college of the city of new york, 186, 187 college place, 83 collis, christopher, tomb of, 77 colonnade row, 172 columbia college, 81, 82, 83, 202 commons, the, 34 company's farm, 59 cooke, george frederick, grave of, 77, 78 cooper, james fenimore, house of, 147 cooper mansion, 191 cooper, peter, 164, 165, 166 house of, 191, 192 statue of, 165 cooper union, 161, 164, 165 corcoran's roost, 201 cornbury, lady, 66 corlears hook park, 136 country market, 75 coutant, john, house of, 161 cox, samuel s., statue of, 168 cresap, michael, grave of, 70 croton water celebration, 177, 197 cryptograph in trinity churchyard, 64, 65, 66 crystal palace, 198 custom house, 16, 18 cuyler's alley, 15 debtors' prison, 34, 35 delacroix, 163 de lancey, etienne, 10, 72, 73, 74 de lancey, james, 72, 73, 143, 144 de lancey, susannah, 100 delmonico's, 16, 25 de voor house, 207 dickens, charles, 31 drew, daniel, 191 duane m. e. church, 102 duke's farm, 59 dutch west india company, 2 eacker, george, grave of, 78 east river bridge (second), 137 eleventh street, 174 elgin garden, 201, 202, 203 eliot estate, 172 emmet, thomas addis, 77, 155 essex market, 143 exterior market, 75 fayette street, 133 federal hall, 17, 18 fields, the, 34 fifth avenue hotel, 185 fire of 1835, 14 first french huguenot church, 9 first graveyard, 56 first house built, 56 first moravian church, 195 first presbyterian church, 154 first prison labor, 110 first reformed presbyterian church, 40, 118 first savings bank, 37 first sunday school, 161 first tenement house, 136 fish, hamilton, park, 139 fish market, 75 fitzroy road, 126, 128 five points, 42, 43 five points house of industry, 44 "flat and barrack hill", 16 fly market, 23 forrest, edwin, 168, 169 forrest-macready riots, 168, 169, 170 fort amsterdam, 1, 2 fort clinton, 4 fort george, 2 fort james, 2 fort manhattan, 2 fountain in union square, 177 franconi's hippodrome, 185 franklin house, 50 franklin square, 51 fraunces' tavern, 10, 11 free academy, 186, 187 fresh water pond, 41 friends' meeting house, 178 fulton street, 20 garden, bowling green, 84 " brannan's, 101 " castle, 5, 178 " elgin, 201, 202, 203 " niblo's, 146, 147 " ranelagh, 94 " vauxhall (first), 84, 163 " vauxhall (last), 163, 164, 170 " winter, 148 garden street, 16 gardner, noah, 110, 111 general theological seminary, 126, 127, 129 george iii, statue of, 3, 19 gold street, 23 golden hill, 23 golden hill, battle of, 24 golden hill inn, 24, 25 government house, 1, 2 governor's room, city hall, 36 grace church, 58, 175 gramercy park, 179 graveyard, jewish, 50, 116, 117, 122, 123 " paupers', 34, 114, 115, 181, 197, 204 " st. john's, 105 " st. paul's, 155 " trinity, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 " new york city marble, 154, 155 " new york marble, 151, 152, 153, 154 great bouwerie, 157 great kiln road, 118, 121, 122, 125 great queen street, 12 greenwich avenue, 116 " lane, 116, 166 " road, 80, 81 " street, 80, 81 " village, 98, 99, 100, 101 grove street, 108 hale, nathan, 38, 135, 204 hall of records, 34 hamilton, alexander, grave of, 66 hamilton, alexander, home of, 18 hamilton, philip, 67 haunted house, 165, 166 holland, joseph, 193 holt's hotel, 21 hone, philip, 159 horse and cart street, 26 hosack botanical garden, 82 hosack, david, 202 hotel, astor, 78 " city, 73, 74 " fifth avenue, 185 " holt's, 21 " metropolitan, 147 " riley's fifth ward, 89, 90 " st. nicholas, 145 " tremont, 149 " united states, 20 houghton, rev. dr. george h., 194 house of aaron burr, 18, 104 house, first, of white men, 56 house of james fenimore cooper, 147 house of peter cooper, 191, 192 house of john coutant, 161 house of the de lanceys, 10, 72, 73, 74 house of alexander hamilton, 18 house of thomas paine, 107, 108 house of president monroe, 145 house of refuge, 182 house of charlotte temple, 48, 167 house of francis bayard winthrop, 201 houston street, 150 howe, sir william, 205 huguenot memorials in trinity churchyard, 69, 71 inclenberg, 199 institution for the instruction of the deaf and dumb, 202 island of manhattan, 138 "jack-knife," the, 23 jail in city hall park, 34 james street, 133 jans' farm, 59, 60 jeanette park, 13 jefferson, joseph, 193 jewish graveyard in new bowery, 50 jewish graveyard in eleventh street, 116, 117 jewish graveyard in twenty-first street, 117, 122, 123 john street, 26 john street church, 26, 161, 162 john street theatre, 26 jones' woods,208 jumel, mme., 40 keene, laura, theatre of, 147 king's college, 82 king's farm, 59 kip's bay, 200 kip, jacob, 200 kipsborough, 183, 200 kissing bridge, 47, 184 lawrence, capt., grave of, 68 lafarge house, 148 lafayette, general, 172 lafayette place, 167, 170, 171, 172 la grange terrace, 172 leeson, james, grave of, 64 leisler, jacob, where hanged, 31, 32 lich gate of little church around the corner, 194 light guards, 7 lind, jenny, 5 lispenard's meadows, 80, 93, 94, 95 little church around the corner, 192, 193, 194, 195 logan, the friend of the white man, 70 london terrace, 129 love lane, 121, 124, 125, 126, 128 macneven, william james, 77, 155 macomb's mansion, 57 macready-forrest riots, 168, 169, 170 macready, william charles, 168, 169 madison square, 182, 183 madison square presbyterian church, 186 madison street, 134 maiden lane, 13, 22 mandelbaum, "mother", 141, 142 manetta brook, 99 manetta creek, 113, 114 manhattan island, 137, 138, 142 manhattan market, 139 marble houses on broadway, 148, 149 mariners' church, 133, 134 mariners' temple, 133 market, country, 75 " essex, 143 " exterior, 75 " fish, 75 " fly, 23 " manhattan, 139 " meal, 20 " uptown, 74 " washington, 74 marketfield street, 8 martyrs' monument, 63, 64 masonic hall, 87, 88 meal market, 20 medical college hall, 195 mercantile library, 28, 29, 170 merchants' exchange, 16 metropolitan hall, 148 metropolitan hotel, 147 middle dutch reformed church, 21, 22, 171 middle road, 192 mile stone, 143, 178, 204 military prison window, 41 milligan's lane, 117, 118 minetta street, 99, 113, 114 monroe, president james, 145, 155 montgomery, general, 76 monument lane, 115, 166 moore, bishop benjamin, 127, 128 moore, clement c., 128, 129 morris street, 56 morse, samuel f. b., 5 morton, general jacob, 7, 37 morton, john, 6 mount pitt, 137 mount pitt circus, 137 mulberry bend, 43 murder of dr. burdell, 149, 150 murder of mary rogers, 145, 146 murderers' row, 97 murray family, 199, 200, 201 murray farm, 200 murray hill, 199, 200 nassau street, 17, 18, 21, 22 nean, elias, grave of, 71 nean, susannah, grave of, 71 negro insurrection, 42 new jerusalem church, 89 new york city marble cemetery, 154, 155 new york hospital, 88, 89 new york institute, 37 new york marble cemetery, 151, 152, 153, 154 new york society library, 119, 120 new york theatre, 170 new york theatre and metropolitan opera house, 148 niblo's garden, 146, 147 niblo's theatre, 146 nicholas william street, 161 north street, 150, 151 obelisk lane, 115 "old brewery", 44 oldest grave in trinity churchyard, 61 old guard, 7 oliver street, 133 oliver street baptist church, 133 orphan asylum, roman catholic, 203 olympic theatre, 96, 147 paine, thomas, home of, 107, 108 paisley place, 122 palmo opera house, 39, 87 parade-ground, 181 park, battery, 4 " bryant, 114, 197, 198, 199 " central, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211 " city hall, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 " corlears hook, 136 " gramercy, 179 " hamilton fish, 139 " jeanette, 13 " st. john's, 91, 92 park row, 47 park theatre (first), 30 patti, adelina, 148 payne, john howard, 36 pauper graveyard, 34, 114, 115, 181, 197, 204 pearl street, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14 peck slip, 12 petticoat lane, 8, 9 pie woman's lane, 22 pitt, william, statue of, 18, 47, 90 platt street, 23 poelnitz, "baron", 173 poor house in city hall park, 34 post office, 21, 33 post road, 47, 124, 125, 180, 181, 182, 204 potter's field, bryant park, 114, 197 potter's field, city hall park, 34 potter's field, madison square, 181 potter's field, third avenue, 204 potter's field, washington square, 114, 115 printing-press, first in colony, 13 prison manufactures, 110 prison riots, 111 prison, state, 109, 110, 111, 112 queen's farm, 59, 81 rachel, the actress, 148 "rag gang", 201 randall, robert richard, 173, 174 ranelagh garden, 94 red fort, 92 reservoir square, 198 revolutionary house, 79 revolutionary war, first blood of, 24 richmond hill, 103, 104, 105 riley's fifth ward hotel, 89, 90 road, abingdon, 123 " boston post, 183, 192, 199 " bowery, 47, 128, 163, 164 " fitzroy, 126, 128 " great kiln, 118, 121, 122 " greenwich, 80, 81 " middle, 192 " post, 47, 124, 125, 180, 181, 182, 204 " skinner, 117 " southampton, 117, 120, 125 " union, 117, 118, 119, 120 " warren, 126 rogers, mary, murder of, 145, 146 rotunda in city hall park, 37 ruggles, samuel b., 180 rutgers, anthony, 92, 93, 94 rutgers, col. henry, 135 rutgers farm, 135 sailors' snug harbor, 173, 174 st. ann's church, 167 st. gaudens, augustus, 165 st. george's church, 29, 179 st. george square, 51 st. james street, 133 st. john's burying-ground, 105 st. john's church, 91 st. john's park, 91, 92 st. mark's church, 86, 156, 158, 159 st. mary's church, 137 st. nicholas hotel, 145 st. patrick's cathedral, 203 st. patrick's church, 144, 145 st. paul's chapel, 75, 76, 77, 78 st. paul's churchyard, 155 st. peter's church, 81 savings bank, the first, 37 schroeder, rev. dr., 167 scudder's museum, 37 second east river bridge, 137 second street methodist church, 156 sewing machine exhibited, 87 shakespeare tavern, 27, 28 shearith israel graveyard, 50, 116, 122 sheep pasture, 8 shot tower, 206 shipyards, 134 skinner road, 117 smit's v'lei, 22 southampton, baron, 109, 122 southampton road, 117, 120, 125 sperry, john, 163 spring street presbyterian church, 102 spring valley farm, 207 stadhuis site, 7 stadt huys, 12, 15 state prison, 109, 110, 111, 112 state street, 5, 6 stewart, alexander t., 85, 86, 159 stewart mansion, 86 stone street, 15 stuyvesant's creek, 142 stuyvesant's pear tree, 160 stuyvesant, peter, 16, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160 stuyvesant's pond, 179 stuyvesant street, 167 sub-treasury building, 18 "suicide slip", 95 sunday school, the first, 161 tammany hall, 32, 33 tattersall's, 95, 96 tea water pump, 48 temple, charlotte, tomb of, 62, 63 temple, charlotte, home of, 48, 167 tenement house, the first, 136 ten eyck, conraet, 13 tompkins, daniel d., 159 thames street, 72 theatre alley, 31 theatre, academy of music, 178 " astor place opera house, 168, 169, 170 theatre, bowery, 49 " broadway, 97 " brougham's, 97 " burton's, 39 " laura keene's, 147 " john street, 26 " metropolitan hall, 148 " new york, 170 " new york theatre and metropolitan opera house, 148 " niblo's, 146 " olympic, 96, 147 " palmo's, 39, 87 " park, 30 " tripler hall, 148 " wallack's, 97, 176 " winter garden, 148 thompson's inn, corporal, 185 thorne, charles r., 170 tilden, astor and lenox libraries, 199 tin pot alley, 57, 58 tombs, 41 tompkins blues, 7 tontine coffee house, 19 tontine society, 19 tremont house, 149 trinity church, 20, 56, 58, 60, 61 trinity churchyard, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72 tripler hall, 148 turtle bay, 184, 201 turtle bay farm, 201 twenty-first street, 124 union place, 177 union road, 117, 118, 119, 120 union square, 175, 177 united new netherland company, 2 united states hotel, 20 uptown market, 74 van hoboken, hermanus, 157 vauxhall garden (first), 84, 163 vauxhall garden (last), 163, 164, 170 virgin's path, 22 wall, city's, 16 wall street, 9, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20 wall street, trees in, 20 wallack, james w., 176 wallack's lyceum, 97, 176 warren, ann, 109 warren, charlotte, 109 warren road, 126 warren, sir peter, 100, 108, 109, 124 warren, susannah, 109 washington inaugurated, 17 washington inauguration ball, 73 washington's broadway home, 57 washington hall, 85 washington's headquarters, 11 washington's headquarters at richmond hill, 104 washington's home in franklin house, 50 washington's pew in st. paul's chapel, 76 washington market, 74 washington statue in union square, 177 washington tablet, 37, 90 washington square, 113, 115, 172, 181, 197 water tank, 176 weavers' row, 122 well in broadway, 149 well in rivington street, 141 well of william cox, 13 west broadway, 83 west's circus, 95 west india co., 2 whitehall street, 8 wiehawken street, 112 william street, 16 window of military prison, 40 winter garden, 148 winthrop, francis bayard, 201 wolfe, gen., statue of, 115 world's fair grounds, 198 worth monument, 184, 185 wreck brook, 41 little pilgrimages the romance of old new england rooftrees by mary c. crawford illustrated [illustration] boston l. c. page & company mdcccciii _copyright, 1902_ _by_ _l. c. page & company_ (_incorporated_) _all rights reserved_ _published, september, 1902_ colonial press electrotyped and printed by c. h. simonds & co. boston, mass., u.s.a. * * * * * [illustration: sir harry frankland. (_see page 48_)] foreword these little sketches have been written to supply what seemed to the author a real need,--a volume which should give clearly, compactly, and with a fair degree of readableness, the stories connected with the surviving old houses of new england. that delightful writer, mr. samuel adams drake, has in his many works on the historic mansions of colonial times, provided all necessary data for the serious student, and to him the deep indebtedness of this work is fully and frankly acknowledged. yet there was no volume which gave entire the tales of chief interest to the majority of readers. it is, therefore, to such searchers after the romantic in new england's history that the present book is offered. it but remains to mention with gratitude the many kind friends far and near who have helped in the preparation of the material, and especially to thank messrs. houghton, mifflin & co., publishers of the works of hawthorne, whittier, longfellow, and higginson, by permission of and special arrangement with whom the selections of the authors named, are used; the macmillan co., for permission to use the extracts from lindsay swift's "brook farm"; g. p. putnam's sons for their kindness in allowing quotations from their work, "historic towns of new england"; small, maynard & co., for the use of the anecdote credited to their beacon biography of samuel f. b. morse; little, brown & co., for their marked courtesy in the extension of quotation privileges, and mr. samuel t. pickard, whittier's literary executor, for the new whittier material here given. m. c. c. _charlestown, massachusetts, 1902._ * * * * * "all houses wherein men have lived and died are haunted houses." _longfellow._ "so very difficult a matter is it to trace and find out the truth of anything by history." _plutarch._ "... common as light is love, and its familiar voice wearies not ever." _shelley._ "... i discern infinite passion and the pain of finite hearts that yearn." _browning._ "'tis an old tale and often told." _scott._ * * * * * contents _page_ foreword iii the heir of swift's vanessa 11 the maid of marblehead 37 an american-born baronet 59 molly stark's gentleman-son 74 a soldier of fortune 90 the message of the lanterns 104 hancock's dorothy q. 117 baroness riedesel and her tory friends 130 doctor church: first traitor to the american cause 147 a victim of two revolutions 159 the woman veteran of the continental army 170 the redeemed captive 190 new england's first "club woman" 210 in the reign of the witches 225 lady wentworth of the hall 241 an historic tragedy 251 inventor morse's unfulfilled ambition 264 where the "brothers and sisters" met 279 the brook farmers 293 margaret fuller: marchesa d'ossoli 307 the old manse and some of its mosses 324 salem's chinese god 341 the well-sweep of a song 356 whittier's lost love 366 list of illustrations _page_ sir harry frankland (_see page 48_) _frontispiece_ whitehall, newport, r. i. 31 agnes surriage pump, marblehead, mass. 39 summer house, royall estate, medford, mass. 63 royall house, medford, mass.--pepperell house, kittery, maine 66 stark house, dunbarton, n. h. 79 general lee's headquarters, somerville, mass. 94 christ church--paul revere house, boston, mass. 104 robert newman house, boston, mass. 110 clark house, lexington, mass. 118 dorothy q. house, quincy, mass. 123 riedesel house, cambridge, mass. 145 house where doctor church was confined, cambridge, mass. 149 swan house, dorchester, mass. 164 deborah sampson gannett 170 gannett house, sharon, mass. 188 williams house, deerfield, mass. 193 reverend stephen williams 204 old corner bookstore, site of the hutchinson house, boston, mass. 214 old witch house, salem, mass. 225 rebecca nourse house, danvers, mass. 229 red horse tavern, sudbury, mass. 242 governor wentworth house, portsmouth, n. h. 246 fairbanks house, dedham, mass. 260 edes house, birthplace of professor morse, charlestown, mass. 264 oval parlour, fay house, cambridge, mass. 286 brook farm, west roxbury, mass. 296 fuller house, cambridgeport, mass. 312 old manse, concord, mass. 324 townsend house, salem, mass. 342 old oaken bucket house, scituate, mass. 359 whittier's birthplace, east haverhill, mass. 380 the romance of old new england rooftrees the heir of swift's vanessa nowhere in the annals of our history is recorded an odder phase of curious fortune than that by which bishop berkeley, of cloyne, was enabled early in the eighteenth century to sail o'erseas to newport, rhode island, there to build (in 1729) the beautiful old place, whitehall, which is still standing. hundreds of interested visitors drive every summer to the old house, to take a cup of tea, to muse on the strange story with which the ancient dwelling is connected, and to pay the meed of respectful memory to the eminent philosopher who there lived and wrote. the poet pope once assigned to this bishop "every virtue under heaven," and this high reputation a study of the man's character faithfully confirms. as a student at dublin university, george berkeley won many friends, because of his handsome face and lovable nature, and many honours by reason of his brilliancy in mathematics. later he became a fellow of trinity college, and made the acquaintance of swift, steele, and the other members of that brilliant old world literary circle, by all of whom he seems to have been sincerely beloved. a large part of berkeley's early life was passed as a travelling tutor, but soon after pope had introduced him to the earl of burlington, he was made dean of derry, through the good offices of that gentleman, and of his friend, the duke of grafton, then lord lieutenant of ireland. berkeley, however, never cared for personal aggrandisement, and he had long been cherishing a project which he soon announced to his friends as a "scheme for converting the savage americans to christianity by a college to be erected in the summer islands, otherwise called the isles of bermuda." in a letter from london to his lifelong friend and patron, lord percival, then at bath, we find berkeley, under date of march, 1723, writing thus of the enterprise which had gradually fired his imagination: "it is now about ten months since i have determined to spend the residue of my days in bermuda, where i trust in providence i may be the mean instrument of doing great good to mankind. the reformation of manners among the english in our western plantations, and the propagation of the gospel among the american savages, are two points of high moment. the natural way of doing this is by founding a college or seminary in some convenient part of the west indies, where the english youth of our plantations may be educated in such sort as to supply their churches with pastors of good morals and good learning--a thing (god knows) much wanted. in the same seminary a number of young american savages may also be educated until they have taken the degree of master of arts. and being by that time well instructed in the christian religion, practical mathematics, and other liberal arts and sciences, and early imbued with public-spirited principles and inclinations, they may become the fittest instruments for spreading religion, morals, and civil life among their countrymen, who can entertain no suspicion or jealousy of men of their own blood and language, as they might do of english missionaries, who can never be well qualified for that work." berkeley then goes on to describe the plans of education for american youths which he had conceived, gives his reasons for preferring the bermudas as a site for the college, and presents a bright vision of an academic centre from which should radiate numerous beautiful influences that should make for christian civilisation in america. even the gift of the best deanery in england failed to divert him from thoughts of this utopia. "derry," he wrote, "is said to be worth £1,500 per annum, but i do not consider it with a view to enriching myself. i shall be perfectly contented if it facilitates and recommends my scheme of bermuda." but the thing which finally made it possible for berkeley to come to america, the incident which is responsible for whitehall's existence to-day in a grassy valley to the south of honeyman's hill, two miles back from the "second beach," at newport, was the tragic ending of as sad and as romantic a story as is to be found anywhere in the literary life of england. swift, as has been said, was one of the friends who was of great service to berkeley when he went up to london for the first time. the witty and impecunious dean had then been living in london for more than four years, in his "lodging in berry street," absorbed in the political intrigue of the last years of queen anne, and sending to stella, in dublin, the daily journal, which so faithfully preserves the incidents of those years. under date of an april sunday in 1713, we find in this journal these lines, swift's first mention of our present hero: "i went to court to-day on purpose to present mr. berkeley, one of our fellows at trinity college. that mr. berkeley is a very ingenious man, and a great philosopher, and i have mentioned him to all the ministers, and have given them some of his writings, and i will favour him as much as i can." in the natural course of things berkeley soon heard much, though he saw scarcely anything, of mrs. vanhomrigh and her daughter, the latter the famous and unhappy "vanessa," both of whom were settled at this time in berry street, near swift, in a house where, swift writes to stella, "i loitered hot and lazy after my morning's work," and often dined "out of mere listlessness," keeping there "my best gown and perriwig" when at chelsea. mrs. vanhomrigh was the widow of a dutch merchant, who had followed william the third to ireland, and there obtained places of profit, and her daughter, esther, or hester, as she is variously called, was a girl of eighteen when she first met swift, and fell violently in love with him. this passion eventually proved the girl's perdition,--and was, as we shall see, the cause of a will which enabled dean berkeley to carry out his dear and cherished scheme of coming to america. swift's journal, frank about nearly everything else in the man's life, is significantly silent concerning esther vanhomrigh. and in truth there was little to be said to anybody, and nothing at all to be confided to stella, in regard to this unhappy affair. that swift was flattered to find this girl of eighteen, with beauty and accomplishment, caring so much for him, a man now forty-four, and bound by honour, if not by the church, to stella, one cannot doubt. at first, their relations seem to have been simply those of teacher and pupil, and this phase of the matter it is which is most particularly described in the famous poem, "cadenus and vanessa," written at windsor in 1713, and first published after vanessa's death. human nature has perhaps never before or since presented the spectacle of a man of such transcendent powers as swift involved in such a pitiable labyrinth of the affections as marked his whole life. pride or ambition led him to postpone indefinitely his marriage with stella, to whom he was early attached. though he said he "loved her better than his life a thousand millions of times," he kept her always hanging on in a state of hope deferred, injurious alike to her peace and her reputation. and because of stella, he dared not afterward with manly sincerity admit his undoubted affection for vanessa. for, if one may believe doctor johnson, he married stella in 1716,--though he died without acknowledging this union, and the date given would indicate that the ceremony occurred while his devotion to his young pupil was at its height. touching beyond expression is the story of vanessa after she had gone to ireland, as stella had gone before, to be near the presence of swift. her life was one of deep seclusion, chequered only by the occasional visits of the man she adored, each of which she commemorated by planting with her own hand a laurel in the garden where they met. when all her devotion and her offerings had failed to impress him, she sent him remonstrances which reflect the agony of her mind: "the reason i write to you," she says, "is because i cannot tell it you should i see you. for when i begin to complain, then you are angry; and there is something in your looks so awful, that it strikes me dumb. oh! that you may have but so much regard for me left that this complaint may touch your soul with pity. i say as little as ever i can. did you but know what i thought, i am sure it would move you to forgive me, and believe that i cannot help telling you this and live." swift replies with the letter full of excuses for not seeing her oftener, and advises her to "quit this scoundrel island." yet he assures her in the same breath, "que jamais personne du monde a étê aimée, honorée, estimée, adorée, par votre ami que vous." the tragedy continued to deepen as it approached the close. eight years had vanessa nursed in solitude the hopeless attachment. at length (in 1723) she wrote to stella to ascertain the nature of the connection between her and swift. the latter obtained the fatal letter, and rode instantly to marley abbey, the residence of vanessa. "as he entered the apartment," to quote the picturesque language scott has used in recording the scene, "the sternness of his countenance, which was peculiarly formed to express the stronger passions, struck the unfortunate vanessa with such terror, that she could scarce ask whether he would not sit down. he answered by flinging a letter on the table; and instantly leaving the house, mounted his horse, and returned to dublin. when vanessa opened the packet, she found only her own letter to stella. it was her death-warrant. she sunk at once under the disappointment of the delayed, yet cherished hopes which had so long sickened her heart, and beneath the unrestrained wrath of him for whose sake she had indulged them. how long she survived this last interview is uncertain, but the time does not seem to have exceeded a few weeks." strength to revoke a will made in favour of swift, and to sign another (dated may 1, 1723) which divided her estate between bishop berkeley and judge marshall, the poor young woman managed to summon from somewhere, however. berkeley she knew very slightly, and marshall scarcely better. but to them both she entrusted as executors her correspondence with swift, and the poem, "cadenus and vanessa," which she ordered to be published after her death. doctor johnson, in his "life of swift," says of vanessa's relation to the misanthropic dean, "she was a young woman fond of literature, whom decanus, the dean (called cadenus by transposition of the letters), took pleasure in directing and interesting till, from being proud of his praise, she grew fond of his person. swift was then about forty-seven, at the age when vanity is strongly excited by the amorous attention of a young woman." the poem with which these two lovers are always connected, was founded, according to the story, on an offer of marriage made by miss vanhomrigh to doctor swift. in it, swift thus describes his situation: "cadenus, common forms apart, in every scene had kept his heart; had sighed and languished, vowed and writ for pastime, or to show his wit, but books and time and state affairs had spoiled his fashionable airs; he now could praise, esteem, approve, but understood not what was love: his conduct might have made him styled a father and the nymph his child. that innocent delight he took to see the virgin mind her book, was but the master's secret joy in school to hear the finest boy." that swift was not always, however, so platonic and fatherly in his expressions of affection for vanessa, is shown in a "poem to love," found in miss vanhomrigh's desk after her death, in his handwriting. one verse of this runs: "in all i wish how happy should i be, thou grand deluder, were it not for thee. so weak thou art that fools thy power despise, and yet so strong, thou triumph'st o'er the wise." after the poor girl's unhappy decease, swift hid himself for two months in the south of ireland. stella was also shocked by the occurrence, but when some one remarked in her presence, apropos of the poem which had just appeared, that vanessa must have been a remarkable woman to inspire such verses, she observed with perfect truth that the dean was quite capable of writing charmingly upon a broomstick. meanwhile berkeley was informed of the odd stroke of luck by which he was to gain a small fortune. characteristically, his thoughts turned now more than ever to his bermuda scheme. "this providential event," he wrote, "having made many things easy in my private affairs which were otherwise before, i have high hopes for bermuda." swift bore berkeley absolutely no hard feeling on account of vanessa's substitution of his name in her will. he was quite as cordial as ever. one of the witty dean's most remarkable letters, addressed to lord carteret, at bath, thus describes berkeley's previous career and present mission: "going to england very young, about thirteen years ago, the bearer of this became founder of a sect called the immaterialists, by the force of a very curious book upon that subject.... he is an absolute philosopher with regard to money, titles, and power; and for three years past has been struck with a notion of founding a university at bermudas by a charter from the crown.... he showed me a little tract which he designs to publish, and there your excellency will see his whole scheme of the life academico-philosophical, of a college founded for indian scholars and missionaries, where he most exorbitantly proposes a whole hundred pounds a year for himself.... his heart will be broke if his deanery be not taken from him, and left to your excellency's disposal. i discouraged him by the coldness of courts and ministers, who will interpret all this as impossible and a vision; but nothing will do." the history of berkeley's reception in london, when he came to urge his project, shows convincingly the magic of the man's presence and influence. his conquests spread far and fast. in a generation represented by sir robert walpole, the scheme met with encouragement from all sorts of people, subscriptions soon reaching £5,000, and the list of promoters including even sir robert himself. bermuda became the fashion among the wits of london, and bolingbroke wrote to swift that he would "gladly exchange europe for its charms--only not in a missionary capacity." but berkeley was not satisfied with mere subscriptions, and remembering what lord percival had said about the protection and aid of government he interceded with george the first, and obtained royal encouragement to hope for a grant of £20,000 to endow the bermuda college. during the four years that followed, he lived in london, negotiating with brokers, and otherwise forwarding his enterprise of social idealism. with queen caroline, consort of george the second, he used to dispute two days a week concerning his favourite plan. at last his patience was rewarded. in september, 1728, we find him at greenwich, ready to sail for rhode island. "tomorrow," he writes on september 3 to lord percival, "we sail down the river. mr. james and mr. dalton go with me; so doth my wife, a daughter of the late chief justice forster, whom i married since i saw your lordship. i chose her for her qualities of mind, and her unaffected inclination to books. she goes with great thankfulness, to live a plain farmer's life, and wear stuff of her own spinning. i have presented her with a spinning-wheel. her fortune was £2,000 originally, but travelling and exchange have reduced it to less than £1,500 english money. i have placed that, and about £600 of my own, in south sea annuities." thus in the forty-fourth year of his life, in deep devotion to his ideal, and full of glowing visions of a fifth empire in the west, berkeley sailed for rhode island in a "hired ship of two hundred and fifty tons." the _new england courier_ of that time gives this picture of his disembarkation at newport: "yesterday there arrived here dean berkeley, of londonderry. he is a gentleman of middle stature, of an agreeable, pleasant, and erect aspect. he was ushered into the town with a great number of gentlemen, to whom he behaved himself after a very complaisant manner." [illustration: whitehall, newport, r. i.] so favourably was berkeley impressed by newport that he wrote to lord percival: "i should not demur about situating our college here." and as it turned out, newport was the place with which berkeley's scheme was to be connected in history. for it was there that he lived all three years of his stay, hopefully awaiting from england the favourable news that never came. in loyal remembrance of the palace of his monarchs, he named his spacious home in the sequestered valley whitehall. here he began domestic life, and became the father of a family. the neighbouring groves and the cliffs that skirt the coast offered shade and silence and solitude very soothing to his spirit, and one wonders not that he wrote, under the projecting rock that still bears his name, "the minute philosopher," one of his most noted works. the friends with whom he had crossed the ocean went to stay in boston, but no solicitations could withdraw him from the quiet of his island home. "after my long fatigue of business," he told lord percival, "this retirement is very agreeable to me; and my wife loves a country life and books as well as to pass her time continually and cheerfully without any other conversation than her husband and the dead." for the wife was a mystic and a quietist. but though berkeley waited patiently for developments which should denote the realisation of his hopes, he waited always in vain. from the first he had so planned his enterprise that it was at the mercy of sir robert walpole; and at last came the crisis of the project, with which the astute financier had never really sympathised. early in 1730, walpole threw off the mask. "if you put the question to me as a minister," he wrote lord percival, "i must and can assure you that the money shall most undoubtedly be paid--as soon as suits with public convenience; but if you ask me as a friend whether dean berkeley should continue in america, expecting the payment of £200,000, i advise him by all means to return to europe, and to give up his present expectations." when acquainted by his friend percival with this frank statement, berkeley accepted the blow as a philosopher should. brave and resolutely patient, he prepared for departure. his books he left as a gift to the library of yale college, and his farm of whitehall was made over to the same institution, to found three scholarships for the encouragement of greek and latin study. his visit was thus far from being barren of results. he supplied a decided stimulus to higher education in the colonies, in that he gave out counsel and help to the men already working for the cause of learning in the new country. and he helped to form in newport a philosophical reunion, the effects of which were long felt. in the autumn of 1731 he sailed from boston for london, where he arrived in january of the next year. there a bishopric and twenty years of useful and honourable labour awaited him. he died at oxford, whence he had removed from his see at cloyne, on sunday evening, january 14, 1753, while reading aloud to his family the burial service portion of corinthians. he was buried in the cathedral of christ church. of the traces he left at newport, there still remain, beside the house, a chair in which he was wont to write, a few books and papers, the organ presented by him to trinity church, the big family portrait, by smibert--and the little grave in trinity churchyard, where, on the south side of the kay monument, sleeps "lucia berkeley, obiit., the fifth of september, 1731." moreover the memory of the man's beautiful, unselfish life pervades this section of rhode island, and the story of his sweetness and patience under a keen and unexpected disappointment furnishes one of the most satisfying pages in our early history. the life of berkeley is indeed greater than anything that he did, and one wonders not as one explores the young preacher's noble and endearing character that the distraught vanessa fastened upon him, though she knew him only by reputation, as one who would make it his sacred duty to do all in his power to set her memory right in a censorious world. the maid of marblehead of all the romantic narratives which enliven the pages of early colonial history, none appeals more directly to the interest and imagination of the lover of what is picturesque than the story of agnes surriage, the maid of marblehead. the tale is so improbable, according to every-day standards, so in form with the truest sentiment, and so calculated to satisfy every exaction of literary art, that even the most credulous might be forgiven for ascribing it to the fancy of the romancer rather than to the research of the historian. yet when one remembers that the scene of the first act of agnes surriage's life drama is laid in quaint old marblehead, the tale itself instantly gains in credibility. for nothing would be too romantic to fit marblehead. this town is fantastic in the extreme, builded, to quote miss alice brown, who has written delightfully of agnes and her life, "as if by a generation of autocratic landowners, each with a wilful bee in his bonnet."[1] for marblehead is no misnomer, and the early settlers had to plant their houses and make their streets as best they could. as a matter of stern fact, every house in marblehead had to be like the wise man's in the bible: "built upon a rock." the dwellings themselves were founded upon solid ledges, while the principal streets followed the natural valleys between. the smaller dividing paths led each and every one of them to the impressive old town house, and to that other comfortable centre of social interests, the fountain inn, with its near-by pump. this pump, by the bye, has a very real connection with the story of agnes surriage, for it was here, according to one legend, that charles henry frankland first saw the maid who is the heroine of our story. [illustration: agnes surriage pump, marblehead, mass.] the gallant sir harry was at this time (1742) collector of the port of boston, a place to which he had been appointed shortly before, by virtue of his family's great influence at the court of george the second. no more distinguished house than that of frankland was indeed to be found in all england at this time. a lineal descendant of oliver cromwell, our hero was born in bengal, may 10, 1716, during his father's residence abroad as governor of the east india company's factory. the personal attractiveness of frankland's whole family was marked. it is even said that a lady of this house was sought in marriage by charles the second, in spite of the fact that a capulet-montague feud must ever have existed between the line of cromwell and that of charles stuart. young harry, too, was clever as well as handsome. the eldest of his father's seven sons, he was educated as befitted the heir to the title and to the family estate at thirkleby and mattersea. he knew the french and latin languages well, and, what is more to the point, used his mother tongue with grace and elegance. botany and landscape-gardening were his chief amusements, while with the great literature of the day he was as familiar as with the great men who made it. as early as 1738, when he was twenty-two, he had come into possession of an ample fortune, but when opportunity offered to go to america with shirley, his friend, he accepted the opening with avidity. both young men, therefore, entered the same year (1741) on their offices, the one as collector of the port, and the other as governor of the colony. and both represented socially the highest rank of that day in america. "a baronet," says reverend elias nason, from whose admirable picture of boston in frankland's time all writers must draw for reliable data concerning our hero,--"a baronet was then approached with greatest deference; a coach and four, with an armorial bearing and liveried servants, was a munition against indignity; in those dignitaries who, in brocade vest, gold lace coat, broad ruffled sleeves, and small-clothes, who, with three-cornered hat and powdered wig, side-arms and silver shoe buckles, promenaded queen street and the mall, spread themselves through the king's chapel, or discussed the measures of the pelhams, walpole, and pitt at the rose and crown, as much of aristocratic pride, as much of courtly consequence displayed itself as in the frequenters of hyde park or regent street." this, then, was the manner of man who, to transact some business connected with marblehead's picturesque fort sewall, then just a-building, came riding down to the rock-bound coast on the day our story opens, and lost his heart at the fountain inn, where he had paused for a long draught of cooling ale. for lo! scrubbing the tavern floor there knelt before him a beautiful child-girl of sixteen, with black curling hair, dark eyes, and a voice which proved to be of bird-like sweetness when the maiden, glancing up, gave her good-day to the gallant's greeting. the girl's feet were bare, and this so moved frankland's compassion that he gently gave her a piece of gold with which to buy shoes and stockings, and rode thoughtfully away to conduct his business at the fort. yet he did not forget that charming child just budding into winsome womanhood whom he had seen performing with patience and grace the duties that fell to her lot as the poor daughter of some honest, hard-working fisherfolk of the town. when he happened again to be in marblehead on business, he inquired at once for her, and then, seeing her feet still without shoes and stockings, asked a bit teasingly what she had done with the money he gave her. quite frankly she replied, blushing the while, that the shoes and stockings were bought, but that she kept them to wear to meeting. soon after this the young collector went to search out agnes's parents, edward and mary surriage, from whom he succeeded in obtaining permission to remove their daughter to boston to be educated as his ward. when one reads in the old records the entries for frankland's salary, and finds that they mount up to not more than £100 sterling a year, one wonders that the young nobleman should have been so ready to take upon himself the expenses of a girl's elegant education. but it must be remembered that the gallant harry had money in his own right, besides many perquisites of office, which made his income a really splendid one. certainly he spared no expense upon his ward. she was taught reading, writing, grammar, music, and embroidery by the best tutors the town could provide, and she grew daily, we are told, in beauty and maidenly charm. yet in acquiring these gifts and graces she did not lose her childish sweetness and simplicity, nor the pious counsel of her mother, and the careful care of her marblehead pastor. thus several years passed by, years in which agnes often visited with her gentle guardian the residence in roxbury of governor shirley and his gifted wife, as well as the stately royall place out on the medford road. the reader who is familiar with mr. bynner's story of agnes surriage will recall how delightfully mrs. shirley, the wife of the governor, is introduced into his romance, and will recollect with pleasure his description of agnes's ride to roxbury in the collector's coach. this old mansion is now called the governor eustis house, and there are those still living who remember when madam eustis lived there. this grand dame wore a majestic turban, and the tradition still lingers of madame's pet toad, decked on gala days with a blue ribbon. now the old house is sadly dilapidated; it is shorn of its piazzas, the sign "to let" hangs often in the windows, and the cupola is adorned with well-filled clothes-lines. partitions have cut the house into tenements; one runs through the hall, but the grand old staircase and the smaller one are still there, and the marble floor, too, lends dignity to the back hall. a few of the carved balusters are missing, carried away by relic hunters. in this house, which was the residence of governors shirley and eustis, washington, hamilton, burr, franklin, and other notables were entertained. the old place is now entirely surrounded by modern dwelling-houses, and the pilgrim who searches for it must leave the mount pleasant electric car at shirley street. yet, though agnes as a maid was received by the most aristocratic people of boston, the ladies of the leading families refused to countenance her when she became a fine young woman whom sir harry frankland loved but cared not to marry. that her protector had not meant at first to wrong the girl he had befriended seems fairly certain, but many circumstances, such as the death of agnes's father and frankland's own sudden elevation to the baronetcy, may be held to have conspired to force them into the situation for which agnes was to pay by many a day of tears and sir harry by many a night of bitter self-reproach. for frankland was far from being a libertine. and that he sincerely loved the beautiful maid of marblehead is certain. he has come down to us as one of the most knightly men of his time, a gentleman and a scholar, who was also a sincere follower of the church of england and its teachings. both in manner and person he is said to have greatly resembled the earl of chesterfield, and his diary as well as his portrait show him to have been at once sensitive and virile; quite the man, indeed, very effectually to fascinate the low-born beauty he had taught to love him. the indignation of the ladies in town toward frankland and his ward made the baronet prefer at this stage of the story rural hopkinton to censorious boston. reverend roger price, known to us as rector of king's chapel, had already land and a mission church in this village, and so, when boston frowned too pointedly, frankland purchased four hundred odd acres of him, and there built, in 1751, a commodious mansion-house. the following year he and agnes took up their abode on the place. here frankland passed his days, contentedly pursuing his horticultural fad, angling, hunting, overseeing his dozen slaves, and reading with his intelligent companion the latest works of richardson, steele, swift, addison, and pope, sent over in big boxes from england. the country about hopkinton was then as to-day a wonder of hill and valley, meadow and stream, while only a dozen miles or so from frankland hall was the famous wayside inn. that sir harry's arcady never came to bore him was, perhaps, due to this last fact. whenever guests were desired the men from boston could easily ride out to the inn and canter over to the hall, to enjoy the good wines and the bright talk the place afforded. then the village rector was always to be counted on for companionship and breezy chat. it is significant that sir harry carefully observed all the forms of his religion, and treated agnes with the respect due a wife, though he still continued to neglect the one duty which would have made her really happy. a lawsuit called the two to england in 1754. at frankland's mother's home, where the eager son hastened to bring his beloved one, agnes was once more subjected to martyrdom and social ostracism. as quickly as they could get away, therefore, the young people journeyed to lisbon, a place conspicuous, even in that day of moral laxity, for its tolerance of the _alliance libre_. henry fielding (who died in the town) has photographically described for all times its gay, sensuous life. into this unwholesome atmosphere, quite new to her, though she was neither maid nor wife, it was that the sweet agnes was thrust by frankland. very soon he was to perceive the mistake of this, as well as of several other phases of his selfishness. on all saint's day morning, 1755, when the whole populace, from beggar to priest, courtier to lackey, was making its way to church, the town of lisbon was shaken to its foundations by an earthquake. the shock came about ten o'clock, just as the misericordia of the mass was being sung in the crowded churches; and frankland, who was riding with a lady on his way to the religious ceremony, was immersed with his companion in the ruins of some falling houses. the horses attached to their carriage were instantly killed, and the lady, in her terror and pain, bit through the sleeve of her escort's red broadcloth coat, tearing the flesh with her teeth. frankland had some awful moments for thought as he lay there pinned down by the fallen stones, and tortured by the pain in his arm. meanwhile agnes, waiting at home, was prey to most terrible anxiety. as soon as the surging streets would permit a foot passenger, she ran out with all the money she could lay hands on, to search for her dear sir harry. by a lucky chance, she came to the very spot where he was lying white with pain, and by her offers of abundant reward and by gold, which she fairly showered on the men near by, she succeeded in extricating him from his fearful plight. tenderly he was borne to a neighbouring house, and there, as soon as he could stand, a priest was summoned to tie the knot too long ignored. he had vowed, while pinned down by the weight of stone, to amend his life and atone to agnes, if god in his mercy should see fit to deliver him, and he wasted not a moment in executing his pledge to heaven. that his spirit had been effectually chastened, one reads between the lines of this entry in his diary, which may still be seen in the rooms of the massachusetts historical society in boston: "hope my providential escape will have a lasting good effect upon my mind." in order to make his marriage doubly sure, he had the ceremony performed again by a clergyman of his own church on board the ship which he took at once for england. then the newly married pair proceeded once more to frankland's home, and this time there were kisses instead of coldness for them both. business in lisbon soon called them back to the continent, however, and it was from belem that they sailed in april, 1750, for boston, where both were warmly welcomed by their former friends. in the celebrated clarke mansion, on garden court street, which sir harry purchased october 5, 1756, for £1,200, our heroine now reigned queen. this house, three stories high, with inlaid floors, carved mantels, and stairs so broad and low that sir harry could, and did, ride his pony up and down them, was the wonder of the time. it contained twenty-six rooms, and was in every respect a marvel of luxury. that agnes did not forget her own people, nor scorn to receive them in her fine house, one is pleased to note. while here she practically supported, records show, her sister's children, and she welcomed always when he came ashore from his voyages her brother isaac, a poor though honest seaman. frankland's health was not, however, all that both might have wished, and the entries in the diaries deal, at this time, almost entirely with recipes and soothing drinks. in july, 1757, he sought, therefore, the post of consul-general to lisbon, where the climate seemed to him to suit his condition, and there, sobered city that it now was, the two again took up their residence. only once more, in 1763, was sir harry to be in boston. then he came for a visit, staying for a space in hopkinton, as well as in the city. the following year he returned to the old country, and in bath, where he was drinking the waters, he died january 2, 1768, at the age of fifty-two. agnes almost immediately came back to boston, and, with her sister and her sister's children, took up her residence at hopkinton. there she remained, living a peaceful, happy life among her flowers, her friends, and her books, until the outbreak of the revolution, when it seemed to her wise to go in to her town house. she entered boston, defended by a guard of six sturdy soldiers, and was cordially received by the officers in the beleaguered city, especially by burgoyne, whom she had known in lisbon. during the battle of bunker hill, she helped nurse wounded king's men, brought to her in her big dining-room on garden court street. as an ardent tory, however, she was _persona non grata_ in the colony, and she soon found it convenient to sail for england, where, until 1782, she resided on the estate of the frankland family. at this point, agnes ceases in a way to be the proper heroine of our romance, for, contrary to the canons of love-story art, she married again,--mr. john drew, a rich banker, of chichester, being the happy man. and at chichester she died in one year's time. the hopkinton home fell, in the course of time, into the hands of the reverend mr. nason, who was to be frankland's biographer, and who, when the original house was destroyed by fire (january 3, 1858), built a similar mansion on the same site. here the frankland relics were carefully preserved,--the fireplace, the family portrait (herewith reproduced), sir harry's silver knee buckles, and the famous broadcloth coat, from the sleeve of which the unfortunate lady had torn a piece with her teeth on the day of the lisbon disaster. this coat, we are told, was brought back to hopkinton by sir harry, and hung in one of the remote chambers of the house, where each year, till his departure for the last time from the pleasant village, he was wont to pass the anniversary of the earthquake in fasting, humiliation, and prayer. the coat, and all the other relics, were lost in april, 1902, when, for the second time, frankland hall was razed by fire. the ancient fountain inn, with its "flapping sign," and the "spreading elm below," long since disappeared, and its well, years ago filled up, was only accidentally discovered at a comparatively recent date, when some workmen were digging a post hole. it was then restored as an interesting landmark. this inn was a favourite resort, legends tell us, for jovial sea captains as well as for the gentry of the town. there are even traditions that pirates bold and smugglers sly at times found shelter beneath its sloping roof. yet none of the many stories with which its ruins are connected compares in interest and charm to the absolutely true one given us by history of fair agnes, the maid of marblehead. footnotes: [footnote 1: "three heroines of new england romance." little, brown & co.] an american-born baronet one of the most picturesque houses in all middlesex county is the royall house at medford, a place to which sir harry frankland and his lady used often to resort. few of the great names in colonial history are lacking, indeed, in the list of guests who were here entertained in the brave days of old. the house stands on the left-hand side of the old boston road as you approach medford, and to-day attracts the admiration of electric car travellers just as a century and a half ago it was the focus for all stage passenger's eyes. externally the building presents three stories, the upper tier of windows being, as is usual in houses of even a much later date, smaller than those underneath. the house is of brick, but is on three sides entirely sheathed in wood, while the south end stands exposed. like several of the houses we are noting, it seems to turn its back on the high road. i am, however, inclined to a belief that the royall house set the fashion in this matter, for isaac, the indian nabob, was just the man to assume an attitude of fine indifference to the world outside his gates. when in 1837, he came, a successful antigua merchant, to establish his seat here in old charlestown, and to rule on his large estate, sole monarch of twenty-seven slaves, he probably felt quite indifferent, if not superior, to strangers and casual passers-by. his petition of december, 1737, in regard to the "chattels" in his train, addressed to the general court, reads: "petition of isaac royall, late of antigua, now of charlestown, in the county of middlesex, that he removed from antigua and brought with him among other things and chattels a parcel of negroes, designed for his own use, and not any of them for merchandise. he prays that he may not be taxed with impost." the brick quarters which the slaves occupied are situated on the south side of the mansion, and front upon the courtyard, one side of which they enclose. these may be seen on the extreme right of the picture, and will remind the reader who is familiar with washington's home at mount vernon of the quaint little stone buildings in which the father of his country was wont to house his slaves. the slave buildings in medford have remained practically unchanged, and according to good authority are the last visible relics of slavery in new england. the royall estate offered a fine example of the old-fashioned garden. fruit trees and shrubbery, pungent box bordering trim gravel paths, and a wealth of sweet-scented roses and geraniums were here to be found. even to-day the trees, the ruins of the flower-beds, and the relics of magnificent vines, are imposing as one walks from the street gate seventy paces back to the house-door. the carriage visitor--and in the old days all the royall guests came under this head--either alighted by the front entrance or passed by the broad drive under the shade of the fine old elms around into the courtyard paved with small white pebbles. the driveway has now become a side street, and what was once an enclosed garden of half an acre or more, with walks, fruit, and a summer-house at the farther extremity, is now the site of modern dwellings. [illustration: summer-house, royall estate, medford, mass.] this summer-house, long the favourite resort of the family and their guests, was a veritable curiosity in its way. placed upon an artificial mound with two terraces, and reached by broad flights of red sandstone steps, it was architecturally a model of its kind. hither, to pay their court to the daughters of the house, used to come george erving and the young sir william pepperell, and if the dilapidated walls (now taken down, but still carefully preserved) could speak, they might tell of many an historic love tryst. the little house is octagonal in form, and on its bell-shaped roof, surmounted by a cupola, there poises what was originally a figure of mercury. at present, however, the statue, bereft of both wings and arms, cannot be said greatly to resemble the dashing god. the exterior of the summer-house is highly ornamented with ionic pilasters, and taken as a whole is quaintly ruinous. it is interesting to discover that it was utility that led to the elevation of the mound, within which was an ice-house! and to get at the ice the slaves went through a trap-door in the floor of this greek structure! isaac royall, the builder of the fine old mansion, did not long live to enjoy his noble estate, but he was succeeded by a second isaac, who, though a "colonel," was altogether inclined to take more care for his patrimony than for his king. when the revolution began, colonel royall fell upon evil times. appointed a councillor by mandamus, he declined serving "from timidity," as gage says to lord dartmouth. royall's own account of his movements after the beginning of "these troubles," is such as to confirm the governor's opinion. he had prepared, it seems, to take passage for the west indies, intending to embark from salem for antigua, but having gone into boston the sunday previous to the battle of lexington, and remained there until that affair occurred, he was by the course of events shut up in the town. he sailed for halifax very soon, still intending, as he says, to go to antigua, but on the arrival of his son-in-law, george erving, and his daughter, with the troops from boston, he was by them persuaded to sail for england, whither his other son-in-law, sir william pepperell (grandson of the hero of louisburg), had preceded him. it is with this young sir william pepperell that our story particularly deals. the first sir william had been what is called a "self-made man," and had raised himself from the ranks of the soldiery through native genius backed by strength of will. his father is first noticed in the annals of the isles of shoals. the mansion now seen in kittery point was built, indeed, partly by this oldest pepperell known to us, and partly by his more eminent son. the building was once much more extensive than it now appears, having been some years ago shortened at either end. until the death of the elder pepperell, in 1734, the house was occupied by his own and his son's families. the lawn in front reached to the sea, and an avenue a quarter of a mile in length, bordered by fine old trees, led to the neighbouring house of colonel sparhawk, east of the village church. the first sir william, by his will, made the son of his daughter elizabeth and of colonel sparhawk, his residuary legatee, requiring him at the same time to relinquish the name of sparhawk for that of peperell. thus it was that the baronetcy, extinct with the death of the hero of louisburg, was revived by the king, in 1774, for the benefit of this grandson. [illustration: royall house, medford, mass.] [illustration: pepperell house, kittery, maine.] in the essex institute at salem, is preserved a two-thirds length picture of the first sir william pepperell, painted in 1751 by smibert, when the baronet was in london. of this picture, hawthorne once wrote the humourous description which follows: "sir william pepperell, in coat, waistcoat and breeches, all of scarlet broadcloth, is in the cabinet of the society; he holds a general's truncheon in his right hand, and points his left toward the army of new englanders before the walls of louisburg. a bomb is represented as falling through the air--it has certainly been a long time in its descent." the young william pepperell was graduated from cambridge in 1766, and the next year married the beautiful elizabeth royall. in 1774 he was chosen a member of the governor's council. but when this council was reorganised under the act of parliament, he fell into disgrace because of his loyalty to the king. on november 16, 1774, the people of his own county (york), passed at wells a resolution in which he was declared to have "forfeited the confidence and friendship of all true friends of american liberty, and ought to be detested by all good men." thus denounced, the baronet retired to boston, and sailed, shortly before his father-in-law's departure, for england. his beautiful lady, one is saddened to learn, died of smallpox ere the vessel had been many days out, and was buried at halifax. in england, sir william was allowed £500 per annum by the british government, and was treated with much deference. he was the good friend of all refugees from america, and entertained hospitably at his pleasant home. his private life was irreproachable, and he died in portman square, london, in december, 1816, at the age of seventy. his vast possessions and landed estate in maine were confiscated, except for the widow's dower enjoyed by lady mary, relict of the hero of louisburg, and her daughter, mrs. sparhawk. colonel royall, though he acted not unlike his son-in-law, sir william, has, because of his vacillation, far less of our respect than the younger man in the matter of his refusal to cast in his lot with that of the revolution. in 1778 he was publicly proscribed and formally banished from massachusetts. he thereupon took up his abode in kensington, middlesex, and from this place, in 1789, he begged earnestly to be allowed to return "home" to medford, declaring he was "ever a good friend of the province," and expressing the wish to marry again in his own country, "where, having already had one good wife, he was in hopes to get another, and in some degree repair his loss." his prayer was, however, refused, and he died of smallpox in england, october, 1781. by his will, harvard college was given a tract of land in worcester county, for the foundation of a professorship, which still bears his name. it is not, however, to be supposed that in war time so fine a place as the royall mansion should have been left unoccupied. when the yeomen began pouring into the environs of boston, encircling it with a belt of steel, the new hampshire levies pitched their tents in medford. they found the royall mansion in the occupancy of madam royall and her accomplished daughters, who willingly received colonel john stark into the house as a safeguard against insult, or any invasion of the estate the soldiers might attempt. a few rooms were accordingly set apart for the use of the bluff old ranger, and he, on his part, treated the family of the deserter with considerable respect and courtesy. it is odd to think that while the stately royalls were living in one part of this house, general stark and his plucky wife, molly, occupied quarters under the same roof. the second american general to be attracted by the luxury of the royall mansion was that general lee whose history furnishes material for a separate chapter. general lee it was to whom the house's echoing corridors suggested the name, hobgoblin hall. so far as known, however, no inhabitant of the royall house has ever been disturbed by strange visions or frightful dreams. after lee, by order of washington, removed to a house situated nearer his command, general sullivan, attracted, no doubt, by the superior comfort of the old country-seat, laid himself open to similar correction by his chief. in these two cases it will be seen washington enforced his own maxim that a general should sleep among his troops. in 1810, the royall mansion came into the possession of jacob tidd, in whose family it remained half a century, until it had almost lost its identity with the timid old colonel and his kin. as "mrs. tidd's house" it was long known in medford. the place was subsequently owned by george l. barr, and by george c. nichols, from whose hands it passed to that of mr. geer, the present owner. to be sure, it has sadly fallen from its high estate, but it still remains one of the most interesting and romantic houses in all new england, and when, as happens once or twice a year, the charming ladies of the local patriotic society powder their hair, don their great-grandmother's wedding gowns and entertain in the fine old rooms, it requires only a slight gift of fancy to see sir william pepperell's lovely bride one among the gay throng of fair women. molly stark's gentleman-son of the quaint ancestral homes still standing in the old granite state, none is more picturesque or more interesting from the historical view-point than the stark house in the little town of dunbarton, a place about five miles' drive out from concord, over one of those charming country roads, which properly make new hampshire the summer and autumn mecca of those who have been "long in populous city pent." rather oddly, this house has, for all its great wealth of historical interest, been little known to the general public. the starks are a conservative, as well as an old family, and they have never seen fit to make of their home a public show-house. yet those who are privileged to visit dunbarton and its chief boast, this famous house, always remember the experience as a particularly interesting one. seldom, indeed, can one find in these days a house like this, which, for more than one hundred years, has been occupied by the family for whom it was built, and through all the changes and chances of temporal affairs has preserved the characteristics of revolutionary times. originally dunbarton was starkstown. an ancestor of this family, archibald stark, was one of the original proprietors, owning many hundred acres, not a few of which are still in the starks' possession. just when and by whom the place received the name of the old scottish town and royal castle on the clyde, no historian seems able to state with definiteness, but that the present dunbarton represents only a small part of the original triangular township, all are agreed. of the big landowner, archibald stark, the general john stark of our revolution was a son. another of the original proprietors of dunbarton was a certain captain caleb page, whose name still clings to a rural neighbourhood of the township, a crossroads section pointed out to visitors as page's corner. and it was to elizabeth page, the bright and capable daughter of his father's old friend and neighbour, that the doughty john stark was married in august, 1758, while at home on a furlough. the son of this marriage was called caleb, after his maternal grandfather, and he it was who built the imposing old mansion of our story. caleb stark was a very remarkable man. born at dunbarton, december 3, 1759, he was present while only a lad at the battle of bunker hill, standing side by side with some of the veteran rangers of the french war, near the rail fence, which extended from the redoubt to the beach of the mystic river. in order to be at this scene of conflict, the boy had left home secretly some days before, mounted on his own horse, and armed only with a musket. after a long, hard journey, he managed to reach the royall house in medford, which was his father's headquarters at the time, the very night before the great battle. and the general, though annoyed at his son's manner of coming, recognised that the lad had done only what a stark must do at such a time, and permitted him to take part in the next day's fight. after that, there followed for caleb a time of great social opportunity, which transformed the clever, but unpolished new hampshire boy into as fine a young gentleman as was to be found in the whole country. the royall house, it will be remembered, was presided over in the troublous war times by the beautiful ladies of the family, than whom no more cultured and distinguished women were anywhere to be met. and these, though tory to the backbone, were disposed to be very kind and gracious to the brave boy whom the accident of war had made their guest. so it came about that even before he reached manhood's estate, caleb stark had acquired the grace and polish of europe. nor was the lad merely a carpet knight. so ably did he serve his father that he was made the elder soldier's aid-de-camp, when the father was made a brigadier-general, and by the time the war closed, was himself major stark, though scarcely twenty-four years old. [illustration: stark house, dunbarton, n. h.] soon after peace was declared, the young major came into his dunbarton patrimony, and in 1784, in a very pleasant spot in the midst of his estate, and facing the broad highway leading from dunbarton to weare, he began to build his now famous house. it was finished the next year, and in 1787, the young man, having been elected town treasurer of dunbarton, resolved to settle down in his new home, and brought there as his wife, miss sarah mckinstrey, a daughter of doctor william mckinstrey, formerly of taunton, massachusetts, a beautiful and cultivated girl, just twenty years old. it is interesting in this connection to note that all the women of the stark family have been beauties, and that they have, too, been sweet and charming in disposition, as well as in face. the old mansion on the weare road has been the home during its one hundred and ten years of life of several women who would have adorned, both by reason of their personal and intellectual charms, any position in our land. this being true, it is not odd that the country folk speak of the stark family with deepest reverence. beside building the family homestead, caleb stark did two other things which serve to make him distinguished even in a family where all were great. he entertained lafayette, and he accumulated the family fortune. both these things were accomplished at pembroke, where the major early established some successful cotton mills. the date of his entertainment of lafayette was, of course, 1825, the year when the marquis, after laying the corner-stone of our monument on bunker hill, made his triumphal tour through new hampshire. the bed upon which the great frenchman slept during his visit to the starks is still carefully preserved, and those guests who have had the privilege of being entertained by the present owners of the house can bear testimony to the fact that the couch is an extremely comfortable one. the room in which this bed is the most prominent article of furniture bears the name of the lafayette room, and is in every particular furnished after the manner of a sleeping apartment of one hundred years ago. the curtains of the high bedstead, the quaint toilet-table, the bedside table with its brass candlestick, and the pictures and the ornaments are all in harmony. nowhere has a discordant modern note been struck. the same thing is true of all the other apartments in the house. the starks have one and all displayed great taste and decided skill in preserving the long-ago tone that makes the place what it is. the second caleb, who inherited the estate in 1838, when his father, the brilliant major, died, was a harvard graduate, and writer of repute, being the author of a valuable memoir of his father and grandfather. he collected, even more than they had done, family relics of interest. when he died in 1865, his two sisters, harriett and charlotte, succeeded him in the possession of the estate. only comparatively recently has this latter sister died, and the place come into the hands of its present owner, mr. charles f. morris stark, an heir who has the traditions of the morris family to add to those of the starks, being on his mother's side a lineal descendant of robert morris, the great financier of the revolution. the present mrs. stark is the representative of still another noted new hampshire family, being the granddaughter of general john mcneil, a famous soldier of the granite state. few, indeed, are the homes in america which contain so much which, while of intimate interest to the family, is as well of wide historical importance. though a home, the house has the value of a museum. the portrait of major stark, which hangs in the parlour at the right of the square entrance-hall, was painted by professor samuel finley breese morse, the discoverer of the electric telegraph, a man who wished to come down to posterity as an artist, but is now remembered by us only as an inventor. this picture is an admirable presentation of its original. the gallant major looks down upon us with a person rather above the medium in height, of a slight but muscular frame, with the short waistcoat, the high collar, and the close, narrow shoulders of the gentleman's costume of 1830. the carriage of the head is noble, and the strong features, the deep-set, keen, blue eyes, and the prominent forehead, speak of courage, intelligence, and cool self-possession. beside this noteworthy portrait hangs a beautiful picture of the first mistress of this house, the mrs. stark who, as a girl, was miss sarah mckinstrey. her portrait shows her to have been a fine example of the blonde type of beauty. the splendid coils of her hair are very lustrous, and the dark hazel eyes look out from the frame with the charm and dignity of a st. cecilia. her costume, too, is singularly appropriate and becoming, azure silk with great puffs of lace around the white arms and queenly throat. the waist, girdled under the armpits, and the long-wristed mits stamp the date 1815-21. the portrait of general stark, which was painted by miss hannah crowninshield, is said not to look so much like the doughty soldier as does the morse picture of his son, but gilbert stuart's miss charlotte stark, recently deceased, shows the last daughter of the family to have fairly sustained in her youth the reputation for beauty which goes with the stark women. beside the portraits, there are in the house many other choice and valuable antiques. among these the woman visitor notices with particular interest the fan that was once the property of lady pepperell, who was a daughter, it will be remembered, of the royall family, who were so kind to major caleb stark in his youth. and to the man who loves historical things, the cane presented to general stark when he was a major, for valiant conduct in defence of fort william henry, will be of especial interest. this cane is made from the bone of a whale and is headed with ivory. on the mantelpiece stands another very interesting souvenir, a bronze statuette of napoleon i., which lafayette brought with him from france and presented to major stark. apropos of this there is an amusing story. the major was a great admirer of the distinguished bonaparte, and made a collection of napoleonic busts and pictures, all of which, together with the numerous other effects of the stark place, had to be appraised at his death. as it happened, the appraiser was a countryman of limited intelligence, and, when he was told to put down "twelve bonapartes," recorded "twelve pony carts," and it was thus that the item appeared on the legal paper. the house itself is a not unworthy imitation of an english manor-house, with its aspect of old-time grandeur and picturesque repose. it is of wood, two and a half stories high, with twelve dormer windows, a gambrel roof, and a large two-story l. in front there are two rows of tall and stately elms, and the trim little garden is enclosed by a painted iron fence. on either side of the spacious hall, which extends through the middle of the house, are to be found handsome trophies of the chase, collected by the present master of the place, who is a keen sportsman. a gorgeous carpet, which dates back fifty years, having been laid in the days of the beautiful sarah, supplies the one bit of colour in the parlour, while in the dining-room the rich silver and handsome mahogany testify to the old-time glories of the place. of manuscripts which are simply priceless, the house contains not a few; one, over the quaint wine-cooler in the dining-room, acknowledging, in george washington's own hand, courtesies extended to him and to his lady by a member of the morris family, being especially interesting. up-stairs, in the sunlit hall, among other treasures, more elegant but not more interesting, hangs a sunbonnet once worn by molly stark herself. not far off down the country road is perhaps the most beautiful and attractive spot in the whole town, the old family burying-ground of the starks, in which are interred all the deceased members of this remarkable family, from the revolutionary major caleb and his wife down. here, with grim, towering kearsarge standing ever like a sentinel, rests under the yew-trees the dust of this great family's honoured dead. a soldier of fortune "the only time i ever heard washington swear," lafayette once remarked, "was when he called general charles lee a 'damned poltroon,' after the arrest of that officer for treasonable conduct." nor was washington the only person of self-restraint and good manners whose temper and angry passions were roused by this same erratic general lee. lee was an englishman, born in cheshire in 1731. he entered the british army at the age of eleven years, was in braddock's expedition, and was wounded at ticonderoga in 1758. he also served for a time in portugal, but certain infelicities of temper hindered his advancement, and he never rose higher in the british service than a half-pay major. as a "soldier of fortune" he was vastly more successful. in all the pages of american history, indeed, it would be difficult to find anybody whose career was more interestingly and picturesquely checkered than was his. lee's purpose in coming to america has never been fully explained. there are concerning this, as every other step of his career, two diametrically opposed opinions. the american historians have for the most agreed in thinking him traitorous and self-seeking, but for my own part i find little to justify this belief, for i have no difficulty whatever in accounting for his soldierly vagaries on the score of his temperament, and the peculiar conditions of his early life. a man who, while still a youth, was adopted by the mohawk indians,--who who bestowed upon him the significant name of boiling water,--who was at one time aid-de-camp and intimate friend of the king of poland, who rendered good service in the russian war against the turks,--all before interesting himself at all in the cause of american freedom,--could scarcely be expected to be as simple in his us-ward emotions as an israel putnam or a general john stark might be. general lee arrived in new york from london, on november 10, 1773, his avowed object in seeking the colonies at such a troublous time being to investigate the justice of the american cause. he travelled all over the country in pursuance of facts concerning the fermenting feeling against england, but he was soon able to enroll himself unequivocally upon the side of the colonies. in a letter written to lord percy, then stationed at boston, this eccentric new friend of the american cause--himself, it must be remembered, still a half-pay officer in the english army--expressed with great freedom his opinion of england's position: "were the principle of taxing america without her consent admitted, great britain would that instant be ruined." and to general gage, his warm personal friend, lee wrote: "i am convinced that the court of tiberius was not more treacherous to the rights of mankind than is the present court of great britain." it is rather odd to find that general charles lee, of whom we know so little, and that little scarcely to his credit, occupied in the military court of the american array a position second only to washington; he was appointed a major-general on june 17, 1775, a date marked for us by the fact that bunker hill's battle was then fought. not long after his arrival at the camp, general lee, with that tendency to independent action which was afterward to work to his undoing, took up his quarters in the royall house. and lee it was who gave to the fine old place the name hobgoblin hall. from this mansion, emphatically remote from lee's command, the eccentric general was summarily recalled by his commander-in-chief, then, as ever after, quick to administer to this major-general what he conceived to be needed reproof. the house in which general lee next resided is still standing on sycamore street, somerville. when the place was occupied by lee it had one of those long pitched roofs, descending to a single story at the back, which are still occasionally met with in our interior new england towns. the house was, however, altered to its present appearance by that john tufts who occupied it during post-revolutionary times. from this lofty dwelling, lee was able to overlook boston, and to observe, by the aid of a strong field-glass, all the activities of the enemy's camp. [illustration: general lee's headquarters, somerville, mass.] lee himself was at this time an object of unfriendly espionage. in a "separate and secret despatch," lord dartmouth instructed general gage to have a special eye on the ex-english officer. that lee had resigned his claim to emolument in the english army does not seem to have made his countrymen as clear as it should have done concerning his relation to their cause. meanwhile, general lee, though sleeping in his wind-swept farmhouse and watching from its windows the movements of the british, indulged when opportunity offered in the social pleasures of the other american officers. rough and unattractive in appearance,--he seems to have been a kind of cyrano de bergerac, "a tall man, lank and thin, with a huge nose,"--he had, when he chose, a certain amount of social grace, and was often extremely entertaining. mrs. john adams, who first met general lee at an evening party at major mifflin's house in cambridge, describes him as looking like a "careless, hardy veteran," who brought to her mind his namesake, charles xii. "the elegance of his pen far exceeds that of his person," commented this acute lady. in further describing this evening spent at major mifflin's home, in the brattle mansion, mrs. adams writes: "general lee was very urgent for me to tarry in town, and dine with him and the ladies present, but i excused myself. the general was determined that i should not only be acquainted with him, but with his companions, too, and therefore placed a chair before me, into which he ordered mr. spada (his dog) to mount, and present his paw to me for better acquaintance."[2] lee was very fond indeed of dogs, and was constantly attended by one or more of them, this spada being a great, shaggy pomeranian, described by unbiased critics as looking more like a bear than a harmless canine. in this connection, it is interesting to know that lee has expressed himself very strongly in regard to the affection of men as compared with the affection of dogs. this love for dogs was, however, one of the more ornamental of general lee's traits. his carelessness in regard to his personal appearance was famous, and not a few amusing stories are told of the awkward situations in which this officer's slovenliness involved him. on one of washington's journeys, in which lee accompanied him, the major-general, upon arriving at the house where they were to dine, went straight to the kitchen and demanded something to eat. the cook, taking him for a servant, told him that she would give him some victuals directly, but that he must first help her off with the pot--a request with which he readily complied. he was then told to take a bucket and go to the well for water, and was actually engaged in drawing it when found by an aide whom washington had despatched in quest of him. the cook was in despair when she heard her assistant addressed by the title of "general." the mug fell from her hands, and dropping on her knees, she began crying for pardon, when lee, who was ever ready to see the impropriety of his own conduct, but never willing to change it, gave her a crown, and, turning to the aid-de-camp, observed: "you see, young man, the advantage of a fine coat; the man of consequence is indebted to it for respect; neither virtue nor ability, without it, will make you look like a gentleman."[3] perhaps the most remarkable episode in all lee's social career, was that connected with sir william howe's famous entertainment at philadelphia, the mischianza. this was just after the affair at monmouth, in the course of which washington swore, and lee was taken prisoner. yet though a prisoner, the eccentric general was treated with the greatest courtesy, and seems even to have received a card for the famous ball. but, never too careful of his personal appearance, he must on this occasion have looked particularly uncouth. certainly the beautiful miss franks, one of the philadelphia belles, thought him far from ornamental, and, with the keen wit for which she was celebrated, spread abroad a report that general lee came to the ball clad in green breeches, patched with leather. to prove to her that entire accuracy had not been used in describing his garb at the ball, the general sent the young lady the very articles of clothing which she had criticised! naturally, neither the ladies nor their escorts thought any better of lee's manners after this bit of horse-play, and it is safe to say he was not soon again invited to an evening party. mrs. hamilton and mrs. mercy warren both call lee "a crabbed man." the latter described him in a letter to samuel adams as "plain in his person to a degree of ugliness; careless even to impoliteness; his garb ordinary; his voice rough; his manners rather morose; yet sensible, learned, judicious, and penetrating." toward the end of his life, lee took refuge in an estate which he had purchased in berkeley county, virginia. here he lived, more like a hermit than a citizen of the world, or a member of a civilised community. his house was little more than a shell, without partitions, and it lacked even such articles of furniture as were necessary for the most common uses. to a gentleman who visited him in this forlorn retreat, where he found a kitchen in one corner, a bed in another, books in a third, saddles and harness in a fourth, lee said: "sir, it is the most convenient and economical establishment in the world. the lines of chalk which you see on the floor mark the divisions of the apartments, and i can sit in a corner and give orders and overlook the whole without moving from my chair."[4] general lee died in an obscure inn in philadelphia, october 2, 1782. his will was characteristic: "i desire most earnestly that i may not be buried in any church or churchyard, or within a mile of any presbyterian or baptist meeting-house; for since i have resided in this country i have kept so much bad company that i do not choose to continue it when dead." in this will, our singular hero paid a tribute of affectionate remembrance to several of his intimate friends, and of grateful generosity to the humble dependents who had adhered to him and ministered to his wants in his retirement. the bulk of his property--for he was a man of no small means--was bequeathed to his only sister, sydney lee, to whom he was ever devotedly attached. footnotes: [footnote 2: drake's "historic fields and mansions of middlesex." little, brown & co., publishers.] [footnote 3: drake's "historic fields and mansions of middlesex."] [footnote 4: sparks's "life of charles lee." little, brown & co.] the message of the lanterns [illustration: christ church--paul revere house, boston, mass.] there are many points of view from which this tale of paul revere may be told, but to the generality of people the interest of the poem, and of the historical event itself, will always centre around christ church, on salem street, in the north end of boston--the church where the lanterns were hung out on the night before the battles of lexington and concord. at nearly every hour of the day some one may be seen in the now unfrequented street looking up at the edifice's lofty spire with an expression full of reverence and satisfaction. there upon the venerable structure, imbedded in the solid masonry of the tower front, one reads upon a tablet: the signal lanterns of paul revere displayed in the steeple of this church, april 18, 1775, warned the country of the march of the british troops to lexington and concord. if the pilgrim wishes to get into the very spirit of old christ church and its historical associations, he can even climb the tower--- "by the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread, to the belfry chamber overhead, and startle the pigeons from their perch on the sombre rafters, that round him make masses and moving shapes of shade"---to look down as sexton robert newman did that eventful night on--- "the graves on the hill, lonely and spectral and sombre and still." the first time i ever climbed the tower i confess that i was seized with an overpowering sense of the weirdness and mystery of those same spectral graves, seen thus from above. it was dark and gloomy going up the stairs, and if robert newman had thought of the prospect, rather than of his errand, i venture to say he must have been frightened for all his bravery, in that gloomy tower at midnight. but, of course, his mind was intent on the work he had to do, and on the signals which would tell how the british were to proceed on their march to seize the rebel stores at concord. the signals agreed upon were two lanterns if the troops went by way of water, one if they were to go by land. in longfellow's story we learn that newman--- "through alley and street, wanders and watches with eager ears, till in the silence around him he hears the muster of men at the barrack door, the sound of arms and the tramp of feet, and the measured tread of the grenadiers, marching down to their boats on the shore." it had been decided that the journey should be made by sea! the province of massachusetts, it must be understood, was at this time on the eve of open revolt. it had formed an army, commissioned its officers, and promulgated orders as if there were no such person as george iii. it was collecting stores in anticipation of the moment when its army should take the field. it had, moreover, given general gage--whom the king had sent to boston to put down the rebellion there--to understand that the first movement made by the royal troops into the country would be considered as an act of hostility, and treated as such. gage had up to this time hesitated to act. at length his resolution to strike a crippling blow, and, if possible, to do it without bloodshed, was taken. spies had informed him that the patriots' depot of ammunition was at concord, and he had determined to send a secret expedition to destroy those stores. meanwhile, however, the patriots were in great doubt as to the time when the definite movement was to be made. fully appreciating the importance of secrecy, general gage quietly got ready eight hundred picked troops, which he meant to convey under cover of night across the west bay, and to land on the cambridge side, thus baffling the vigilance of the townspeople, and at the same time considerably shortening the distance his troops would have to march. so much pains were taken to keep the actual destination of these troops a profound secret, that even the officer who was selected for the command only received an order notifying him to hold himself in readiness. "the guards in the town were doubled," writes mr. drake, "and in order to intercept any couriers who might slip through them, at the proper moment mounted patrols were sent out on the roads leading to concord. having done what he could to prevent intelligence from reaching the country, and to keep the town quiet, the british general gave his orders for the embarkation; and at between ten and eleven of the night of april 18, the troops destined for this service were taken across the bay in boats to the cambridge side of the river. at this hour, gage's pickets were guarding the deserted roads leading into the country, and up to this moment no patriot courier had gone out." [illustration: robert newman house, boston, mass.] newman with his signals and paul revere on his swift horse were able, however, to baffle successfully the plans of the british general. the redcoats had scarcely gotten into their boats, when dawes and paul revere started by different roads to warn hancock and adams, and the people of the country-side, that the regulars were out. revere rode by way of charlestown, and dawes by the great highroad over the neck. revere had hardly got clear of charlestown when he discovered that he had ridden headlong into the middle of the british patrol! being the better mounted, however, he soon distanced his pursuers, and entered medford, shouting like mad, "up and arm! up and arm! the regulars are out! the regulars are out!" longfellow has best described the awakening of the country-side: "a hurry of hoofs in the village street, a shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark, and beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet; that was all! and yet, through the gloom and the light, the fate of a nation was riding that night; and the spark struck out by that steed, in its flight, kindled the land into flame with its heat." the porter house in medford, at which revere stopped long enough to rouse the captain of the guards, and warn him of the approach of the regulars, is now no longer standing, but the clark place, in lexington, where the proscribed fellow-patriots, hancock and adams, were lodging that night, is still in a good state of preservation. the room occupied by "king" hancock and "citizen" adams is the one on the lower floor, at the left of the entrance. hancock was at this time visiting this particular house because "dorothy q," his fiancée, was just then a guest of the place, and martial pride, coupled, perhaps, with the feeling that he must show himself in the presence of his lady-love a soldier worthy of her favour, inclined him to show fight when he heard from revere that the regulars were expected. his widow related, in after years, that it was with great difficulty that she and the colonel's aunt kept him from facing the british on the day following the midnight ride. while the bell in the green was sounding the alarm, hancock was cleaning his sword and his fusee, and putting his accoutrements in order. he is said to have been a trifle of a dandy in his military garb, and his points, sword-knot, and lace, were always of the newest fashion. perhaps it was the desire to show himself in all his war-paint that made him resist so long the importunities of the ladies, and the urgency of other friends! the astute adams, it is recounted, was a little annoyed at his friend's obstinacy, and, clapping him on the shoulder, exclaimed, as he looked significantly at the weapons, "that is not our business; we belong to the cabinet."[5] it was adams who threw light on the whole situation. half an hour after revere reached the house, the other express arrived, and the two rebel leaders, being now fully convinced that it was concord which was the threatened point, hurried the messengers on to the next town, after allowing them barely time to swallow a few mouthfuls of food. adams did not believe that gage would send an army merely to take two men prisoners. to him, the true object of the expedition was very clear. revere, dawes, and young doctor prescott, of concord, who had joined them, had got over half the distance to the next town, when, at a sudden turning, they came upon the second redcoat patrol. prescott leaped his horse over the roadside wall, and so escaped across the fields to concord. revere and dawes, at the point of the pistol, gave themselves up. their business on the road at that hour was demanded by the officer, who was told in return to listen. then, through the still morning air, the distant booming of the alarm bell's peal on peal was borne to their ears. it was the british who were now uneasy. ordering the prisoners to follow them, the troop rode off at a gallop toward lexington, and when they were at the edge of the village, revere was told to dismount, and was left to shift for himself. he then ran as fast as his legs could carry him across the pastures back to the clark parsonage, to report his misadventure, while the patrol galloped off toward boston to announce theirs. but by this time, the minute men of lexington had rallied to oppose the march of the troops. thanks to the intrepidity of paul revere, the north end coppersmith, the redcoats, instead of surprising the rebels in their beds, found them marshalled on lexington green, and at concord bridge, in front, flank, and rear, armed and ready to dispute their march to the bitter end. "you know the rest. in the books you have read how the british regulars fired and fled- how the farmers gave them ball for ball, from behind each fence and farmyard wall, chasing the redcoats down the lane, then crossing the fields to emerge again under the trees at the turn of the road, and only pausing to fire and load. "so through the night rode paul revere; and so through the night went his cry of alarm to every middlesex village and farm--- a cry of defiance and not of fear, a voice in the darkness, a knock at the door, and a word that shall echo for evermore! for, borne on the night wind of the past, through all our history, to the last, the people will waken and listen to hear the hurrying hoof beats of that steed, and the midnight message of paul revere."[6] footnotes: [footnote 5: drake's "historic fields and mansions of middlesex." little, brown & co., publishers.] [footnote 6: "paul revere's ride:" longfellow's poems. houghton, mifflin & co., publishers.] hancock's dorothy q. the dorothy q. of our present interest is not the little maiden of holmes's charming poem- "grandmother's mother; her age i guess, thirteen summers, or something less; girlish bust, but womanly air; smooth, square forehead with uprolled hair, lips that lover has never kissed; taper fingers and slender wrist; hanging sleeves of stiff brocade; so they painted the little maid. on her hand a parrot green sits unmoving and broods serene." but her niece, the dorothy q. whom john hancock loved, and was visiting at lexington, when paul revere warned him of the redcoats' approach. this dorothy happened to be staying just then with the reverend jonas clark, under the protection of madam lydia hancock, the governor's aunt. and it was to meet her, his fiancée, that hancock went, on the eve of the 19th of april, to the house made famous by his visit. one imaginative writer has sketched for us the notable group gathered that april night about the time-honoured hearthstone in the modest lexington parsonage: "the last rays of the setting sun have left the dampness of the meadows to gather about the home; and each guest and family occupant has gladly taken seats within the house, while mrs. jonas clark has closed the shutters, added a new forelog, and fanned the embers to a cheerful flame. the young couple whom madam hancock has studiously brought together exchange sympathetic glances as they take part in the conversation. the hours wear away, and the candles are snuffed again and again. then the guests retire, not, to be sure, without apprehensions of approaching trouble, but with little thought that the king's strong arm of military authority is already extended toward their very roof."[7] [illustration: clark house, lexington, mass.] early the next morning, as we know, the lovers were forced to part in great haste. and for a time john hancock and his companion, samuel adams, remained in seclusion, that they might not be seized by general gage, who was bent on their arrest, and intended to have them sent to england for trial. the first word we are able to find concerning hancock's whereabouts during the interim between his escape from lexington, and his arrival at the continental congress, appointed to convene at philadelphia, may 10, 1775, is contained in a long letter to miss quincy. this letter, which gives a rather elaborate account of the dangers and triumphs of the patriot's journey, concludes: "pray let me hear from you by every post. god bless you, my dear girl, and believe me most sincerely, yours most affectionately, john hancock." a month later, june 10, 1775, we find the charming dorothy q., now the guest at fairfield, connecticut, of thaddeus burr, receiving this letter from her lover: * * * * * "my dear dolly:--i am almost prevail'd on to think that my letters to my aunt & you are not read, for i cannot obtain a reply, i have ask'd million questions & not an answer to one, i beg'd you to let me know what things my aunt wanted & you and many other matters i wanted to know but not one word in answer. i really take it extreme unkind, pray, my dear, use not so much ceremony & reservedness, why can't you use freedom in writing, be not afraid of me, i want long letters. i am glad the little things i sent you were agreeable. why did you not write me of the top of the umbrella. i am sorry it was spoiled, but i will send you another by my express which will go in a few days. how did my aunt like her gown, & let me know if the stockings suited her; she had better send a pattern shoe & stocking, i warrant i will suit her.... i beg, my dear dolly, you will write me often and long letters, i will forgive the past if you will mend in future. do ask my aunt to make me up and send me a watch string, and do you make up another and send me, i wear them out fast. i want some little thing of your doing. remember me to all my friends with you, as if named. i am call'd upon and must obey. "i have sent you by doctor church in a paper box directed to you, the following things, for your acceptance, & which i do insist you wear, if you do not i shall think the donor is the objection: 2 pair white silk } which stockings 4 pair white thread } i think will fit you 1 pair black satin } shoes, the other, 1 pair calem co. } shall be sent when done. 1 very pretty light hat 1 neat airy summer cloak 2 caps 1 fann "i wish these may please you, i shall be gratified if they do, pray write me, i will attend to all your commands. "adieu, my dear girl, and believe me with great esteem & affection, "yours without reserve, "john hancock."[8] [illustration: dorothy q. house, quincy, mass.] it is interesting to know that while miss quincy was a guest in fairfield, aaron burr, the nephew of her host, came to the house, and that his magnetic influence soon had an effect upon the beautiful young lady. but watchful aunt lydia prevented the charmer from thwarting the hancock family plans, and on the 28th day of the following august there was a great wedding at fairfield. john hancock, president of the continental congress, and miss dorothy quincy were joined in marriage in style befitting the family situations. the noted couple went at once to philadelphia, where the patriot lived at intervals during the remainder of the session. mrs. hancock seems to have been much of the time in boston, however, and occasionally, in the course of the next few years, we catch delightful glimpses through her husband's letters of his great affection for her, and for their little one. under date of philadelphia, march 10, 1777, we read: "i shall make out as well as i can, but i assure you, my dear soul, i long to have you here, & i know you will be as expeditious as you can in coming. when i part from you again it must be a very extraordinary occasion. i have sent everywhere to get a gold or silver rattle for the child with a coral to send, but cannot get one. i will have one if possible on your coming. i have sent a sash for her & two little papers of pins for you. if you do not want them you can give them away. "... may every blessing of an indulgent providence attend you. i most sincerely wish you a good journey & hope i shall soon have the happiness of seeing you with the utmost affection and love. my dear dolly, i am yours forever, "john hancock." after two years and a half of enforced absence, the president of the continental congress returned home to that beautiful house on beacon street, which was unfortunately destroyed in 1863, to make room for a more modern building. here the united couple lived very happily with their two children, lydia and washington. judging by descriptions that have come down to us, and by the world's fair reproduction of the hancock house, their mansion must have been a very sumptuous one. it was built of stone, after the manner favoured by bostonians who could afford it, with massive walls, and a balcony projecting over the entrance door, upon which a large second-story window opened. braintree stone ornamented the corners and window-places, and the tiled roof was surrounded by a balustrade. from the roof, dormer windows provided a beautiful view of the surrounding country. the grounds were enclosed by a low stone wall, on which was placed a light wooden fence. the house itself was a little distance back from the street, and the approach was by means of a dozen stone steps and a carefully paved walk. at the right of the entrance was a reception-room of spacious dimensions, provided with furniture of bird's-eye maple, covered with rich damask. out of this opened the dining-room, sixty feet in length, in which hancock was wont to entertain. opposite was a smaller apartment, the usual dining-room of the family. next adjoining were the china-room and offices, while behind were to be found the coach-house and barn of the estate. the family drawing-room, its lofty walls covered with crimson paper, was at the left of the entrance. the upper and lower halls of the house were hung with pictures of game and with hunting scenes. the furniture, wall-papers and draperies throughout the house had been imported from england by thomas hancock, and expressed the height of luxury for that day. passing through the hall, a flight of steps led to a small summer-house in the garden, near mount vernon street, and here the grounds were laid out in ornamental box-bordered beds like those still to be seen in the beautiful washington home on the potomac. a highly interesting corner of the garden was that given over to the group of mulberry-trees, which had been imported from england by thomas hancock, the uncle of john, he being, with others of his time, immensely interested in the culture of the silkworm. of this beautiful home dorothy quincy showed herself well fitted to be mistress, and through her native grace and dignity admirably performed her part at the reception of d'estaing, lafayette, washington, brissot, lords stanley and wortley, and other noted guests. on october 8, 1793, hancock died, at the age of fifty-six years. the last recorded letter penned in his letter volume was to captain james scott, his lifelong friend. and it was to this captain scott that our dorothy q. gave her hand in a second marriage three years later. she outlived her second husband many years, residing at the end of her life on federal street in boston. when turned of seventy she had a lithe, handsome figure, a pair of laughing eyes, and fine yellow ringlets in which scarcely a gray hair could be seen. and although for the second time a widow, she was as sprightly as a girl of sixteen. in her advanced years, madam scott received another call from lafayette, and those who witnessed the hearty interview say that the once youthful chevalier and the unrivalled belle met as if only a summer had passed since their social intercourse during the perils of the revolution. footnotes: [footnote 7: drake.] [footnote 8: _new england magazine._] baroness riedesel and her tory friends the most beautiful example of wifely devotion to be found in the annals connected with the war of the revolution is that afforded by the story of the lovely baroness riedesel, whose husband was deputed to serve at the head of the german mercenaries allied to the king's troops, and who was herself, with the baron and her children, made prisoner of war after the battle of saratoga. riedesel was a gallant soldier, and his wife a fair and fascinating young woman at this time. they had not been long married when the war in america broke out, and the wife's love for her husband was such as to impel her to dare all the hardships of the journey and join him in the foreign land. her letters and journal, which give a lively and vivid account of the perils of this undertaking, and of the pleasures and difficulties that she experienced after she had succeeded in reaching her dear spouse, supply what is perhaps the most interesting human document of those long years of war. the baroness landed on the american continent at quebec, and travelled amid great hardships to chambly, where her husband was stationed. for two days only they were together. after that she returned with her children to three rivers. soon, however, came the orders to march down into the enemy's country. the description of this journey as the baroness has given it to us makes, indeed, moving reading. once a frightful cannonade was directed against the house in which the women and the wounded had taken refuge. in the cellar of this place madam riedesel and her children passed the entire night. it was in this cellar, indeed, that the little family lived during the long period of waiting that preceded the capitulation made necessary by burgoyne's inexcusable delay near saratoga. later the riedesels were most hospitably entertained at saratoga by general schuyler, his wife and daughters, of whom the baroness never fails to speak in her journal with the utmost affection. the journey from albany to boston was full of incident and hardship, but of it the plucky wife writes only: "in the midst of all my trials god so supported me that i lost neither my frolicsomeness nor my spirits...." the contrast between the station of the americans and of the germans who were their prisoners, is strikingly brought out in this passage of the diary: "some of the american generals who were in charge of us on the march to boston were shoemakers; and upon our halting days they made boots for our officers, and also mended nicely the shoes of our soldiers. they set a great value upon our money coinage, which with them was scarce. one of our officers had worn his boots entirely into shreds. he saw that an american general had on a good pair, and said to him, jestingly, 'i will gladly give you a guinea for them.' immediately the general alighted from his horse, took the guinea, gave up his boots, put on the badly-worn ones of the officer, and again mounted his horse." the journey was at length successfully accomplished, however, and in massachusetts the baroness was on the whole very well treated, it would seem. "we remained three weeks in wretched quarters at winter hill," she writes, "until they transferred us to cambridge, where they lodged us in one of the most beautiful houses of the place, which had formerly been built by the wealth of the royalists. never had i chanced upon any such agreeable situation. seven families, who were connected with each other partly by the ties of relationship and partly by affection, had here farms, gardens, and magnificent houses, and not far off plantations of fruit. the owners of these were in the habit of meeting each other in the afternoon, now at the house of one, and now at another, and making themselves merry with music and the dance--living in prosperity united and happy, until, alas! this ruinous war severed them, and left all their houses desolate except two, the proprietors of which were also soon obliged to flee.... "none of our gentlemen were allowed to go into boston. curiosity and desire urged me, however, to pay a visit, to madam carter, the daughter of general schuyler, and i dined at her house several times. the city throughout is pretty, but inhabited by violent patriots, and full of wicked people. the women especially were so shameless, that they regarded me with repugnance, and even spit at me when i passed by them. madam carter was as gentle and good as her parents, but her husband was wicked and treacherous. she came often to visit us, and also dined at our house with the other generals. we sought to show them by every means our gratitude. they seemed also to have much friendship for us; and yet at the same time this miserable carter, when the english general howe had burned many hamlets and small towns, made the horrible proposition to the americans to chop off the heads of our generals, salt them down in small barrels, and send over to the english one of these barrels for every hamlet or little town burned down. but this barbarous suggestion fortunately was not adopted. "... i saw here that nothing is more terrible than a civil war. almost every family was disunited.... on the third of june, 1778, i gave a ball and supper in celebration of the birthday of my husband. i had invited to it all the generals and officers. the carters also were there. general burgoyne sent an excuse after he had made us wait until eight o'clock in the evening. he invariably excused himself on various pretences from coming to see us until his departure for england, when he came and made me a great many apologies, but to which i made no other answer than that i should be extremely sorry if he had gone out of his way on our account. we danced considerably, and our cook prepared us a magnificent supper of more than eighty covers. moreover, our courtyard and garden were illuminated. as the birthday of the king of england came upon the following day, which was the fourth, it was resolved that we would not separate until his health had been drank; which was done with the most hearty attachment to his person and his interests. "never, i believe, has 'god save the king,' been drunk with more enthusiasm or more genuine good will. even both my oldest little daughters were there, having stayed up to see the illumination. all eyes were full of tears; and it seemed as if every one present was proud to have the spirit to venture to this in the midst of our enemies. even the carters could not shut their hearts against us. as soon as the company separated, we perceived that the whole house was surrounded by americans, who, having seen so many people go into the house, and having noticed also the illumination, suspected that we were planning a mutiny, and if the slightest disturbance had arisen it would have cost us dear.... "the americans," says the baroness, further on, "when they desire to collect their troops together, place burning torches of pitch upon the hilltops, at which signal every one hastens to the rendezvous. we were once witnesses of this when general howe attempted a landing at boston in order to rescue the captive troops. they learned of this plan, as usual, long beforehand, and opened barrels of pitch, whereupon for three or four successive days a large number of people without shoes and stockings, and with guns on their backs, were seen hastily coming from all directions, by which means so many people came together so soon that it would have been a very difficult thing to effect a landing. "we lived very happily and contented in cambridge, and were therefore well pleased at remaining there during the captivity of our troops. as winter approached, however, we were ordered to virginia [because of the difficulty of providing provisions], and in the month of november, 1778, set out. "my husband, fortunately, found a pretty english wagon, and bought it for me, so that as before i was enabled to travel comfortably. my little gustava had entreated one of my husband's adjutants, captain edmonston, not to leave us on the way. the confiding manner of the child touched him and he gave his promise and faithfully kept it. i travelled always with the army and often over almost impassable roads.... "i had always provisions with me, but carried them in a second small wagon. as this could not go as fast as we, i was often in want of everything. once when we were passing a town called hertford [hartford, connecticut], we made a halt, which, by the by, happened every fourth day. we there met general lafayette, whom my husband invited to dinner, as otherwise he would have been unable to find anything to eat. this placed me in rather an awkward dilemma as i knew that he loved a good dinner. finally, however, i managed to glean from what provisions i had on hand enough to make him a very respectable meal. he was so polite and agreeable that he pleased us all very much. he had many americans in his train, though, who were ready to leap out of their skins for vexation at hearing us speak constantly in french. perhaps they feared, on seeing us on such a friendly footing with him, that we would be able to alienate him from their cause, or that he would confide things to us that we ought not to know. "lafayette spoke much of england, and of the kindness of the king in having had all objects of interest shown to him. i could not keep myself from asking him how he could find it in his heart to accept so many marks of kindness from the king when he was on the point of departing in order to fight against him. upon this observation of mine he appeared somewhat ashamed, and answered me: 'it is true that such a thought passed through my mind one day, when the king offered to show me his fleet. i answered that i hoped to see it some day, and then quietly retired, in order to escape from the embarrassment of being obliged to decline, point blank, the offer, should it be repeated.'" the baroness's own meeting with the king soon after her return to england, in the autumn of 1780, when the prisoners were exchanged, is thus entertainingly described: "one day when we were yet seated at table, the queen's first lady of honour, my lady howard, sent us a message to the effect that her majesty would receive us at six o'clock that afternoon. as my court dress was not yet ready, and i had nothing with me proper to wear, i sent my apologies for not going at that time, which i again repeated when we had the honour of being presented to their majesties, who were both present at the reception. the queen, however, as did also the king, received us with extraordinary graciousness, and replied to my excuses by saying, 'we do not look at the dress of those persons we are glad to see.' "they were surrounded by the princesses, their daughters. we seated ourselves before the chimney-fire,--the queen, the princesses, the first lady of honour, and myself,--forming a half-circle, my husband, with the king, standing in the centre close to the fire. tea and cakes were then passed round. i sat between the queen and one of the princesses, and was obliged to go over a great part of my adventures. her majesty said to me very graciously, 'i have followed you everywhere, and have often inquired after you; and i have always heard with delight that you were well, contented, and beloved by every one.' i happened to have at this time a shocking cough. observing this, the princess sophia went herself and brought me a jelly made of black currants, which she represented as a particularly good remedy, and forced me to accept a jar full. "about nine o'clock in the evening the prince of wales came in. his youngest sisters flocked around him, and he embraced them and danced them around. in short, the royal family had such a peculiar gift for removing all restraint that one could readily imagine himself to be in a cheerful family circle of his own station in life. we remained with them until ten o'clock, and the king conversed much with my husband about america in german, which he spoke exceedingly well." [illustration: riedesel house, cambridge, mass.] from england the baroness proceeded (in 1783), to her home in brunswick, where she was joyfully received, and where, after her husband's triumph, they enjoyed together respite from war for a period of four years. in 1794, general riedesel was appointed commandant of the city of brunswick, where he died in 1800. the baroness survived him eight years, passing away in berlin, march 29, 1808, at the age of sixty-two. she rests beside her beloved consort in the family vault at lauterbach. her cambridge residence, which formerly stood at the corner of sparks street, on brattle, among the beautiful lindens so often mentioned in the "journal," has recently been remodelled and removed to the next lot but one from its original site. it now looks as in the picture, and is numbered 149 brattle street. a little street at the right has been appropriately named riedesel avenue. yet even in history-loving cambridge there is little familiarity with the career of the baron and his charming lady, and there are few persons who have read the entertaining journal, written in german a century and a quarter ago by this clever and devoted wife. doctor church: first traitor to the american cause very few old houses retain at the present time so large a share of the dignity and picturesqueness originally theirs, as does the homestead whose chief interest for us lies in the fact that it was the revolutionary prison of doctor benjamin church, the first-discovered traitor to the american cause. this house is on brattle street, at the corner of hawthorn. built about 1700, it came early into the possession of jonathan belcher, who afterward became sir jonathan, and from 1730 till 1741 was governor of massachusetts and new hampshire. colonel john vassall the elder was the next owner of the house, acquiring it in 1736, and somewhat later conveying it, with its adjoining estate of seven acres, to his brother, major henry, an officer in the militia, who died under its roof in 1769. major henry vassall had married penelope, sister of isaac royall, the proprietor of the beautiful place at medford, but upon the beginning of hostilities, this sprightly widow abandoned her spacious home in such haste that she carried along with her, according to tradition, a young companion whom she had not time to restore to her friends! such of her property as could be used by the colony forces was given in charge of colonel stark, while the rest was allowed to pass into boston. the barns and roomy outbuildings were used for the storage of the colony forage. [illustration: house where doctor church was confined, cambridge, mass.] it is highly probable that the widow vassall's house at once became the american hospital, and that it was the residence, as it was certainly the prison, of doctor benjamin church. church had been placed at the head of an army hospital for the accommodation of twenty thousand men, and till this time had seemed a brave and zealous compatriot of warren and the other leading men of the time. soon after his appointment, he was, however, detected in secret correspondence with gage. he had entrusted to a woman of his acquaintance a letter written in cipher to be forwarded to the british commander. this letter was found upon the girl, she was taken to headquarters, and there the contents of the fatal message were deciphered and the defection of doctor church established. when questioned by washington he appeared utterly confounded, and made no attempt to vindicate himself. the letter itself did not contain any intelligence of importance, but the discovery that one, until then so high in the esteem of his countrymen, was engaged in a clandestine correspondence with the enemy was deemed sufficient evidence of guilt. church was therefore arrested at once, and confined in a chamber looking upon brattle street. some of his leisure, while here imprisoned, he employed in cutting on the door of a closet: "b church, jr." there the marks still remain, their significance having after a half century been interpreted by a lady of the house to whom they had long been familiar, but who had lacked any clue to their origin until, in the course of a private investigation, she determined beyond a doubt their relation to church. the chamber has two windows in the north front, and two overlooking the area on the south. church's fall was the more terrible because from a height. he was a member of a very distinguished family, and he had been afforded in his youth all the best opportunities of the day. in 1754 he was graduated at harvard, and after studying with doctor pynchon rose to considerable eminence as a physician and particularly as a surgeon. besides talents and genius of a sort, he was endowed with a rare poetic fancy, many of his verses being full of daintiness as well as of a very pretty wit. he was, however, somewhat extravagant in his habits, and about 1768 had built himself an elegant country house near boston. it was to sustain this, it is believed, that he sold himself to the king's cause. to all appearance, however, church was up to the very hour of his detection one of the leading patriots of the time. he had been chosen to deliver the oration in the old south meeting-house on march 5, 1773, and he there pronounced a stirring discourse, which has still power to thrill the reader, upon the massacre the day celebrates, and the love of liberty which inspired the patriots' revolt on that memorable occasion. yet two years earlier, as we have since discovered from a letter of governor hutchinson, he had been anonymously employing his venal pen in the service of the government! in 1774, when he was a member of the provincial congress, he was first suspected of communication with gage, and of receiving a reward for his treachery. paul revere has written concerning this: "in the fall of '74 and the winter of '75 i was one of upwards of thirty, chiefly mechanics, who formed themselves into a committee for the purpose of watching the movements of the british soldiers and gaining every intelligence of the tories. we held our meetings at the green dragon tavern. this committee were astonished to find all their secrets known to general gage, although every time they met every member swore not to reveal any of their transactions except to hancock, adams, warren, otis, church, and one or two others." the traitor, of course, proved to be doctor church. one of his students who kept his books and knew of his money embarrassment first mistrusted him. only treachery, he felt, could account for his master's sudden acquisition of some hundreds of new british guineas. the doctor was called before a council of war consisting of all the major-generals and brigadiers of the army, beside the adjutant-general, washington himself presiding. this tribunal decided that church's acts had been criminal, but remanded him for the decision of the general court, of which he was a member. he was taken in a chaise, escorted by general gates and a guard of twenty men, to the music of fife and drum, to watertown meeting-house, where the court sat. "the galleries," says an old writer, "were thronged with people of all ranks. the bar was placed in the middle of the broad aisle, and the doctor arraigned." his defence at the trial was very ingenious and able:--that the fatal letter was designed for his brother, but that since it was not sent he had communicated no intelligence; that there was nothing in the letter but notorious facts; that his exaggerations of the american force could only be designed to favour the cause of his country; and that his object was purely patriotic. he added, in a burst of sounding though unconvincing oratory: "the warmest bosom here does not flame with a brighter zeal for the security, happiness, and liberties of america than mine." these eloquent professions did not avail him, however. he was adjudged guilty, and expelled from the house of representatives of massachusetts. by order of the general congress, he was condemned to close confinement in norwich jail in connecticut, "and debarred from the use of pen, ink, and paper," but his health failing, he was allowed (in 1776) to leave the country. he sailed for the west indies,--and the vessel that bore him was never afterward heard from. some people in church's time, as well as our own, have been disposed to doubt the man's treachery, but paul revere was firmly convinced that the doctor was in the pay of general gage. revere's statement runs in part as follows: "the same day i met doctor warren. he was president of the committee of safety. he engaged me as a messenger to do the out-of-doors business for that committee; which gave me an opportunity of being frequently with them. the friday evening after, about sunset, i was sitting with some or near all that committee in their room, which was at mr. hastings's house in cambridge. doctor church all at once started up. 'doctor warren,' said he, 'i am determined to go into boston to-morrow.' (it set them all a-staring.) doctor warren replied, 'are you serious, doctor church? they will hang you if they catch you in boston.' he replied, 'i am serious, and am determined to go at all adventures.' after a considerable conversation, doctor warren said, 'if you are determined, let us make some business for you.' they agreed that he should go to get medicine for their and our wounded officers." naturally, paul revere, who was an ardent patriot as well as an exceedingly straightforward man, had little sympathy with church's weakness, but to-day as one looks at the initials scratched by the prisoner on the door of his cell, one's heart expands with pity for the man, and one wonders long and long whether the vessel on which he sailed was really lost, or whether he escaped on it to foreign shores, there to expiate as best he could his sin against himself and his country. a victim of two revolutions in the life of colonel james swan, as in that of doctor benjamin church, money was the root of all evil. swan was almost a fool because of his pig-headedness in financial adversity, and church was ever a knave, plausible even when proved guilty. yet both fell from the same cause, utter inability to keep money and avoid debt. colonel swan's history reads very like a romance. he was born in fifeshire, scotland, in 1754, and came to america in 1765. he found employment in boston, and devoted all his spare time to books. while a clerk of eighteen, in a counting-house near faneuil hall, he published a work on the african slave trade, entitled, "a discussion of great britain and her colonies from the slave trade," a copy of which, preserved in the boston public library, is well worth reading for its flavour and wit. while serving an apprenticeship with thaxter & son, he formed an intimate friendship with several other clerks who, in after years, became widely known, among them, benjamin thompson, afterward made count rumford, and henry knox, who later became the bookseller on cornhill, and finally a general in the continental army. swan was a member of the sons of liberty, and took part in the famous boston tea-party. he was engaged in the battle of bunker hill as a volunteer aid of warren, and was twice wounded. he also witnessed the evacuation of boston by the british, march 17, 1776. he later became secretary of the massachusetts board of war, and was elected a member of the legislature. throughout the whole war he occupied positions of trust, often requiring great courage and cool judgment, and the fidelity with which every duty was performed was shown by the honours conferred upon him after retiring to civil life. by means of a large fortune which fell to him, he entered mercantile business on a large scale, and became very wealthy. he owned large tracts of land in different parts of the country, and bought much of the confiscated property of the tories, among other lands the estate belonging to governor hutchinson, lying on tremont street, between west and boylston streets. his large speculations, however, caused him to become deeply involved in debt. in 1787, accordingly, he started out anew to make a fortune, and through the influence of lafayette and other men of prominence in paris, he secured many government contracts which entailed immense profit. through all the dark days of the french revolution, he tried to serve the cause of the proscribed french nobility by perfecting plans for them to colonise on his lands in america. a large number he induced to immigrate, and a vast quantity of the furniture and belongings of these unfortunates was received on board his ships. but before the owners could follow their furniture, the axe had fallen upon their heads. when the reign of terror was at its height, the _sally_, owned by colonel swan, and commanded by captain stephen clough, of wiscasset, maine, came home with a strange cargo and a stranger story. the cargo consisted of french tapestries, marquetry, silver with foreign crests, rare vases, clocks, costly furniture, and no end of apparelling fit for a queen. the story was that, only for the failure at the last moment of a plot for her deliverance, marie antoinette would also have been on the sloop, the plan being that she should be the guest at wiscasset of the captain's wife until she could be transferred to a safer retreat. however true may be the rumour of a plot to bring marie antoinette to america, it is certain that the furniture brought on the _sally_, was of exceptional value and beauty. it found its resting-place in the old swan house of our picture, to which it gave for many years the name of the marie antoinette house. one room was even called the marie antoinette room, and the bedstead of this apartment, which is to-day in the possession of the descendants of colonel swan, is still known as the marie antoinette bedstead. whether the unhappy queen ever really rested on this bed cannot, of course, be said, but tradition has it that it was designed for her use in america because she had found it comfortable in france. colonel swan, having paid all his debts, returned in 1795 to the united states, accompanied by the beautiful and eccentric gentlewoman who was his wife, and who had been with her husband in paris during the terror. they brought with them on this occasion a very large collection of fine french furniture, decorations, and paintings. the colonel had become very wealthy indeed through his commercial enterprises, and was now able to spend a great deal of money upon his fine dorchester mansion, which he finished about the year 1796. a prominent figure of the house was the circular dining-hall, thirty-two feet in diameter, crowned at the height of perhaps twenty-five feet by a dome, and having three mirror windows. as originally built, it contained no fireplaces or heating conveniences of any kind. [illustration: swan house, dorchester, mass.] mrs. swan accompanied her husband on several subsequent trips to paris, and it was on one of these occasions that the colonel came to great grief. he had contracted, it is said, a debt claimed in france to be two million francs. this indebtedness he denied, and in spite of the persuasion of his friends he would make no concession in the matter. as a matter of principle he would not pay a debt which, he insisted, he did not owe. he seems to have believed the claim of his creditor to be a plot, and he at once resolved to be a martyr. he was thereupon arrested, and confined in st. pélagie, a debtor's prison, from 1808 to 1830, a period of twenty-two years! he steadfastly denied the charge against him, and, although able to settle the debt, preferred to remain a prisoner to securing his liberty on an unjust plea.... he gave up his wife, children, friends, and the comforts of his parisian and new england homes for a principle, and made preparations for a long stay in prison. lafayette, swan's sincere friend, tried in vain to prevail upon him to take his liberty.[9] doctor small, his biographer, tells us that he lived in a little cell in the prison, and was treated with great respect by the other prisoners, they putting aside their little furnaces with which they cooked, that he might have more room for exercise. not a day passed without some kind act on his part, and he was known to have been the cause of the liberation of many poor debtors. when the jailor introduced his pretended creditor, he would politely salute him, and say to the former: "my friend, return me to my chamber." with funds sent by his wife, swan hired apartments in the rue de la clif, opposite st. pélagie, which he caused to be fitted up at great expense. here were dining and drawing rooms, coaches, and stables, and outhouses, and here he invited his guests and lodged his servants, putting at the disposal of the former his carriages, in which they drove to the promenade, the ball, the theatre--everywhere in his name. at this parisian home he gave great dinners to his constant but bewildered friends. he seemed happy in thus braving his creditors and judges, we are told, allowed his beard to grow, dressed à la mode, and was cheerful to the last day of his confinement. his wife died in 1825, and five years later the revolution of july threw open his doors in the very last hour of his twenty-second year of captivity. his one desire upon being released was to embrace his friend lafayette, and this he did on the steps of the hôtel de ville. then he returned, july 31, to reinstate himself in prison--for st. pélagie had after twenty-two years come to stand to him for home. he was seized almost immediately upon his second entrance into confinement with a hemorrhage, and died suddenly in the rue d'échiquier, aged seventy-six. in his will, he donated large sums of money to his four children, and to the city of boston to found an institution to be called the swan orphan academy. but the estate was found to be hopelessly insolvent, and the public legacy was never paid. the colonel's name lives, however, in the maine island he purchased in 1786, for the purpose of improving and settling,--a project which, but for one of his periodic failures, he would probably have successfully accomplished. footnotes: [footnote 9: "history of swan's island."] the woman veteran of the continental army deborah sampson gannett, of sharon, has the unique distinction of presenting the only authenticated case of a woman's enlistment and service as a regular soldier in the revolutionary army. [illustration: deborah sampson gannett.] the proof of her claim's validity can be found in the resolutions of the general court of massachusetts, where, under date of january 20, 1792, those who take the trouble may find this entry: "on the petition of deborah gannett, praying compensation for services performed in the late army of the united states. "whereas, it appears to this court that deborah gannett enlisted under the name of robert shurtleff, in captain webb's company in the fourth massachusetts regiment, on may 21, 1782, and did actually perform the duties of a soldier in the late army of the united states to the twenty-third day of october, 1783, for which she has received no compensation; "and, whereas, it further appears that the said deborah exhibited an extraordinary instance of female heroism by discharging the duties of a faithful, gallant soldier, and at the same time preserved the virtue and chastity of her sex unsuspected and unblemished, and was discharged from the service with a fair and honourable character; therefore, "_resolved_, that the treasurer of the commonwealth be, and hereby is, directed to issue his note to said deborah for the sum of £34, bearing interest from october 23, 1783." thus was the seal of authenticity set upon as extraordinary a story as can be found in the annals of this country. deborah sampson was born in plympton, plymouth county, december 17, 1760, of a family descended from governor bradford. she had many brothers who enlisted for service early in the war, and it was their example, according to some accounts, which inspired her unusual course. if one may judge from the hints thrown out in the "female review," a quaint little pamphlet probably written by deborah herself, and published in 1797, however, it was the ardent wooing of a too importunate lover which drove the girl to her extraordinary undertaking. two copies of this "review" are now treasured in the boston public library. in the first chapters, the author discourses upon female education and the like, and then, after a sympathetic analysis of the educational aspirations of the heroine (referred to throughout the book as "our illustrious fair"), and a peroration on the lady's religious beliefs, describes in miss sampson's own words a curious dream she once had. the young woman experienced this psychic visitation, the author of the "review" would have us believe, a short time before taking her final step toward the army. in the dream, a serpent bade her "arise, stand on your feet, gird yourself, and prepare to encounter your enemy." this, according to the chronicler's interpretation, was one underlying cause of deborah's subsequent decision to enlist as a soldier. yet her mother's wish that she should marry a man for whom she felt no love is also suggested as a cause, and there is a hint, too, that the death in the battle of long island, new york, of a man to whom she was attached, gave the final impulse to her plan. at any rate, it was the night that she heard the news of this man's death that she started on her perilous undertaking. "having put in readiness the materials she had judged requisite," writes her chronicler, "she retired at her usual hour to bed, intending to rise at twelve.... there was none but the invisible who could take cognisance of her passion on assuming her new garb." she slipped cautiously away, and travelled carefully to bellingham, where she enlisted as a continental soldier on a three years' term. she was mustered into the army at worcester, under the name of robert shurtleff. with about fifty other soldiers she soon arrived at west point, and it there fell to her lot to be in captain webb's company, in colonel shepard's regiment, and in general patterson's brigade. naturally the girl's disappearance from home had caused her friends and her family great uneasiness. her mother reproached herself for having urged too constantly upon the attention of her child the suit of a man for whom she did not care, and her lover upbraided himself for having been too importunate in his wooing. the telephone and telegraph not having been invented, it was necessary, in order to trace the lost girl, to visit all the places to which deborah might have flown. her brother, therefore, made an expedition one hundred miles to the eastward among some of the family relations, and her suitor took his route to the west of massachusetts and across into new york state. in the course of his search he visited, as it happened, the very place in which deborah's company was stationed, and saw (though he did not recognise) his lost sweetheart. she recognised him, however, and hearing his account to the officers of her mother's grief and anxiety, sent home as soon as opportunity offered, the following letter: "dear parent:--on the margin of one of those rivers which intersects and winds itself so beautifully majestic through a vast extent of territory of the united states is the present situation of your unworthy but constant and affectionate daughter. i pretend not to justify or even to palliate my clandestine elopement. in hopes of pacifying your mind, which i am sure must be afflicted beyond measure, i write you this scrawl. conscious of not having thus abruptly absconded by reason of any fancied ill treatment from you, or disaffection toward any, the thoughts of my disobedience are truly poignant. neither have i a plea that the insults of man have driven me hence: and let this be your consoling reflection--that i have not fled to offer more daring insults to them by a proffered prostitution of that virtue which i have always been taught to preserve and revere. the motive is truly important; and when i divulge it my sole ambition and delight shall be to make an expiatory sacrifice for my transgression. "i am in a large but well regulated family. my employment is agreeable, although it is somewhat different and more intense than it was at home. but i apprehend it is equally as advantageous. my superintendents are indulgent; but to a punctilio they demand a due observance of decorum and propriety of conduct. by this you must know i have become mistress of many useful lessons, though i have many more to learn. be not too much troubled, therefore, about my present or future engagements; as i will endeavour to make that prudence and virtue my model, for which, i own, i am much indebted to those who took the charge of my youth. "my place of residence and the adjoining country are beyond description delightsome.... indeed, were it not for the ravages of war, of which i have seen more here than in massachusetts, this part of our great continent would become a paradisiacal elysium. heaven condescend that a speedy peace may constitute us a happy and independent nation: when the husband shall again be restored to his amiable consort, to wipe her sorrowing tear, the son to the embraces of his mourning parents, and the lover to the tender, disconsolate, and half-distracted object of his love. "your affectionate "daughter." unfortunately this letter, which had to be entrusted to a stranger, was intercepted. but deborah did not know this, and her mind at rest, she pursued cheerfully the course she had marked out for herself. the fatigue and heat of the march oppressed the girl soldier more than did battle or the fear of death. yet at white plains, her first experience of actual warfare, her left-hand man was shot dead in the second fire, and she herself received two shots through her coat and one through her cap. in the terrible bayonet charge at this same battle, in which she was a participant, the sight of the bloodshed proved almost too much for her strength. at yorktown she was ordered to work on a battery, which she did right faithfully. among her comrades, deborah's young and jaunty appearance won for her the sobriquet "blooming boy." she was a great favourite in the ranks. she shirked nothing, and did duty sometimes as a common soldier and sometimes as a sergeant on the lines, patrolling, collecting fuel, and performing such other offices as fell to her lot. after the battle of white plains she received two severe wounds, one of which was in her thigh. naturally, a surgeon was sent for at once, but the plucky girl, who could far more easily endure pain than the thought of discovery, extracted the ball herself with penknife and needle before hospital aid arrived. in the spring of 1783 general patterson selected her for his waiter, and deborah so distinguished herself for readiness and courage that the general often praised to the other men of the regiment the heroism of his "smock-faced boy." it is at this stage of the story that the inevitable dénouement occurred. the young soldier fell ill with a prevailing epidemic, and during her attack of unconsciousness her sex was discovered by the attendant physician, doctor bana. immediately she was removed by the physician's orders to the apartment of the hospital matron, under whose care she remained until discharged as well. deborah's appearance in her uniform was sufficiently suggestive, as has been said, of robust masculinity to attract the favourable attention of many young women. what she had not counted upon was the arousing in one of these girls of a degree of interest which should imperil her secret. her chagrin, the third morning after the doctor's discovery, was appreciably deepened, therefore, by the arrival of a love-letter from a rich and charming young woman of baltimore whom the soldier, "robert shurtleff," had several times met, but whose identity with the writer of the letter our heroine by no means suspected. this letter, accompanied by a gift of fruit, the compiler of the "female review" gives as follows: "dear sir:--fraught with the feelings of a friend who is doubtless beyond your conception interested in your health and happiness, i take liberty to address you with a frankness which nothing but the purest friendship and affection can palliate,--know, then, that the charms i first read on your visage brought a passion into my bosom for which i could not account. if it was from the thing called love, i was before mostly ignorant of it, and strove to stifle the fugutive; though i confess the indulgence was agreeable. but repeated interviews with you kindled it into a flame i do not now blush to own: and should it meet a generous return, i shall not reproach myself for its indulgence. i have long sought to hear of your department, and how painful is the news i this moment received that you are sick, if alive, in the hospital! your complicated nerves will not admit of writing, but inform the bearer if you are necessitated for anything that can conduce to your comfort. if you recover and think proper to inquire my name, i will give you an opportunity. but if death is to terminate your existence there, let your last senses be impressed with the reflection that you die not without one more friend whose tears will bedew your funeral obsequies. adieu." * * * * * the distressed invalid replied to this note that "he" was not in need of money. the same evening, however, another missive was received, enclosing two guineas. and the like favours were continued throughout the soldier's stay at the hospital. upon recovery, the "blooming boy" resumed his uniform to rejoin the troops. doctor bana had kept the secret, and there seemed to deborah no reason why she should not pursue her soldier career to the end. the enamoured maid of baltimore still remained, however, a thorn in her conscience. and one day, when near baltimore on a special duty, our soldier was summoned by a note to the home of this young woman, who, confessing herself the writer of the anonymous letter, declared her love. just what response was made to this avowal is not known, but that the attractive person in soldier uniform did not at this time tell the maid of baltimore the whole truth is certain. events were soon, however, to force deborah to perfect frankness with her admirer. after leaving baltimore, she went on a special duty journey, in the course of which she was taken captive by indians. the savage who had her in his charge she was obliged to kill in self-defence, after which there seemed every prospect that she and the single indian lad who escaped with her would perish in the wilderness, a prey to wild beasts. thereupon she wrote to her baltimore admirer thus: "dear miss ----:--perhaps you are the nearest friend i have. but a few hours must inevitably waft me to an infinite distance from all sublunary enjoyments, and fix me in a state of changeless retribution. three years having made me the sport of fortune, i am at length doomed to end my existence in a dreary wilderness, unattended except by an indian boy. if you receive these lines, remember they come from one who sincerely loves you. but, my amiable friend, forgive my imperfections and forget you ever had affection for one so unworthy the name of "your own sex." no means of sending this letter presented itself, however, and after a dreary wandering, deborah was enabled to rejoin her soldier friends. then she proceeded to baltimore for the express purpose of seeing her girl admirer and telling her the truth. yet this time, too, she evaded her duty, and left the maiden still unenlightened, with a promise to return the ensuing spring--a promise, she afterward declared, she had every intention of keeping, had not the truth been published to the world in the intervening time. doctor bana had been only deferring the uncloaking of "robert shurtleff." upon deborah's return to duty, he made the culprit herself the bearer of a letter to general patterson, which disclosed the secret. the general, who was at west point at the time, treated her with all possible kindness, and commended her for her service, instead of punishing her, as she had feared. then he gave her a private apartment, and made arrangements to have her safely conducted to massachusetts. not quite yet, however, did deborah abandon her disguise. she passed the next winter with distant relatives under the name of her youngest brother. but she soon resumed her proper name, and returned to her delighted family. after the war, she married benjamin gannett, and the homestead in sharon, where she lived for the rest of her life, is still standing, relics of her occupancy, her table and her bible, being shown there to-day to interested visitors. [illustration: gannett house, sharon, mass.] in 1802 she made a successful lecturing tour, during which she kept a very interesting diary, which is still exhibited to those interested by her great-granddaughter, mrs. susan moody. her grave in sharon is carefully preserved, a street has been named in her honour, and several patriotic societies have constituted her their principal deity. certainly her story is curious enough to entitle her to some distinction. the redeemed captive of all the towns settled by englishmen in the midst of indians, none was more thoroughly peaceful in its aims and origin than deerfield, in the old pocumtuck valley. here under the giant trees of the primeval forest the whitehaired eliot prayed, and beside the banks of the sluggish stream he gathered as nucleus for the town the roving savages upon whom his gospel message had made a deep impression. quite naturally, therefore, the men of pocumtuck were not disquieted by news of indian troubles. with the natives about them they had lived on peaceful terms for many years, and it was almost impossible for them to believe that they would ever come to shudder at the mere presence of redskins. yet history tells us, and deerfield to-day bears witness to the fact, that no town in all the colonies suffered more at the hands of the indians than did this peaceful village in western massachusetts. in 1702 king william died, and "good" queen anne reigned in his stead. following closely upon the latter event came another war between france and england, a conflict which, as in the reign of william and mary, renewed the hostilities between the french and english colonies in america. at an early date, accordingly, the settlement of deerfield discovered that it was to be attacked by the french. at once measures were taken to strengthen the fortifications of the town, and to prepare, so far as possible, for the dreaded event. the blow fell on the night of the twenty-ninth of february, 1704, when major hertel de rouville, with upwards of three hundred and forty french and indians, arrived at a pine bluff overlooking deerfield meadow, about two miles north of the village--a locality now known as petty's plain. here he halted, to await the appropriate hour for an attack, and it was not until early morning that, leaving their packs upon the spot, his men started forward for their terrible work of destruction. rouville took great pains not to alarm the sentinels in his approach, but the precaution was unnecessary, as the watch were unfaithful, and had retired to rest. arriving at the fortifications, he found the snow drifted nearly to the top of the palisades, and his entire party entered the place undiscovered, while the whole population were in profound sleep. quietly distributing themselves in parties, they broke in the doors of the houses, dragged out the astonished inhabitants, killed such as resisted, and took prisoner the majority of the remainder, only a few escaping from their hands into the woods. [illustration: williams house, deerfield, mass.] the house of reverend john williams was assaulted at the beginning of the attack. awakened from sleep, mr. williams leaped from his bed, and running to the door found the enemy entering. calling to two soldiers who lodged in the house, he sprang back to his bedroom, seized a pistol, cocked it, and presented it at the breast of an indian who had followed him. it missed fire, and it was well, for the room was thronged in an instant, and he was seized, bound without being allowed the privilege of dressing, and kept standing in the cold for an hour. meanwhile, the savages amused themselves by taunting him, swinging their hatchets over him and threatening him. two of his children and a negro woman were then taken to the door and butchered. mrs. williams was allowed to dress, and she and her five children were taken captives. other houses in the village were likewise attacked, one of them being defended by seven men, for whom the women inside cast bullets while the fight was in progress. but the attacking force was an overpowering one, and de rouville and his men had by sunrise done their work most successfully with torch and tomahawk. the blood of forty-nine murdered men, women and children reddened the snow. twenty-nine men, twenty-four women, and fifty-eight children were made captive, and in a few hours the spoil-encumbered enemy were en route for canada. through the midwinter snow which covered the fields the poor captives marched out on their terrible pilgrimage. two of the prisoners succeeded in escaping, whereupon mr. williams was ordered to inform the others that if any more slipped away death by fire would be visited upon those who remained. the first night's lodgings were provided for as comfortably as circumstances would permit, and all the ablebodied among the prisoners were made to sleep in barns. on the second day's march mr. williams was permitted to speak with his poor wife, whose youngest child had been born only a few weeks before, and to assist her on her journey. "on the way," says the pastor, in his famous book, "the redeemed captive", "we discoursed on the happiness of those who had a right to an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; and god for a father and friend; as also it was our reasonable duty quietly to submit to the will of god, and to say, 'the will of the lord be done.'" thus imparting to one another their heroic courage and christian strength and consolation, the captive couple pursued their painful way. at last the poor woman announced the gradual failure of her strength, and during the short time she was allowed to remain with her husband, expressed good wishes and prayers for him and her children. the narrative proceeds: "she never spake any discontented word as to what had befallen her, but with suitable expressions justified god in what had happened.... we soon made a halt, in which time my chief surviving master came up, upon which i was put into marching with the foremost, and so made my last farewell of my dear wife, the desire of my eyes, and companion in many mercies and afflictions. upon our separation from each other, we asked for each other grace sufficient for what god should call us to." for a short time mrs. williams remained where her husband had left her, occupying her leisure in reading her bible. he, as was necessary, went on, and soon had to ford a small and rapid stream, and climb a high mountain on its other side. reaching the top very much exhausted, he was unburdened of his pack. then his heart went down the steep after his wife. he entreated his master to let him go down and help her, but his desire was refused. as the prisoners one after another came up he inquired for her, and at length the news of her death was told to him. in wading the river she had been thrown down by the water and entirely submerged. yet after great difficulty she had succeeded in reaching the bank, and had penetrated to the foot of the mountain. here, however, her master had become discouraged with the idea of her maintaining the march, and burying his tomahawk in her head he left her dead. mrs. williams was the daughter of reverend eleazer mather, the first minister of northampton--an educated, refined, and noble woman. it is pleasant, while musing upon her sad fate, to recall that her body was found and brought back to deerfield, where, long years after, her husband was laid by her side. and there to-day sleeps the dust of the pair beneath stones which inform the stranger of the interesting spot. others of the captives were killed upon the journey as convenience required. a journal kept by stephen williams, the pastor's son, who was only eleven years old when captured, reflects in an artless way every stage of the terrible journey: "they travelled," he writes, "as if they meant to kill us all, for they travelled thirty-five or forty miles a day.... their manner was, if any loitered, to kill them. my feet were very sore, so i thought they would kill me also." when the first sabbath arrived, mr. williams was allowed to preach. his text was taken from the lamentations of jeremiah, the verse in which occurs the passage, "my virgins and my young men have gone into captivity." thus they progressed, the life of the captives dependent in every case upon their ability to keep up with the party. here an innocent child would be knocked upon the head and left in the snow, and there some poor woman dropped by the way and killed by the tomahawk. arriving at white river, de rouville divided his forces, and the parties took separate routes to canada. the group to which mr. williams was attached went up white river, and proceeded, with various adventures, to sorel in canada, to which place some of the captives had preceded him. in canada, all who arrived were treated by the french with great humanity, and mr. williams with marked courtesy. he proceeded to chambly, thence to st. francis on the st. lawrence, afterward to quebec, and at last to montreal, where governor vaudreuil accorded him much kindness, and eventually redeemed him from savage hands. mr. williams's religious experiences in canada were characteristic of the times. he was there thrown among romanists, a sect against which he entertained the most profound dislike--profound to the degree of inflammatory conscientiousness, not to say bigotry. his indian master was determined he should go to church, but he would not, and was once dragged there, where, he says, he "saw a great confusion instead of any gospel order." the jesuits assailed him on every hand, and gave him but little peace. his master at one time tried to make him kiss a crucifix, under the threat that he would dash out his brains with a hatchet if he should refuse. but he did refuse, and had the good fortune to save his head as well as his conscience. mr. williams's own account of his stay in canada is chiefly devoted to anecdotes of the temptations to romanism with which he was beset by the jesuits. his son samuel was almost persuaded to embrace the faith of rome, and his daughter eunice was, to his great chagrin, forced to say prayers in latin. but, for the most, the deerfield captives proved intractable, and were still aggressively protestant when, in 1706, mr. williams and all his children (except eunice, of whom we shall say more anon), together with the other captives up to the number of fifty-seven, embarked on board a ship sent to quebec by governor dudley, and sailed for boston. a committee of the pastor's people met their old clergyman upon his landing at boston, and invited him to return to the charge from which he had, nearly three years before, been torn. and mr. williams had the courage to accept their offer, notwithstanding the fact that the war continued with unabated bitterness. in 1707 the town voted to build him a house "as big as ensign sheldon's, and a back room as big as may be thought convenient." this house is still standing (1902), though ensign sheldon's, the "old indian house in deerfield," as it has been popularly called, was destroyed more than half a century ago. the indian house stood at the northern end of deerfield common, and exhibited to its latest day the marks of the tomahawk left upon its front door in the attack of 1704, and the perforations made by the balls inside. the door is still preserved, and is one of the most interesting relics now to be seen in memorial hall, deerfield. for more than twenty years after his return from captivity, mr. williams served his parish faithfully. he took into his new house a new wife, by whom he had several children; and in this same house he passed peacefully away june 12, 1729, in the sixty-fifth year of his age, and the forty-fifth of his ministry. stephen williams, who had been taken captive when a lad of eleven, was redeemed in 1705 with his father. in spite of the hardships to which he had been so early exposed, he was a fine strong boy when he returned to deerfield, and he went on with his rudely interrupted education to such good effect that he graduated from harvard in 1713 at the age of twenty. in 1716 he settled as minister at longmeadow, in which place he died in 1772. yet his manhood was not passed without share in the wars of the time, for he was chaplain in the louisburg expedition in 1745, and in the regiment of colonel ephraim williams in his fatal campaign in 1755, and again in the canadian campaign of 1756. the portrait of him which is here given was painted about 1748, and is now to be seen in the hall of the pocumtuck valley memorial association, within four-score rods of the place where the boy captive was born, and from which he was carried as a tender child into captivity. [illustration: reverend stephen williams.] it has been said that one of the greatest trials of mr. williams's stay in canada was the discovery that his little daughter, eunice, had been taught by her canadian captors to say prayers in latin. but this was only the beginning of the sorrow of the good man's life. eunice was a plastic little creature, and she soon adopted not only the religion, but also the manners and customs of the indians among whom she had fallen. in fact and feeling she became a daughter of the indians, and there among them she married, on arriving at womanhood, an indian by whom she had a family of children. a few years after the war she made her first visit to her deerfield relatives, and subsequently she came twice to massachusetts dressed in indian costume. but all the inducements held out to her to remain there were in vain. during her last visit she was the subject of many prayers and lengthy sermonising on the part of her clerical relatives, an address delivered at mansfield august 1, 1741, by solomon williams, a. m., being frankly in her behalf. a portion of this sermon has come down to us, and offers a curious example of the eloquence of the time: "it has pleased god," says the worthy minister, "to incline her, the last summer and now again of her own accord, to make a visit to her friends; and this seems to encourage us to hope that he designs to answer the many prayers which have been put up for her." but in spite of these many prayers, and in spite, too, of the fact that the general court of massachusetts granted eunice and her family a piece of land on condition that they would remain in new england, she refused on the ground that it would endanger her soul. she lived and died in savage life, though nominally a convert to romanism. out of her singular fate has grown another romance, the marvel of later times. for from her descended reverend eleazer williams, missionary to the indians at green bay, wisconsin, who was in 1851 visited by the duc de joinville, and told that he was that dauphin (son of louis xvi. and marie antoinette), who, according to history, died in prison june 9, 1795. in spite of the fact that the evidence of this little prince's death was as strong as any which can be found in history in relation to the death of louis, his father, or of marie antoinette, his mother, the strange story--first published in _putnam's magazine_ for february, 1853--gained general credence, even mr. williams himself coming gradually to believe it. as a matter of fact, however, there was proved to be a discrepancy of eight years between the dates of williams's and the dauphin's birth, and nearly every part of the clergyman's life was found to have been spent in quite a commonplace way. for as a boy, eleazer williams lived with reverend mr. ely, on the connecticut river, and his kinsman, doctor williams, of deerfield, at once asserted that he remembered him very well at all stages of his boyhood. governor charles k. williams, of vermont, writing from rutland under date february 26, 1853, said of the reverend eleazer and his "claims" to the throne of france, "i never had any doubt that williams was of indian extraction, and a descendant of eunice williams. his father and mother were both of them at my father's house, although i cannot ascertain definitely the year. i consider the whole story a humbug, and believe that it will be exploded in the course of a few months." as a matter of fact, the story has been exploded,--though the features of the reverend eleazer williams, when in the full flush of manhood, certainly bore a remarkable resemblance to those of the french kings from whom his descent was claimed. his mixed blood might account for this, however. williams's paternal grandfather was an english physician,--not of the deerfield family at all,--and his grandmother the daughter of eunice williams and her redskin mate. his father was thomas williams, captain in the british service during the american revolution, and his mother a frenchwoman. thus the reverend eleazer was part english, part yankee, part indian, and part french, a combination sufficiently complex to account, perhaps, even for an unmistakably bourbon chin. new england's first "club woman" even to-day, in this emancipated twentieth century, women ministers and "female preachers" are not infrequently held up to derision by those who delight to sit in the seat of the scornful. trials for heresy are likewise still common. it is not at all strange, therefore, that mistress ann hutchinson should, in 1636, have been driven out of boston as an enemy dangerous to public order, her specific offence being that she maintained in her own house that a mere profession of faith could not evidence salvation, unless the spirit first revealed itself from within. mrs. hutchinson's maiden name was ann marbury, and she was the daughter of a scholar and a theologian--one francis marbury--who was first a minister of lincolnshire and afterward of london. naturally, much of the girl's as well as the greater part of the woman's life was passed in the society of ministers--men whom she soon learned to esteem more for what they knew than for what they preached. theology, indeed, was the atmosphere in which she lived and moved and had her being. intellectually, she was an enthusiast, morally an agitator, a clever leader, whom winthrop very aptly described as a "woman of ready wit and bold spirit." while still young, this exceptionally gifted woman married william hutchinson, a country gentleman of good character and estate, whose home was also in lincolnshire. winthrop has nothing but words of contempt for mrs. hutchinson's husband, but there is little doubt that a sincere attachment existed between the married pair, and that hutchinson was a man of sterling character and worth, even though he was intellectually the inferior of his remarkable wife. in their lincolnshire home the hutchinsons had been parishioners of the reverend john cotton, and regular attendants at that celebrated divine's church in boston, england. to him, her pastor, mrs. hutchinson was deeply attached. and when the minister fled to new england in order to escape from the tyranny of the bishops, the hutchinsons also decided to come to america, and presently the whole family did so. mrs. hutchinson's daughter, who had married the reverend john wright wheelwright--another lincolnshire minister who had suffered at the hands of archbishop laud--came with her mother. besides the daughter, there were three grown sons in the family at the time mrs. hutchinson landed in the boston she was afterward to rend with religious dissension. so it was no young, sentimental, unbalanced girl, but a middle-aged, matured, and experienced woman of the world who, in the autumn of 1634, took sail for new england. during the voyage it was learned that mrs. hutchinson came primed for religious controversy. with some puritan ministers who were on the same vessel she discussed eagerly abstruse theological questions, and she hinted in no uncertain way that when they should arrive in new england they might expect to hear more from her. clearly, she regarded herself as one with a mission. in unmistakable terms she avowed her belief that direct revelations are made to the elect, and asserted that nothing of importance had ever happened to her which had not been revealed to her beforehand. upon their arrival in boston, the hutchinsons settled down in a house on the site of the present old corner book store, the head of the family made arrangements to enter upon his business affairs, and in due time both husband and wife made their application to be received as members of the church. this step was indispensable to admit the pair into christian fellowship and to allow to mr. hutchinson the privileges of a citizen. he came through the questioning more easily than did his wife, for, in consequence of the reports already spread concerning her extravagant opinions, mrs. hutchinson was subjected to a most searching examination. finally, however, she, too, passed through the ordeal safely, the examining ministers, one of whom was her old and beloved pastor, mr. cotton, declaring themselves satisfied with her answers. so, in november, we find her a "member in good standing" of the boston church. [illustration: old corner bookstore, site of the hutchinson house.] from this time forward mrs. hutchinson was a person of great importance in boston. sir harry vane, then governor of the colony and the idol of the people, was pleased, with mr. cotton, to take much notice of the gifted newcomer, and their example was followed by the leading and influential people of the town, who treated her with much consideration and respect, and were quick to recognise her intellectuality as far superior to that of most members of her sex. mrs. hutchinson soon came, indeed, to be that very remarkable thing--a prophet honoured in her own community. adopting an established custom of the town, she held in her own home two weekly meetings--one for men and women and one exclusively for women--at which she was the oracle. and all these meetings were very generously attended. mrs. hutchinson seems to have been new england's first clubwoman. never before had women come together for independent thought and action. to be sure, nothing more lively than the sermon preached the sunday before was ever discussed at these gatherings, but the talk was always pithy and bright, the leader's wit was always ready, and soon the house at the corner of what is now school street came to be widely celebrated as the centre of an influence so strong and far-reaching as to make the very ministers jealous and fearful. at first, to be sure, the parsons themselves went to the meetings. cotton, vane, wheelwright, and coddington, completely embraced the leader's views, and the result upon winthrop of attendance at these conferences was to send that official home to his closet, wrestling with himself, yet more than half persuaded. hawthorne's genius has conjured up the scene at boston's first "parlour talks," so that we too may attend and be one among the "crowd of hooded women and men in steeple hats and close-cropped hair ... assembled at the door and open windows of a house newly-built. an earnest expression glows in every face ... and some press inward as if the bread of life were to be dealt forth, and they feared to lose their share." in plain english ann hutchinson's doctrines were these: "she held and advocated as the highest truth," writes mr. drake, "that a person could be justified only by an actual and manifest revelation of the spirit to him personally. there could be no other evidence of grace. she repudiated a doctrine of works, and she denied that holiness of living alone could be received as evidence of regeneration, since hypocrites might live outwardly as pure lives as the saints do. the puritan churches held that sanctification by the will was evidence of justification." in advancing these views, mrs. hutchinson's pronounced personal magnetism stood her in good stead. she made many converts, and, believing herself inspired to do a certain work, and emboldened by the increasing number of her followers, she soon became unwisely and unpleasantly aggressive in her criticisms of those ministers who preached a covenant of works. she seems to have been led into speaking her mind as to doctrines and persons more freely than was consistent with prudence and moderation, because she was altogether unsuspicious that what was being said in the privacy of her own house was being carefully treasured up against her. so she constantly added fuel to the flame, which was soon to burst forth to her undoing. she was accused of fostering sedition in the church, and was then confronted with charges relative to the meetings of women held at her house. this she successfully parried. it looked indeed as if she would surely be acquitted, when by an impassioned discourse upon special revelations that had come to her, and an assertion that god would miraculously protect her whatever the court might decree, she impugned the position of her judges and roused keen resentment. because of this it was that she was banished "as unfit for our society." in the colony records of massachusetts the sentence pronounced reads as follows: "mrs. hutchinson (the wife of mr. william hutchinson) being convented for traducing the ministers and their ministry in this country, shee declared voluntarily her revelations for her ground, and that shee should bee delivred and the court ruined with their posterity; and thereupon was banished, and the meanwhile she was committed to mr. joseph weld untill the court shall dispose of her." mrs. hutchinson passed next winter accordingly under the watch and ward of thomas weld, in the house of his brother joseph, near what is now eustis street, roxbury. she was there until march, when, returning to boston for further trial, she was utterly cast out, even john cotton, who had been her friend, turning against her. mr. cotton did not present an heroic figure in this trial. had he chosen, he might have turned the drift of public opinion in mrs. hutchinson's favour, but he was either too weak or too politic to withstand the pressure brought to bear upon him, and he gave a qualified adhesion to the proceedings. winthrop did not hesitate to use severe measures, and in the course of the struggle vane, who deeply admired the boston prophetess, left the country in disgust. mrs. hutchinson was arraigned at the bar as if she had been a criminal of the most dangerous kind. winthrop, who presided, catechised her mercilessly, and all endeavoured to extort from her some damaging admission. but in this they were unsuccessful. "mrs. hutchinson can tell when to speak and when to hold her tongue," commented the governor, in describing the court proceedings. yet when all is said, the "trial" was but a mockery, and those who read the proceedings as preserved in the "history of massachusetts under the colony and province," written by governor hutchinson, a descendant of our heroine, will be quick to condemn the judgment there pronounced by a court which expounded theology instead of law against a woman who, as coddington truly said, "had broken no law, either of god or of man." banishment was the sentence pronounced, and after the church which had so lately caressed and courted mrs. hutchinson had in its turn visited upon her the verdict of excommunication, her husband sold all his property and removed with his family to the island of aquidneck, as did also many others whose opinions had brought them under the censure of the governing powers. in this connection it is worth noting that the head of the house of hutchinson stood right valiantly by his persecuted wife, and when a committee of the boston church went in due time to rhode island for the purpose of bringing back into the fold the sheep which they adjudged lost, mr. hutchinson told them bluntly that, far from being of their opinion, he accounted his wife "a dear saint and servant of god." the rest of mrs. hutchinson's story is soon told. upon the death of her husband, which occurred five years after the banishment, she went with her family into the dutch territory of new netherlands, settling near what is now new rochelle. and scarcely had she become established in this place when her house was suddenly assaulted by hostile indians, who, in their revengeful fury, murdered the whole family, excepting only one daughter, who was carried away into captivity. thus in the tragedy of an indian massacre was quenched the light of the most remarkable intellect boston has ever made historic by misunderstanding. hawthorne, in writing in his early manhood of mrs. hutchinson ("biographical sketches"), humourously remarked, seer that he was: "there are portentous indications, changes gradually taking place in the habits and feelings of the gentler sex, which seem to threaten our posterity with many of those public women whereof one was a burden too grievous for our fathers." fortunately, we of to-day have learned to take our clubwomen less tragically than winthrop was able to do. [illustration: old witch house, salem, mass.] in the reign of the witches one of the most interesting of the phenomena to be noted by the student of historical houses is the tenacity of tradition. people may be told again and again that a story attributed to a certain site has been proven untrue, but they still look with veneration on a place which has been hallowed many years, and refuse to give up any alluring name by which they have known it. a notable example of this is offered by what is universally called the old witch house, situated at the corner of essex and north streets, salem. a dark, scowling building, set far enough back from the street for a modern drugstore to stand in front of it, the house itself is certainly sufficiently sinister in appearance to warrant its name, even though one is assured by authorities that no witch was ever known to have lived there. its sole connection with witchcraft, history tells us, is that some of the preliminary examinations of witches took place here, the house being at the time the residence of justice jonathan corwin. yet it is this house that has absorbed the interest of historical pilgrims to salem through many years, just because it looks like a witch-house, and somebody once made a muddled statement by which it came to be so regarded. this house is the oldest standing in salem or its vicinity, having been built before 1635. and it really has a claim to fame as the roger williams house, for it was here that the great "teacher" lived during his troubled settlement in salem. the people of salem, it will be remembered, persistently sought williams as their spiritual pastor and master until the general court at boston unseated the salem deputies for the acts of their constituents in retaining a man of whom they disapproved, and the magistrates sent a vessel to salem to remove mr. williams to england. the minister eluded his persecutors by fleeing through the wintry snows into the wilderness, to become the founder of the state of rhode island. mr. williams was a close friend and confidential adviser of governor endicott, and those who were alarmed at the governor's impetuosity in cutting the cross from the king's colours, attributed the act to his [williams's] influence. in taking his departure from the old house of the picture to make his way to freedom, williams had no guide save a pocket compass, which his descendants still exhibit, and no reliance but the friendly disposition of the indians toward him. but it is of the witchcraft delusion with which the house of our picture is connected rather than with williams and his story, that i wish now to speak. jonathan corwin, or curwin, who was the house's link to witchcraft, was made a councillor under the new charter granted massachusetts by king william in 1692, and was, as has been said, one of the justices before whom the preliminary witch examinations were held. he it was who officiated at the trial of rebecca nourse, of danvers, hanged as a witch july 19, 1692, as well as at many other less remarkable and less revolting cases. [illustration: rebecca nourse house, danvers, mass.] rebecca nourse, aged and infirm and universally beloved by her neighbours, was accused of being a witch--why, one is unable to find out. the jury was convinced of her innocence, and brought in a verdict of "not guilty," but the court sent them out again with instructions to find her guilty. this they did, and she was executed. the tradition is that her sons disinterred her body by stealth from the foot of the gallows where it had been thrown, and brought it to the old homestead, now still standing in danvers, laying it reverently, and with many tears, in the little family burying ground near by. the majority of the persons condemned in salem were either old or weak-witted, victims who in their testimony condemned themselves, or seemed to the jury to do so. tituba, the indian slave, is an example of this. she was tried in march, 1692, by the justice corwin of the big, dark house. she confessed that under threats from satan, who had most often appeared to her as a man in black, accompanied by a yellow bird, she had tortured the girls who appeared against her. she named accomplices, and was condemned to imprisonment. after a few months she was sold to pay the expenses of her lodging in jail, and is lost to history. but this was by no means the end of the matter. the "afflicted children" in salem who had made trouble before now began to accuse men and women of unimpeachable character. within a few months several hundred people were arrested and thrown into jails. as governor hutchinson, the historian of the time, points out, the only way to prevent an accusation was to become an accuser oneself. the state of affairs was indeed analogous to that which obtained in france a century later, when, during the reign of terror, men of property and position lived in the hourly fear of being regarded as "a suspect," and frequently threw suspicion on their neighbours the better to retain their own heads. we of to-day cannot understand the madness that inspired such cruelty. but in the light of michelet's theory,--that in the oppression and dearth of every kind of ideal interest in rural populations some safety-valve had to be found, and that there _were_ real organised secret meetings, witches' sabbaths, to supply this need of sensation,--the thing is less difficult to comprehend. the religious hysteria that resulted in the banishment of mrs. hutchinson was but another phase of the same thing. and the degeneration to be noted to-day in the remote hill-towns of new england is likewise attributable to michelet's "dearth of ideal interest." the thing once started, it grew, of course, by what it fed upon. professor william james, harvard's distinguished psychologist, has traced to torture the so-called "confessions" on which the evil principally throve. a person, he says, was suddenly found to be suffering from what we to-day should call hysteria, perhaps, but what in those days was called a witch disease. a witch then had to be found to account for the disease; a scapegoat must of necessity be brought forward. some poor old woman was thereupon picked out and subjected to atrocious torture. if she "confessed," the torture ceased. naturally she very often "confessed," thus implicating others and damning herself. negative suggestion this modern psychologist likewise offers as light upon witchcraft. the witches seldom cried, no matter what their anguish of mind might be. the inquisitors used to say to them then, "if you're not a witch, cry, let us see your tears. there, there! you can't cry! that proves you're a witch!" moreover, that was an age when everybody read the bible, and believed in its verbal inspiration. and there in exodus (22:18), is the plain command, "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." cotton mather, the distinguished young divine, had published a work affirming his belief in witchcraft, and detailing his study of some bewitched children in charlestown, one of whom he had taken into his own family, the better to observe the case. the king believed in it, and queen anne, to whose name we usually prefix the adjective "good," wrote to governor phips a letter which shows that she admitted witchcraft as a thing unquestioned. it is in connection with the witchcraft delusion in salem that we get the one instance in new england of the old english penalty for contumacy, that of a victim's being pressed to death. giles corey, who believed in witchcraft and was instrumental in the conviction of his wife, so suffered, partly to atone for his early cowardice and partly to save his property for his children. this latter thing he could not have done if he had been convicted of witchcraft, so after pleading "not guilty," he remained mute, refusing to add the necessary technical words that he would be tried "by god and his country." the arrest of mrs. corey, we learn, followed closely on the heels of that of tituba and her companions. the accused was a woman of sixty, and the third wife of corey. she seems to have been a person of unusual strength of character, and from the first denounced the witchcraft excitement, trying to persuade her husband, who believed all the monstrous stories then current, not to attend the hearings or in any way countenance the proceedings. perhaps it was this well-known attitude of hers that directed suspicion to her. at her trial the usual performance was enacted. the "afflicted girls" fell on the floor, uttered piercing shrieks, and cried out upon their victim. "there is a man whispering in her ear!" one of them suddenly exclaimed. "what does he say to you?" the judge demanded of martha corey, accepting at once the "spectral evidence". "we must not believe all these distracted children say," was her sensible answer. but good sense was not much regarded at witch trials, and she was convicted and not long afterward executed. her husband's evidence, which went strongly against her, is here given as a good example of much of the testimony by which the nineteen salem victims of the delusion were sent to gallows hill. "one evening i was sitting by the fire when my wife asked me to go to bed. i told her that i would go to prayer, and when i went to prayer i could not utter my desires with any sense, nor open my mouth to speak. after a little space i did according to my measure attend the duty. some time last week i fetched an ox well out of the woods about noon, and he laying down in the yard, i went to raise him to yoke him, but he could not rise, but dragged his hinder parts as if he had been hip shot, but after did rise. i had a cat some time last week strongly taken on the sudden, and did make me think she would have died presently. my wife bid me knock her in the head, but i did not, and since she is well. my wife hath been wont to sit up after i went to bed, and i have perceived her to kneel down as if she were at prayer, but heard nothing." incredible as it seems to-day, this was accepted as "evidence" of mrs. corey's bewitchment. then, as so often happened, giles corey, the accuser, was soon himself accused. he was arrested, taken from his mill, and brought before the judges of the special court appointed by governor phips to hear the witch trials in salem. again the girls went through their performance, again there was an endeavour to extort a confession. but this time corey acted the part of a man. he had had leisure for reflection since he had testified against his wife, and he was now as sure that she was guiltless as that he himself was. bitter, indeed, must have been the realisation that he had helped convict her. but he atoned, as has been said, to her and to his children by subjecting himself to veritable martyrdom. though an old man whose hair was whitened with the snows of eighty winters, he "was laid on his back, a board placed on his body with as great a weight upon it as he could endure, while his sole diet consisted of a few morsels of bread one day, and a draught of water the alternate day until death put an end to his sufferings." rightly must this mode of torture have been named _peine forte et dure_. on gallows hill three days later occurred the execution of eight persons, the last so to suffer in the colony. nineteen people in all were hanged, and one was pressed to death in salem, but _there is absolutely no foundation for the statement that some were burned_. the revulsion that followed the cessation of the delusion was as marked as was the precipitation that characterised the proceedings. many of the clergy concerned in the trials offered abject apologies, and judge sewall, noblest of all the civil and ecclesiastical authorities implicated in the madness, stood up on fast day before a great congregation in the south church, boston, acknowledged his grievous error in accepting "spectral evidence," and to the end of his life did penance yearly in the same meeting-house for his part in the transactions. not inappropriately the gloomy old house in which the fanatical corwin had his home is to-day given over to a dealer in antique furniture. visitors are freely admitted upon application, and very many in the course of the year go inside to feast their eyes on the ancient wainscoting and timbers. the front door and the overhanging roof are just as in the time of the witches, and from a recessed area at the back, narrow casements and excrescent stairways are still to be seen. the original house had, however, peaked gables, with pineapples carved in wood surmounting its latticed windows and colossal chimneys that placed it unmistakably in the age of ruffs, spanish cloaks, and long rapiers. lady wentworth of the hall on one of those pleasant long evenings, when the group of friends that longfellow represents in his "tales of the wayside inn" had gathered in the twilight about the cheery open fire of the house at sudbury to tell each other tales of long ago, we hear best the story of martha hilton. we seem to catch the poet's voice as he says after the legend from the baltic has been alluringly related by the musician: "these tales you tell are, one and all, of the old world, flowers gathered from a crumbling wall, dead leaves that rustle as they fall; let me present you in their stead something of our new england earth; a tale which, though of no great worth, has still this merit, that it yields a certain freshness of the fields, a sweetness as of home-made bread." and then, as the others leaned back to listen, there followed the beautiful ballad which celebrates the fashion in which martha hilton, a kitchen maid, became "lady wentworth of the hall." the old wentworth mansion, where, as a beautiful girl, martha came, served, and conquered all who knew her, and even once received as her guest the father of his country, is still in an admirably preserved state, and the wayside inn, rechristened the red horse tavern, still entertains glad guests. [illustration: red horse tavern, sudbury, mass.] this inn was built about 1686, and for almost a century and a half from 1714 it was kept as a public house by generation after generation of howes, the last of the name at the inn being lyman howe, who served guests of the house from 1831 to about 1860, and was the good friend and comrade of the brilliant group of men longfellow has poetically immortalised in the "tales." the modern successor of staver's inn, or the "earl of halifax," in the doorway of which longfellow's worthy dame once said, "as plain as day:" "oh, martha hilton! fie! how dare you go about the town half dressed and looking so!" is also standing, and has recently been decorated by a memorial tablet. in portsmouth martha hilton is well remembered, thanks to longfellow and tradition, as a slender girl who, barefooted, ragged, with neglected hair, bore from the well "a pail of water dripping through the street, and bathing as she went her naked feet." nor do the worthy people of portsmouth fail to recall the other actor in this memorable drama, upon which the earl of halifax once benignly smiled: "a portly person, with three-cornered hat, a crimson velvet coat, head high in air, gold-headed cane and nicely powdered hair, and diamond buckles sparkling at his knees, dignified, stately, florid, much at ease. for this was governor wentworth, driving down to little harbour, just beyond the town, where his great house stood, looking out to sea, a goodly place, where it was good to be." there are even those who can perfectly recollect when the house was very venerable in appearance, and when in its rooms were to be seen the old spinet, the strafford portrait, and many other things delightful to the antiquary. longfellow's description of this ancient domicile is particularly beautiful: "it was a pleasant mansion, an abode near and yet hidden from the great highroad, sequestered among trees, a noble pile, baronial and colonial in its style; gables and dormer windows everywhere- pandalan pipes, on which all winds that blew made mournful music the whole winter through. within, unwonted splendours met the eye, panels, and floors of oak, and tapestry; carved chimneypieces, where, on brazen dogs, revelled and roared the christmas fire of logs. doors opening into darkness unawares, mysterious passages and flights of stairs; and on the walls, in heavy-gilded frames, the ancestral wentworths, with old scripture names. such was the mansion where the great man dwelt." the place thus prettily pictured is at the mouth of sagamore creek, not more than, two miles from the town of portsmouth. the exterior of the mansion as it looks to-day does not of itself live up to one's preconceived idea of colonial magnificence. a rambling collection of buildings, seemingly the result of various "l" expansions, form an inharmonious whole which would have made ruskin quite mad. the site is, however, charming, for the place commands a view up and down little harbour, though concealed by an eminence from the road. the house is said to have originally contained as many as fifty-two rooms. if so, it has shrunk in recent years. but there is still plenty of elbow space, and the cellar is even to-day large enough to accommodate a fair-sized troop of soldiery. as one enters, one notices first the rack in which were wont to be deposited the muskets of the governor's guard. and it requires only a little imagination to picture the big rooms as they were in the old days, with the portrait of strafford dictating to his secretary just before his execution, the rare copley, the green damask-covered furniture, and the sedan-chair, all exhaling an atmosphere of old-time splendour and luxury. something of impressiveness has recently been introduced into the interior by the artistic arrangement of old furniture which the house's present owner, mr. templeton coolidge, has brought about. but the exterior is "spick-span" in modern yellow and white paint! [illustration: governor wentworth house, portsmouth, n. h.] yet it was in this very house that martha for seven years served her future lord. there, busy with mop and pail--- "a maid of all work, whether coarse or fine, a servant who made service seem divine!" she grew from childhood into the lovely woman whom governor wentworth wooed and won. in the march of 1760 it was that the host at little harbour exclaimed abruptly to the good rector of st. john's, who had been dining sumptuously at the manor-house: "this is my birthday; it shall likewise be my wedding-day, and you shall marry me!" no wonder the listening guests were greatly mystified, as martha and the portly governor were joined "across the walnuts and the wine" by the reverend arthur brown, of the established church. and now, of course, martha had her chariot, from which she could look down as disdainfully as did the earl of halifax on the humble folk who needs must walk. the sudden elevation seems, indeed, to have gone to my lady's head. for tradition says that very shortly after her marriage martha dropped her ring and summoned one of her late kitchen colleagues to rescue it from the floor. but the colleague had quickly become shortsighted, and martha, dismissing her hastily, picked up the circlet herself. before the reverend arthur brown was gathered to his fathers, he had another opportunity to marry the fascinating martha to another wentworth, a man of real soldierly distinction. her second husband was redcoated michael, of england, who had been in the battle of culloden. this colonel michael wentworth was the "great buck" of his day, and was wont to fiddle at stoodley's far into the morning for sheer love of fiddling and revelry. stoodley's has now fallen indeed! it is the brick building marked "custom-house," and it stands at the corner of daniel and penhallow streets. to this lord and lady wentworth it was that washington, in 1789, came as a guest, "rowed by white-jacketed sailors straight to their vine-hung, hospitable door." at this time there was a younger martha in the house, one who had grown up to play the spinet by the long, low windows, and who later joined her fate to that of still another wentworth, with whom she passed to france. a few years later, in 1795, the "great buck" of his time took to a bankrupt's grave in new york, forgetting, so the story goes, the eternal canon fixed against self-slaughter. but for all we tell as a legend this story of martha hilton, and for all her "capture" of the governor has come down to us almost as a myth, it is less than fifty years ago that the daughter of the man who fiddled at stoodley's and of the girl who went barefooted and ragged through the streets of portsmouth, passed in her turn to the great beyond. verily, we in america have, after all, only a short historical perspective. an historic tragedy one hundred years ago there was committed in dedham, massachusetts, one of the most famous murders of this country, a crime, some description of which falls naturally enough into these chapters, inasmuch as the person punished as the criminal belonged to the illustrious fairbanks family, whose picturesque homestead is widely known as one of the oldest houses in new england. in the _massachusetts federalist_ of saturday, september 12, 1801, we find an editorial paragraph which, apart from its intrinsic interest, is valuable as an example of the great difference between ancient and modern journalistic treatment of murder matter. this paragraph reads, in the quaint old type of the time: "on thursday last jason fairbanks was executed at dedham for the murder of miss elizabeth fales. he was taken from the gaol in this town at eight o'clock, by the sheriff of this county, and delivered to the sheriff of norfolk county at the boundary line between the two counties. "he was in an open coach, and was attended therein by the reverend doctor thatcher and two peace officers. from the county line in norfolk he was conducted to the dedham gaol by sheriff cutler, his deputies, and a score of cavalry under captain davis; and from the gaol in dedham to the place of execution was guarded by two companies of cavalry and a detachment of volunteer infantry. "he mounted the scaffold about a quarter before three with his usual steadiness, and soon after making a signal with his handkerchief, was swung off. after hanging about twenty-five minutes, his body was cut down and buried near the gallows. his deportment during his journey to and at the place of execution was marked with the same apathy and indifference which he discovered before and since his trial. we do not learn he has made any confession of his guilt." as a matter of fact, far from making a confession of his guilt, jason fairbanks denied even to the moment of his execution that he killed elizabeth fales, and his family and many other worthy citizens of dedham believed, and kept believing to the end of their lives, that the girl committed suicide, and that an innocent man was punished for a crime he could never have perpetrated. in the trial it was shown that this beautiful girl of eighteen had been for many years extremely fond of the young man, fairbanks, and that her love was ardently reciprocated. jason fairbanks had not been allowed, however, to visit the girl at the home of her father, though the fales place was only a little more than a mile from his own dwelling, the venerable fairbanks house. none the less, they had been in the habit of meeting frequently, in company with others, en route to the weekly singing school, the husking bees and the choir practice. both the young people were extremely fond of music, and this mutual interest seems to have been one of the several ties which bound them together. in spite, therefore, of the stern decree that young fairbanks should not visit miss fales at her home, there was considerable well-improved opportunity for intercourse, and, as was afterward shown, the two often had long walks together, apart from the others of their acquaintance. one of their appointments was made for the day of the murder, may 18, 1801. fairbanks was to meet his sweetheart, he told a friend, in the pasture near her home, and it was his intention at that time to persuade her to run away with him and be married. unfortunately for fairbanks's case at the trial, it was shown that he told this same friend that if elizabeth fales would not run away with him he would do her harm. and one other thing which militated against the acquittal of the accused youth was the fact that, as an inducement to the girl to elope with him, fairbanks showed her a forged paper, upon which she appeared to have declared legally her intention to marry him. one tragic element of the whole affair was the fact that fairbanks had no definite work and no assured means of support. young people of good family did not marry a hundred years ago without thinking, and thinking to some purpose, of what cares and expense the future might bring them. the man, if he was an honourable man, expected always to have a home for his wife, and since fairbanks was an invalid, "debilitated in his right arm," as the phrasing of the time put it, and had never been able to do his part of the farm work, he had lived what his stern forebears would have called an idle life, and consequently utterly lacked the means to marry. that he was something of a spoiled child also developed at the trial, which from the first went against the young man because of the testimony of the chums to whom he had confided his intention to do elizabeth fales an injury if she would not go to wrentham and marry him. the prisoner's counsel were two very clever young lawyers who afterward came to be men of great distinction in massachusetts--no others, in fact, than harrison gray otis and john lowell. these men advanced very clever arguments to show that elizabeth fales, maddened by a love which seemed unlikely ever to end in marriage, had seized from jason the large knife which he was using to mend a quill pen as he walked to meet her, and with this knife had inflicted upon herself the terrible wounds, from the effect of which she died almost instantaneously. the fact that jason was himself wounded in the struggle was ingeniously utilised by the defence to show that he had received murderous blows from her hand, for the very reason that he had attempted (unsuccessfully, inasmuch as his right arm was impaired) to wrest the mad girl's murderous weapon from her. the counsel also made much of the fact that, though it was at midday and many people were not far off, no screams were heard. a vigorous girl like elizabeth fales would not have submitted easily, they held, to any such assault as was charged. in the course of the trial a very moving description of the sufferings such a high-strung, ardent nature as this girl's must have undergone, because of her hopeless love, was used to show the reasons for suicide. and following the habit of the times, the lawyers turned their work to moral ends by beseeching the parents in the crowded court-room to exercise a greater vigilance over the social life of their young people, and so prevent the possibility of their forming any such attachment as had moved elizabeth fales to take her own life. yet all this eloquent pleading was in vain, for the court found jason fairbanks guilty of murder and sentenced him to be hanged. from the court-room he was taken to the dedham gaol, but on the night of the seventeenth of august he was enabled to make his escape through the offices of a number of men who believed him innocent, and for some days he was at liberty. at length, however, upon a reward of one thousand dollars being offered for his apprehension, he was captured near northampton, massachusetts, which town he had reached on his journey to canada. the gallows upon which "justice" ultimately asserted itself is said to have been constructed of a tree cut from the old fairbanks place. the fairbanks house is still standing, having been occupied for almost two hundred and seventy-five years by the same family, which is now in the eighth generation of the name. the house is surrounded by magnificent old elms, and was built by jonathan fairbanks, who came from sowerby, in the west riding of yorkshire, england, in 1633. the cupboards are filled with choice china, and even the fairbanks cats, it is said, drink their milk out of ancient blue saucers that would drive a collector wild with envy. the house is now (1902) the home of miss rebecca fairbanks, an old lady of seventy-five years, who will occupy it throughout her lifetime, although the place is controlled by the fairbanks chapter of the daughters of the revolution, who hold their monthly meetings there. [illustration: fairbanks house, dedham, mass.] the way in which this property was acquired by the organisation named is interesting recent history. miss rebecca fairbanks was obliged in 1895 to sell the house to john crowley, a real estate dealer in dedham. on april 3, 1897, mrs. nelson v. titus, asked through the medium of the press for four thousand, five hundred dollars, necessary to purchase the house and keep it as a historical relic. almost immediately mrs. j. amory codman and miss martha codman sent a check for the sum desired, and thus performed a double act of beneficence. for it was now possible to ensure to miss fairbanks a life tenancy of the home of her fathers as well as to keep for all time this picturesque place as an example of early american architecture. hundreds of visitors now go every summer to see the interesting old house, which stands nestling cosily in a grassy dell just at the corner of east street and the short "willow road" across the meadows that lie between east street and dedham. this road is a "modern convenience," and its construction was severely frowned upon by the three old ladies who twenty years ago lived together in the family homestead. and though it made the road to the village shorter by half than the old way, this had no weight with the inflexible women who had inherited from their long line of ancestors marked decision and firmness of character. they protested against the building of the road, and when it was built in spite of their protests they declared they would not use it, and kept their word. constant attendants of the old congregational church in dedham, they went persistently by the longest way round rather than tolerate the road to which they had objected. that their neighbours called them "set in their ways" goes, of course, without saying, but the women of the fairbanks family have ever been rigidly conscientious, and the men a bit obstinate. for, much as one would like to think the contrary true, one seems forced to believe that it was obstinacy rather than innocency which made jason fairbanks protest till the hour of his death that he was being unjustly punished. inventor morse's unfulfilled ambition the first house erected in charlestown after the destruction of the village by fire in 1775 (the coup d'état which immediately followed the battle of bunker hill, it will be remembered), is that which is here given as the birthplace of samuel finley breese morse, the inventor of the electric telegraph. the house is still standing at 203 main street, and in the front chamber of the second story, on the right of the front door of the entrance, visitors still pause to render tribute to the memory of the babe that there drew his first breath on april 27, 1791. [illustration: edes house, birthplace of professor morse, charlestown, mass.] it was, however, quite by accident that the house became doubly famous, for it was during the building of the parsonage, pastor morse's proper home, that his little son came to gladden his life. reverend jedediah morse became minister of the first parish church on april 30, 1789, the very date of washington's inauguration in new york as president of the united states, and two weeks later married a daughter of judge samuel breese, of new york. shortly afterward it was determined to build a parsonage, and during the construction of this dwelling doctor morse accepted the hospitality of mr. thomas edes, who then owned the "oldest" house. and work on the parsonage being delayed beyond expectation, mrs. morse's little son was born in the edes house. apropos of the brief residence of doctor morse in this house comes a quaint letter from reverend jeremy belknap, the staid old doctor of divinity, and the founder of the massachusetts historical society, which shows that girls over a hundred years ago were quite as much interested in young unmarried ministers as nice girls ought ever to be. two or three months before the settlement of mr. morse in charlestown, doctor belknap wrote to his friend, ebenezer hazard, of new york, who was a relative of judge breese: "you said in one of your late letters that probably charlestown people would soon have to build a house for mr. morse. i let this drop in a conversation with a daughter of mr. carey, and in a day or two it was all over charlestown, and the girls who had been setting their caps for him are chagrined. i suppose it would be something to mr. morse's advantage in point of bands and handkerchiefs, if this report could be contradicted; but if it cannot, oh, how heavy will be the disappointment. when a young clergyman settles in such a town as charlestown, there is as much looking out for him as there is for a thousand-dollar prize in a lottery; and though the girls know that but one can have him, yet 'who knows but i may be that one?'"[10] doctor morse's fame has been a good deal obscured by that of his distinguished son, but he seems none the less to have been a good deal of a man, and it is perhaps no wonder that the feminine portion of a little place like charlestown looked forward with decided interest to his settling among them. we can even fancy that the girls of the sewing society studied geography with ardour when they learned who was to be their new minister. for geography was doctor morse's passion; he was, indeed, the alexis frye of his period. this interest in geography is said to have been so tremendous with the man that once being asked by his teacher at a greek recitation where a certain verb was found, he replied, "on the coast of africa." and while he was a tutor at yale the want of geographies there induced him to prepare notes for his pupils, to serve as text-books, which he eventually printed. young morse seconded his father's passion for geography by one as strongly marked for drawing, and the blank margin of his virgil occupied far more of his thoughts than the text. the inventor came indeed only tardily to discover in which direction his real talent lay. all his youth he worshipped art and followed (at considerable distance) his beloved mistress. his penchant for painting, exhibited in much the same manner as allston's, his future master, did not meet with the same encouragement. a caricature (founded upon some fracas among the students at yale), in which the faculty were burlesqued, was seized during morse's student days, handed to president dwight, and the author, who was no other than our young friend, called up. the delinquent received a severe lecture upon his waste of time, violation of college laws, and filial disobedience, without exhibiting any sign of contrition; but when at length doctor dwight said to him, "morse, you are no painter; this is a rude attempt, a complete failure," he was touched to the quick, and could not keep back the tears. the canvas, executed by morse at the age of nineteen, of the landing of the pilgrims, which may be seen at the charlestown city hall, is certainly not a masterpiece. yet the lad was determined to learn to paint, and to this end accompanied allston to europe, where he became a pupil of west, and, it is said, also of copley. west had become the foremost painter of his time in england when our ambitious young artist was presented to him, but from the beginning he took a great interest in the charlestown lad, and showed him much attention. once in after years morse related to a friend this most interesting anecdote of his great master: "i called upon mr. west at his house in newman street one morning, and in conformity to the order given to his servant robert always to admit mr. leslie and myself even if he was engaged in his private studies, i was shown into his studio. "as i entered a half-length portrait of george iii. stood before me on an easel, and mr. west was sitting with his back toward me copying from it upon canvas. my name having been mentioned to him, he did not turn, but pointing with the pencil he had in his hand to the portrait from which he was copying, he said, 'do you see that picture, mr. morse?' "'yes, sir,' i said, 'i perceive it is the portrait of the king.' "'well,' said mr. west, 'the king was sitting to me for that portrait when the box containing the american declaration of independence was handed to him.' "'indeed,' i answered; 'and what appeared to be the emotions of the king? what did he say?' "'his reply,' said mr. west, 'was characteristic of the goodness of his heart: "if they can be happier under the government they have chosen than under me, i shall be happy."'"[11] morse returned to boston in the autumn of 1815, and there set up a studio. but he was not too occupied in painting to turn a hand to invention, and we find him the next winter touring new hampshire and vermont trying to sell to towns and villages a fire-engine pump he had invented, while seeking commissions to paint portraits at fifteen dollars a head. it was that winter that he met in concord, new hampshire, miss lucretia p. walker, whom he married in the autumn of 1818, and whose death in february, 1825, just after he had successfully fulfilled a liberal commission to paint general lafayette, was the great blow of his young manhood. the national academy of design morse helped to found in new york in 1826, and of this institution he was first president. about the same time we find him renewing his early interest in electrical experiments. a few years later he is sailing for europe, there to execute many copying commissions. and on his return from this stay abroad the idea of the telegraph suggested itself to him. of the exact way in which morse first conceived the idea of making electricity the means of conveying intelligence, various accounts have been given, the one usually accepted being that while on board the packet-ship _sully_, a fellow passenger related some experiments he had witnessed in paris with the electro-magnet, a recital which made such an impression upon one of his auditors that he walked the deck the whole night. professor morse's own statement was that he gained his knowledge of the working of the electro-magnet while attending the lectures of doctor j. freeman dana, then professor of chemistry in the university of new york, lectures which were delivered before the new york atheneum. "i witnessed," says morse, "the effects of the conjunctive wires in the different forms described by him in his lectures, and exhibited to his audience. the electro-magnet was put in action by an intense battery; it was made to sustain the weight of its armature, when the conjunctive wire was connected with the poles of the battery, or the circuit was closed; and it was made to 'drop its load' upon opening the circuit." yet after the inventor had made his discovery he had the greatest difficulty in getting a chance to demonstrate its worth. heartsick with despondency, and with his means utterly exhausted, he finally applied to the twenty-seventh congress for aid to put his invention to the test of practical illustration, and his petition was carried through with a majority of only two votes! these two votes to the good were enough, however, to save the wonderful discovery, perhaps from present obscurity, and with the thirty thousand dollars appropriated by congress morse stretched his first wires from washington to baltimore--wires, it will be noted, because the principle of the ground circuit was not then known, and only later discovered by accident. so that a wire to go and another to return between the cities was deemed necessary by morse to complete his first circuit. the first wire was of copper. the first message, now in the custody of the connecticut historical society, was dictated by miss annie g. ellsworth, and the words of it were "what hath god wrought?" the telegraph was at first regarded with superstitious dread in some sections of the country. in a southern state a drought was attributed to its occult influences, and the people, infatuated with the idea, levelled the wires to the ground. and so common was it for the indians to knock off the insulators with their rifles in order to gratify their curiosity in regard to the "singing cord," that it was at first extremely difficult to keep the lines in repair along the pacific railway. to the man who had been so poor that he had had a very great struggle to provide bread for his three motherless children, came now success. the impecunious artist was liberally rewarded for his clever invention, and in 1847 he married for his second wife miss sarah e. griswold, of poughkeepsie, the daughter of his cousin. she was twenty-five when they were married, and he fifty-six, but they lived very happily together on the two-hundred acre farm he had bought near poughkeepsie, and it was there that he died at the age of seventy-two, full of honours as an inventor, and loving art to the end. even after he became a great man, professor morse, it is interesting to learn, cherished his fondness for the house in which he was born, and one of his last visits to charlestown was on the occasion when he took his young daughter to see the old place. and that same day, one is a bit amused to note, he took her also to the old parsonage, then still standing, in what is now harvard street, between the city hall and the church--and there pointed out to her with pride some rude sketches he had made on the wall of his sleeping-room when still a boy. so, though it is as an inventor we remember and honour samuel finley breese morse to-day, it was as a painter that he wished first, last, and above all to be famous. but in the realm of the talents as elsewhere man proposes and god disposes. footnotes: [footnote 10: drake's "historic fields and mansions of middlesex." little, brown & co., publishers.] [footnote 11: beacon biographies: s. f. b. morse, by john trowbridge; small, maynard & co.] where the "brothers and sisters" met no single house in all massachusetts has survived so many of the vicissitudes of fickle fortune and carried the traditions of a glorious past up into the realities of a prosperous and useful present more successfully than has fay house, the present home of radcliffe college, cambridge. the central portion of the fay house of to-day dates back nearly a hundred years, and was built by nathaniel ireland, a prosperous merchant of boston. it was indeed a mansion to make farmer-folk stare when, with its tower-like bays, running from ground to roof, it was, in 1806, erected on the highroad to watertown, the first brick house in the vicinity. to mr. ireland did not come the good fortune of living in the fine dwelling his ambition had designed. a ship-blacksmith by trade, his prospects were ruined by the jefferson embargo, and he was obliged to leave the work of construction on his house unfinished and allow the place to pass, heavily mortgaged, into the hands of others. but the house itself and our story concerning it gained by mr. ireland's loss, for it now became the property of doctor joseph mckean (a famous harvard instructor), and the rendezvous of that professor's college associates and of the numerous friends of his young family. oliver wendell holmes was among those who spent many a social evening here with the mckeans. the next name of importance to be connected with fay house was that of edward everett, who lived here for a time. later sophia willard dana, granddaughter of chief justice dana, our first minister to russia, kept a boarding and day school for young ladies in the house. among her pupils were the sisters of james russell lowell, mary channing, the first wife of colonel thomas wentworth higginson, and members of the higginson, parkman, and tuckerman families. lowell himself, and edmund dana, attended here for a term as a special privilege. sophia dana was married in the house, august 22, 1827, by the father of oliver wendell holmes, to mr. george ripley, with whom she afterward took an active part in the brook farm colony, of which we are to hear again a bit later in this series. after miss dana's marriage, her school was carried on largely by miss elizabeth mckean--the daughter of the doctor joseph mckean already referred to--a young woman who soon became the wife of doctor joseph worcester, the compiler of the dictionary. delightful reminiscences of fay house have been furnished us by thomas wentworth higginson, who, as a boy, was often in and out of the place, visiting his aunt, mrs. channing, who lived here with her son, william henry channing, the well-known anti-slavery orator. here higginson, as a youth, used to listen with keenest pleasure, to the singing of his cousin, lucy channing, especially when the song she chose was, "the mistletoe hung on the castle wall," the story of a bride shut up in a chest. "i used firmly to believe," the genial colonel confessed to the radcliffe girls, in reviving for them his memories of the house, "that there was a bride shut up in the walls of this house--and there may be to-day, for all i know." for fifty years after june, 1835, the house was in the possession of judge p. p. fay's family. the surroundings were still country-like. cambridge common was as yet only a treeless pasture, and the house had not been materially changed from its original shape and plan. judge fay was a jolly gentleman of the old school. a judge of probate for a dozen years, an overseer of harvard college, and a pillar of christ church, he was withal fond of a well-turned story and a lover of good hunting, as well as much given to hospitality. miss maria denny fay, whose memory is now perpetuated in a radcliffe scholarship, was the sixth of judge fay's seven children, and the one who finally became both mistress and owner of the estate. a girl of fourteen when her father bought the house, she was at the time receiving her young-lady education at the convent of st. ursula, where, in the vine-covered, red-brick convent on the summit of charlestown, she learned, under the guidance of the nuns, to sing, play the piano, the harp, and the guitar, to speak french, and read spanish and italian. but her life on mt. benedict was suddenly terminated when the convent was burned. so she entered earlier than would otherwise have been the case upon the varied interests of her new and beautiful home. here, in the course of a few years, we find her presiding, a gracious and lovely maiden, of whom the venerable colonel higginson has said: "i have never, in looking back, felt more grateful to any one than to this charming girl of twenty, who consented to be a neighbour to me, an awkward boy of seventeen, to attract me in a manner from myself and make me available to other people." very happy times were those which the young wentworth higginson, then a college boy, living with his mother at vaughan house, was privileged to share with maria fay and her friends. who of us does not envy him the memory of that christmas party in 1841, when there were gathered in fay house, among others, maria white, lowell's beautiful fiancée; levi thaxter, afterward the husband of celia thaxter; leverett saltonstall, mary story and william story, the sculptors? and how pleasant it must have been to join in the famous charades of that circle of talented young people, to partake of refreshments in the quaint dining-room, and dance a virginia reel and galop in the beautiful oval parlour which then, as to-day, expressed ideally the acme of charming hospitality! what tales this same parlour might relate! how enchantingly it might tell, if it could speak, of the graceful maria white, who, seated in the deep window, must have made an exquisite picture in her white gown, with her beautiful face shining in the moonlight while she repeated, in her soft voice, one of her own ballads, written for the "brothers and sisters," as this group of young people was called. [illustration: oval parlour, fay house, cambridge, mass.] of a more distinctly academic cast were some of the companies later assembled in this same room--judge story, doctor beck, president felton, professors pierce, lane, child, and lowell, with maybe longfellow, listening to one of his own songs, or that strange figure, professor evangelinus apostolides sophocles, oddly ill at ease in his suit of dingy black. in his younger days he had been both pirate and priest, and he retained, as professor, some of his early habits--seldom being seated while he talked, and leaning against the door, shaking and fumbling his college keys as the monks shake their rosaries. mr. arthur gilman has related in a charming article on fay house, written for the _harvard graduates magazine_ (from which, as from miss norris's sketch of the old place, printed in a recent number of the _radcliffe magazine_, many of the incidents here given are drawn), that professor sophocles was allowed by miss fay to keep some hens on the estate, pets which he had an odd habit of naming after his friends. when, therefore, some accomplishment striking and praiseworthy in a hen was related in company as peculiar to one or another of them, the professor innocently calling his animals by the name he had borrowed, the effect was apt to be startling. during the latter part of miss fay's long tenancy of this house, she had with her her elder sister, the handsome mrs. greenough, a woman who had been so famous a beauty in her youth that, on the occasion of her wedding, harvard students thronged the aisles and climbed the pews of old christ church to see her. the wedding receptions of mrs. greenough's daughter and granddaughter were held, too, in fay house. this latter girl was the fascinating and talented lily greenough, who was later a favourite at the court of napoleon and eugénie, and who, after the death of her first husband, mr. charles moulton, was married in this house to monsieur de hegermann lindencrone, at that time danish minister to the united states, and now minister at paris. her daughter, suzanne moulton, who has left her name scratched with a diamond on one of the fay house windows, is now the countess suzanne raben-levetzan of nystel, denmark. in connection with the fays' life in this house occurred one thing which will particularly send the building down into posterity, and will link for all time radcliffe and harvard traditions. for it was in the upper corner room, nearest the washington elm, that doctor samuel gilman, judge fay's brother-in-law, wrote "fair harvard," while a guest in this hospitable home, during the second centennial celebration of the college on the charles. radcliffe girls often seem a bit triumphant as they point out to visitors this room and its facsimile copy of the famous song. yet they have plenty of pleasant things of their own to remember. just one of these, taken at random from among the present writer's own memories of pretty happenings at fay house, will serve: during duse's last tour in this country, the famous actress came out one afternoon, as many a famous personage does, to drink a cup of tea with mrs. agassiz in the stately old parlour, where mrs. whitman's famous portrait of the president of radcliffe college vies in attractiveness with the living reality graciously presiding over the wednesday afternoon teacups. as it happened, there was a scant attendance at the tea on this day of duse's visit. she had not been expected, and so it fell out that some two or three girls who could speak french or italian were privileged to do the honours of the occasion to the great actress whom they had long worshipped from afar. duse was in one of her most charming moods, and she listened with the greatest attention to her young hostesses' laboured explanations concerning the college and its ancient home. the best of it all, from the enthusiastic girl-students' point of view, was, however, in the dark-eyed italienne's mode of saying farewell. as she entered her carriage--to which she had been escorted by this little group--she took from her belt a beautiful bouquet of roses, camellias, and violets. and as the smart coachman flicked the impatient horses with his whip, duse threw the girls the precious flowers. those who caught a camellia felt, of course, especially delighted, for it was as the dame aux camellias that duse had been winning for weeks the plaudits of admiring boston. my own share of the largesse consisted of a few fresh, sweet violets, which i still have tucked away somewhere, together with one of the great actress's photographs that bears the date of the pleasant afternoon hour passed with her in the parlour where the "brothers and sisters" met. the brook farmers one of the weddings noted in our fay house chapter was that of sophia dana to george ripley, an event which was celebrated august 22, 1827, in the stately parlour of the cambridge mansion, the ceremony being performed by the father of oliver wendell holmes. the time between the date of their marriage and the year 1840, when mr. and mrs. ripley "discovered" the milk-farm in west roxbury, which was afterward to be developed through their efforts into the most remarkable socialistic experiment america has ever known, represented for the young people joined together in what is now the home of radcliffe college some dozen years of quiet parsonage life in boston. the later years of george ripley's life held for him a series of disappointments before which his courage and ideals never failed. when the young student left the harvard divinity school, he was appointed minister over a unitarian parish which was gathered for him at the corner of pearl and purchase streets, boston. here his ministrations went faithfully on, but inasmuch as his parishioners failed to take any deep interest in the social questions which seemed to him of most vital concern, he sent them, in the october of 1840, a letter of resignation, which they duly accepted, thus leaving ripley free to enter upon the experiment so dear to him. the ripleys, as has been said, had already discovered brook farm, a pleasant place, varied in contour, with pine woods close at hand, the charles river within easy distance, and plenty of land--whether of a sort to produce paying crops or not they were later to learn. that winter ripley wrote to emerson: "we propose to take a small tract of land, which, under skilful husbandry, uniting the garden and the farm, will be adequate to the subsistence of the families; and to connect with this a school or college in which the most complete instruction shall be given, from the first rudiments to the highest culture." ripley himself assumed the responsibility for the management and success of the undertaking, and about the middle of april, 1841, he took possession with his wife and sister and some fifteen others, including hawthorne, of the farmhouse, which, with a large barn, was already on the estate. the first six months were spent in "getting started," especially in the matter of the school, of which mrs. ripley was largely in charge, and it was not until early fall--september 29--that the brook farm institute of agriculture and education was organised as a kind of joint stock company, not incorporated. a seeker after country quiet and beauty might easily be as much attracted to-day by the undulating acres of brook farm as were those who sought it sixty years ago as a refuge from social discouragement. the brook still babbles cheerily as it threads its way through the meadows, and there are still pleasant pastures and shady groves on the large estate. the only one of the community buildings which is still standing, however, is that now known as the martin luther orphan home. this house was built at the very start of the community life by mrs. a. g. alford, one of the members of the colony. [illustration: brook farm, west roxbury, mass.] the building was in the form of a maltese cross with four gables, the central space being taken by the staircase. it contained only about half a dozen rooms, and probably could not have accommodated more than that number of residents. it is said to have been the prettiest and best furnished house on the place, but an examination of its simple construction will confirm the memory of one of its occupants, who remarked that contact with nature was here always admirably close and unaffected. from the rough dwelling, which resembled an inexpensive beach cottage, to out-doors was hardly a transition, it is chronicled, and at all seasons the external and internal temperatures closely corresponded. until lately the cottage wore its original dark-brown colour; and it is still the best visible remnant of the early days, and gives a pleasant impression of what the daily life of the association must have been. gay and happy indeed were the dwellers in this community during the early stages of its development. ripley's theory of the wholesomeness of combined manual and intellectual work ruled everywhere. he himself donned the farmer's blouse, the wide straw hat, and the high boots in which he has been pictured at brook farm; and whether he cleaned stables, milked cows, carried vegetables to market, or taught philosophy and discussed religion, he was unfailingly cheerful and inspiring. mrs. ripley was in complete accord with her husband on all vital questions, and as the chief of the wash-room group worked blithely eight or ten hours a day. whether this devotion to her husband's ideals grew out of her love for him, or whether she was really persuaded of the truth of his theory, does not appear. in later life it is interesting to learn that she sought in the church of rome the comfort which ripley's transcendentalism was not able to afford her. when she died in 1859 she had held the faith of rome for nearly a dozen years, and, curiously enough, was buried as a catholic from that very building in which her husband had preached as a unitarian early in their married life, the church having in the interim been purchased by the catholics. with just one glimpse of the later ripley himself, we must leave this interesting couple. in 1866, when, armed with a letter of introduction from emerson, the original brook farmer sought carlyle (who had once described him as "a socinian minister who had left his pulpit to reform the world by cultivating onions"), and carlyle greeted him with a long and violent tirade against our government, ripley sat quietly through it all, but when the sage of chelsea paused for breath, calmly rose and left the house, saying no word of remonstrance. it is, of course, however, in hawthorne and his descriptions in the "blithedale romance" of the life at brook farm that the principal interest of most readers centres. this work has come to be regarded as the epic of the community, and it is now generally conceded that hawthorne was in this novel far more of a realist than was at first admitted. he did not avoid the impulse to tell the happenings of life at the farm pretty nearly as he found them, and substantial as the characters may or may not be, the daily life and doings, the scenery, the surroundings, and even trivial details are presented with a well-nigh faultless accuracy. the characters, as i have said, are not easily traceable, but even in this respect hawthorne was something of a photographer. zenobia seems a blend of margaret fuller and of mrs. barlow, who as miss penniman was once a famous brookline beauty of lively and attractive disposition. in the strongest and most repellant character of the novel, hollingsworth, hawthorne seems to have incorporated something of the fierce earnestness of brownson and the pathetic zeal of ripley. and those who best know brook farm are able to find in the book reflections of other well-known members of the community. for the actual life of the place, however, readers cannot do better than peruse lindsay swift's recent delightful work, "brook farm, its members, scholars, and visitors." there was, we learn here, a charming happy-go-luckiness about the whole life. partly from necessity, partly from choice, the young people used to sit on the stairs and on the floor during the evening entertainments. dishes were washed and wiped to the tune of "oh, canaan, bright canaan," or some other song of the time. when about their work the women wore short skirts with knickerbockers; the water-cure and the starving-cure both received due attention at the hands of some of the members of the household; at table the customary formula was, "is the butter within the sphere of your influence?" and very often the day's work ended in a dance, a walk to eliot's pulpit, or a moonlight hour on the charles! during the earlier years the men, who were in excess of the young women in point of numbers, helped very largely in the household labours. george william curtis occasionally trimmed lamps, charles dana, who afterward founded the _new york sun_, organised a band of griddle-cake servitors composed of "four of the most elegant youths of the community!" one legend, which has the air of probability, records that a student confessed his passion while helping his sweetheart at the sink. of love there was indeed not a little at brook farm. cupid is said to have made much havoc in the community, and though very little mismating is to be traced to the intimacy of the life there, fourteen marriages have been attributed to friendships begun at brook farm, and there was even one wedding there, that of john orvis to john dwight's sister, marianne. at this simple ceremony william henry channing was the minister, and john dwight made a speech of exactly five words. starting with about fifteen persons, the numbers at the farm increased rapidly, though never above one hundred and twenty people were there at a time. it is estimated, however, that about two hundred individuals were connected with the community from first to last. of these all the well-known ones are now dead, unless, indeed, one is to count among the "farmers" mrs. abby morton diaz, who as a very young girl was a teacher in the infant department of the school. yet though the farmers have almost all passed beyond, delicious anecdotes about them are all the time coming to light. there is one story of "sam" larned which is almost too good to be true. larned, it is said, steadily refused to drink milk on the ground that his relations with the cow did not justify him in drawing on her reserves, and when it was pointed out to him that he ought on the same principle to abandon shoes, he is said to have made a serious attempt to discover some more moral type of footwear. and then there is another good story of an instance when brook farm hospitality had fatal results. an irish baronet, sir john caldwell, fifth of that title, and treasurer-general at canada, after supping with the community on its greatest delicacy, pork and beans, returned to the now departed tremont house in boston, and died suddenly of apoplexy! this baronet's son was wont later to refer to the early members of the community as "extinct volcanoes of transcendental nonsense and humbuggery." but no witty sallies of this sort are able to lessen in the popular mind the reverence with which this brook farm essay in idealism must ever be held. for this community, when all is said, remains the most successful and the most interesting failure the world has ever known. margaret fuller: marchesa d'ossoli any account of brook farm which should neglect to dwell upon the part played in the community life by margaret fuller, marchesa d'ossoli, would be almost like the play of "hamlet" with the prince of denmark left out. for although margaret fuller never lived at brook farm--was, indeed, only an occasional visitor there--her influence pervaded the place, and, as we feel from reading the "blithedale romance," she was really, whether absent or present, the strongest personality connected with the experiment. hawthorne's first bucolic experience was with the famous "transcendental heifer" mistakenly said to have been the property of margaret fuller. as a matter of fact, the beast had been named after cambridge's most intellectual woman, by ripley, who had a whimsical fashion of thus honouring his friends. according to hawthorne, the name in this case was not inapt, for the cow was so recalcitrant and anti-social that it was finally sent to coventry by the more docile kine, always to be counted on for moderate conservatism. this cow's would-be-tamer, not wishing to be unjust, refers to this heifer as having "a very intelligent face" and "a reflective cast of character." he certainly paid margaret fuller herself no such tribute, but thus early in his brook farm experience let appear his thinly veiled contempt for the high priestess of transcendentalism. even earlier his antagonism toward this eminent woman was strong, if it was not frank, for he wrote: "i was invited to dine at mr. bancroft's yesterday with miss margaret fuller, but providence had given me some business to do for which i was very thankful." the unlovely side of margaret fuller must have made a very deep impression upon hawthorne. gentle as the great romancer undoubtedly was by birth and training, he has certainly been very harsh in writing, both in his note-book and in his story of brook farm, of the woman we recognise in zenobia. one of the most interesting literary wars ever carried on in this vicinity, indeed, was that which was waged here some fifteen years ago concerning julian hawthorne's revelations of his father's private opinion of the marchesa d'ossoli. the remarks in question occurred in the great hawthorne's "roman journal," and were certainly sufficiently scathing to call for such warm defence as margaret's surviving friends hastened to offer. hawthorne said among other things: "margaret fuller had a strong and coarse nature which she had done her utmost to refine, with infinite pains; but, of course, it could be only superficially changed.... margaret has not left in the hearts and minds of those who knew her any deep witness of her integrity and purity. she was a great humbug--of course, with much talent and moral reality, or else she could never have been so great a humbug.... toward the last there appears to have been a total collapse in poor margaret, morally and intellectually; and tragic as her catastrophe was, providence was, after all, kind in putting her and her clownish husband and their child on board that fated ship.... on the whole, i do not know but i like her the better, though, because she proved herself a very woman after all, and fell as the meanest of her sisters might." the latter sentences refer to margaret's marriage to ossoli, a man some ten years the junior of his gifted wife, and by no means her intellectual equal. that the marriage was a strange one even margaret's most ardent friends admit, but it was none the less exceedingly human and very natural, as hawthorne implies, for a woman of thirty-seven, whose interests had long been of the strictly intellectual kind, to yield herself at last to the impulses of an affectionate nature. but we are getting very much ahead of our story, which should begin, of course, far back in may, 1810, when there was born, at the corner of eaton and cherry streets, in cambridgeport, a tiny daughter to timothy fuller and his wife. the dwelling in which margaret first saw the light still stands, and is easily recognised by the three elms in front, planted by the proud father to celebrate the advent of his first child. the garden in which margaret and her mother delighted has long since vanished; but the house still retains a certain dignity, though now divided into three separate tenements, numbered respectively 69, 72, and 75 cherry street, and occupied by a rather migratory class of tenants. the pillared doorway and the carved wreaths above it still give an old-fashioned grace to the somewhat dilapidated house. [illustration: fuller house, cambridgeport, mass.] the class with which margaret may be said to have danced through harvard college was that of 1829, which has been made by the wit and poetry of holmes the most eminent class that ever left harvard. the memory of one lady has preserved for us a picture of the girl margaret as she appeared at a ball when she was sixteen. "she had a very plain face, half-shut eyes, and hair curled all over her head; she was dressed in a badly-cut, low-neck pink silk, with white muslin over it; and she danced quadrilles very awkwardly, being withal so near-sighted that she could hardly see her partner." with holmes she was not especially intimate, we learn, though they had been schoolmates; but with two of the most conspicuous members of the class--william henry channing and james freeman clarke--she formed a lifelong friendship, and these gentlemen became her biographers. yet, after all, the most important part of a woman's training is that which she obtains from her own sex, and of this margaret fuller had quite her share. she was one of those maidens who form passionate attachments to older women, and there were many cambridge ladies of the college circle who in turn won her ardent loyalty. "my elder sister," writes thomas wentworth higginson, in his biography of margaret fuller, "can well remember this studious, self-conscious, over-grown girl as sitting at my mother's feet, covering her hands with kisses, and treasuring her every word. it was the same at other times with other women, most of whom were too much absorbed in their own duties to give more than a passing solicitude to this rather odd and sometimes inconvenient adorer." the side of margaret fuller to which scant attention has been paid heretofore is this ardently affectionate side, and this it is which seems to account for what has always before appeared inexplicable--her romantic marriage to the young marchese d'ossoli. the intellect was in truth only a small part of margaret, and if hawthorne had improved, as he might have done, his opportunities to study the whole nature of the woman, he would not have written even for his private diary the harsh sentences already quoted. one has only to look at the heroic fashion in which, after the death of her father, margaret took up the task of educating her brothers and sisters to feel that there was much besides selfishness in this woman's makeup. nor can one believe that emerson would ever have cared to have for the friend of a lifetime a woman who was a "humbug." of margaret's school-teaching, conversation classes on west street, boston, and labours on the _dial_, a transcendental paper in which emerson was deeply interested, there is not space to speak here. but one phase of her work which cannot be ignored is that performed on the _tribune_, in the days of horace greeley. greeley brought boston's high priestess to new york for the purpose of putting the literary criticism of the _tribune_ on a higher plane than any american newspaper then occupied, as well as that she might discuss in a large and stimulating way all philanthropic questions. that she rose to the former opportunity her enemies would be the first to grant, but only those who, like margaret herself, believe in the sisterhood of women could freely endorse her attitude on philanthropic subjects. surely, though, it could not have been a hard woman of whom horace greeley wrote: "if she had been born to large fortune, a house of refuge for all female outcasts desiring to return to the ways of virtue would have been one of her most cherished and first realised conceptions. she once attended, with other noble women, a gathering of outcasts of their sex, and, being asked how they appeared to her, replied, 'as women like myself, save that they are victims of wrong and misfortune.'" while labouring for the _tribune_, margaret fuller was all the time saving her money for the trip to europe, which had her life long been her dream of felicity; and at last, on the first of august, 1846, she sailed for her elysian fields. there, in december, 1847, she was secretly married, and in september, 1848, her child was born. what these experiences must have meant to her we are able to guess from a glimpse into her private journal in which she had many years before recorded her profoundest feeling about marriage and motherhood. "i have no home. no one loves me. but i love many a good deal, and see some way into their eventful beauty.... i am myself growing better, and shall by and by be a worthy object of love, one that will not anywhere disappoint or need forbearance.... i have no child, and the woman in me has so craved this experience that it has seemed the want of it must paralyse me...." the circumstances under which margaret fuller and her husband first met are full of interest. soon after miss fuller's arrival in rome, early in 1847, she went one day to hear vespers at st. peter's, and becoming separated from her friends after the service, she was noted as she examined the church by a young man of gentlemanly address, who, perceiving her discomfort and her lack of italian, offered his services as a guide in her endeavour to find her companions. not seeing them anywhere, the young marquis d'ossoli, for it was he, accompanied miss fuller home, and they met once or twice again before she left rome for the summer. the following season miss fuller had an apartment in rome, and she often received among her guests this young patriot with whose labours in behalf of his native city she was thoroughly in sympathy. when the young man after a few months declared his love, margaret refused to marry him, insisting that he should choose a younger woman for his wife. "in this way it rested for some weeks," writes mrs. story, who knew them both, "during which we saw ossoli pale, dejected, and unhappy. he was always with margaret, but in a sort of hopeless, desperate manner, until at length he convinced her of his love, and she married him." then followed the wife's service in the hospitals while ossoli was in the army outside the city. after the birth of their child, angelo, the happy little family went to florence. the letters which passed between the young nobleman and the wife he adored are still extant, having been with the body of her beautiful baby the only things of margaret fuller's saved from the fatal wreck in which she and her two loved ones were lost. one of these letters will be enough to show the tenderness of the man: "rome, 21 october, 1848. "mia cara:--i learn by yours of the 20th that you have received the ten scudi, and it makes me more tranquil. i feel also mogliani's indolence in not coming to inoculate our child; but, my love, i pray you not to disturb yourself so much, and not to be sad, hoping that our dear love will be guarded by god, and will be free from all misfortunes. he will keep the child for us and give us the means to sustain him." * * * * * in answer to this letter, or one like it, we find the woman whom hawthorne had deemed hard and cold writing: "saturday evening, 28 october, 1848. "... it rains very hard every day, but to-day i have been more quiet, and our darling has been so good, i have taken so much pleasure in being with him. when he smiles in his sleep, how it makes my heart beat! he has grown fat and very fair, and begins to play and spring. you will have much pleasure in seeing him again. he sends you many kisses. he bends his head toward me when he asks a kiss." * * * * * both madame ossoli and her husband were very fearful as they embarked on the fated ship which was to take them to america. he had been cautioned by one who had told his fortune when a boy to beware of the sea, and his wife had long cherished a superstition that the year 1850 would be a marked epoch in her life. it is remarkable that in writing to a friend of her fear madame ossoli said: "i pray that if we are lost it may be brief anguish, and ossoli, the babe, and i go together." they sailed none the less, may 17, 1850, on the _elizabeth_, a new merchant vessel, which set out from leghorn. misfortune soon began. the captain sickened and died of malignant smallpox, and after his burial at sea and a week's detention at gibraltar, little angelo caught the dread disease and was restored with difficulty. yet a worse fate was to follow. at noon of july 18, while they were off the coast of new jersey, there was a gale, followed by a hurricane, which dashed the ship on that fire island beach which has engulfed so many other vessels. margaret fuller and her husband were drowned with their child. the bodies of the parents were never recovered, but that of little angelo was buried in a seaman's chest among the sandhills, from which it was later disinterred and brought to our own mount auburn by the relatives who had never seen the baby in life. and there to-day in a little green grave rests the child of this great woman's great love. the old manse and some of its mosses "the old manse," writes hawthorne, in his charming introduction to the quaint stories, "mosses from an old manse", "had never been profaned by a lay occupant until that memorable summer afternoon when i entered it as my home. a priest had built it; a priest had succeeded to it; other priestly men from time to time had dwelt in it; and children born in its chambers had grown up to assume the priestly character. it is awful to reflect how many sermons must have been written here!... here it was, too, that emerson wrote 'nature;' for he was then an inhabitant of the manse, and used to watch the assyrian dawn and paphian sunset and moon-rise from the summit of our eastern hill." [illustration: old manse, concord, mass.] emerson's residence in the old manse is to be accounted for by the fact that his grandfather was its first inhabitant. and it was while living there with his mother and kindred, before his second marriage in 1835, that he produced "nature." it is to the parson, the reverend william emerson, that we owe one of the most valuable revolutionary documents that have come down to us. soon after the young minister came to the old manse (which was then the new manse), he had occasion to make in his almanac this stirring entry: "this morning, between one and two o'clock, we were alarmed by the ringing of the bell, and upon examination found that the troops, to the number of eight hundred, had stole their march from boston, in boats and barges, from the bottom of the common over to a point in cambridge, near to inman's farm, and were at lexington meeting-house half an hour before sunrise, where they fired upon a body of our men, and (as we afterward heard) had killed several. this intelligence was brought us first by doctor samuel prescott, who narrowly escaped the guard that were sent before on horses, purposely to prevent all posts and messengers from giving us timely information. he, by the help of a very fleet horse, crossing several walks and fences, arrived at concord, at the time above mentioned; when several posts were immediately dispatched that, returning, confirmed the account of the regulars' arrival at lexington and that they were on their way to concord. upon this, a number of our minute-men belonging to this town, and acton, and lincoln, with several others that were in readiness, marched out to meet them; while the alarm company was preparing to receive them in the town. captain minot, who commanded them, thought it proper to take possession of the hill above the meeting-house, as the most advantageous situation. no sooner had our men gained it, than we were met by the companies that were sent out to meet the troops, who informed us that they were just upon us, and that we must retreat, as their number was more than treble ours. we then retreated from the hill near the liberty pole, and took a new post back of the town upon an eminence, where we formed into two battalions, and waited the arrival of the enemy. "scarcely had we formed before we saw the british troops at the distance of a quarter of a mile, glittering in arms, advancing toward us with the greatest celerity. some were for making a stand, notwithstanding the superiority of their numbers, but others, more prudent, thought best to retreat till our strength should be equal to the enemy's by recruits from the neighbouring towns, that were continually coming in to our assistance. accordingly we retreated over the bridge; when the troops came into the town, set fire to several carriages for the artillery, destroyed sixty barrels flour, rifled several houses, took possession of the town-house, destroyed five hundred pounds of balls, set a guard of one hundred men at the north bridge, and sent a party to the house of colonel barrett, where they were in the expectation of finding a quantity of warlike stores. but these were happily secured just before their arrival, by transportation into the woods and other by-places. "in the meantime the guard sent by the enemy to secure the pass at the north bridge were alarmed by the approach of our people; who had retreated as before mentioned, and were now advancing, with special orders not to fire upon the troops unless fired upon. these orders were so punctually observed that we received the fire of the enemy in three several and separate discharges of their pieces before it was returned by our commanding officer; the firing then became general for several minutes; in which skirmish two were killed on each side, and several of the enemy wounded. (it may here be observed, by the way, that we were the more cautious to prevent beginning a rupture with the king's troops, as we were then uncertain what had happened at lexington, and knew not that they had begun the quarrel there by first firing upon our people, and killing eight men upon the spot.) the three companies of troops soon quitted their post at the bridge, and retreated in the greatest disorder and confusion to the main body, who were soon upon their march to meet them. "for half an hour the enemy, by their marches and countermarches, discovered great fickleness and inconstancy of mind,--sometimes advancing, sometimes returning to their former posts; till at length they quitted the town and retreated by the way they came. in the meantime, a party of our men (one hundred and fifty), took the back way through the great fields into the east quarter, and had placed themselves to advantage, lying in ambush behind walls, fences, and buildings, ready to fire upon the enemy on their retreat."[12] here ends the important chronicle, the best first-hand account we have of the battle of concord. but for this alone the first resident of the old manse deserves our memory and thanks. mr. emerson was succeeded at the manse by a certain doctor ripley, a venerable scholar who left behind him a reputation for learning and sanctity which was reproduced in one of the ladies of his family, long the most learned woman in the little concord circle which hawthorne soon after his marriage came to join. few new england villages have retained so much of the charm and peacefulness of country life as has concord, and few dwellings in concord have to-day so nearly the aspect they presented fifty years ago as does the manse, where hawthorne passed three of the happiest years of his life. in the "american note-book," there is a charming description of the pleasure the romancer and his young wife experienced in renovating and refurnishing the old parsonage which, at the time of their going into it, was "given up to ghosts and cobwebs." some of these ghosts have been shiveringly described by hawthorne himself in the marvellous paragraph of the introduction already referred to: "our [clerical] ghost used to heave deep sighs in a particular corner of the parlour, and sometimes rustle paper, as if he were turning over a sermon in the long upper entry--where, nevertheless, he was invisible, in spite of the bright moonshine that fell through the eastern window. not improbably he wished me to edit and publish a selection from a chest full of manuscript discourses that stood in the garret. "once while hillard and other friends sat talking with us in the twilight, there came a rustling noise as of a minister's silk gown sweeping through the very midst of the company, so closely as almost to brush against the chairs. still there was nothing visible. "a yet stranger business was that of a ghostly servant-maid, who used to be heard in the kitchen at deepest midnight, grinding coffee, cooking, ironing,--performing, in short, all kinds of domestic labour--although no traces of anything accomplished could be detected the next morning. some neglected duty of her servitude--some ill-starched ministerial band--disturbed the poor damsel in her grave, and kept her at work without wages." the little drawing-room once remodelled, however, and the kitchen given over to the hawthorne pots and pans--in which the great hawthorne himself used often to have a stake, according to the testimony of his wife, who once wrote in this connection, "imagine those magnificent eyes fixed anxiously upon potatoes cooking in an iron kettle!"--the ghosts came no more. of the great people who in the flesh passed pleasant hours in the little parlour, thoreau, ellery channing, emerson, and margaret fuller are names known by everybody as intimately connected with the concord circle. hawthorne himself cared little for society. often he would go to the village and back without speaking to a single soul, he tells us, and once when his wife was absent he resolved to pass the whole term of her visit to relatives without saying a word to any human being. with thoreau, however, he got on very well. this odd genius was as shy and ungregarious as was the dark-eyed "teller of tales," but the two appear to have been socially disposed toward each other, and there are delightful bits in the preface to the "mosses" in regard to the hours they spent together boating on the large, quiet concord river. thoreau was a great voyager in a canoe which he had constructed himself (and which he eventually made over to hawthorne), as expert indeed in the use of his paddle as the redman who had once haunted the same silent stream. of the beauties of the concord river hawthorne has written a few sentences that will live while the silver stream continues to flow: "it comes creeping softly through the mid-most privacy and deepest heart of a wood which whispers it to be quiet, while the stream whispers back again from its sedgy borders, as if river and wood were hushing one another to sleep. yes; the river sleeps along its course and dreams of the sky and the clustering foliage...." concerning the visitors attracted to concord by the great original thinker who was hawthorne's near neighbour, the romancer speaks with less delicate sympathy: "never was a poor little country village infested with such a variety of queer, strangely dressed, oddly behaved mortals, most of whom look upon themselves to be important agents of the world's destiny, yet are simply bores of a very intense character." a bit further on hawthorne speaks of these pilgrims as "hobgoblins of flesh and blood," people, he humourously comments, who had lighted on a new thought or a thought they fancied new, and "came to emerson as the finder of a glittering gem hastens to a lapidary to ascertain its quality and value." with emerson himself hawthorne was on terms of easy intimacy. "being happy," as he says, and feeling, therefore, "as if there were no question to be put," he was not in any sense desirous of metaphysical intercourse with the great philosopher. it was while on the way home from his friend emerson's one day that hawthorne had that encounter with margaret fuller about which it is so pleasant to read because it serves to take away the taste of other less complimentary allusions to this lady to be found in hawthorne's works: "after leaving mr. emerson's i returned through the woods, and entering sleepy hollow, i perceived a lady reclining near the path which bends along its verge. it was margaret herself. she had been there the whole afternoon, meditating or reading, for she had a book in her hand with some strange title which i did not understand and have forgotten. she said that nobody had broken her solitude, and was just giving utterance to a theory that no inhabitant of concord ever visited sleepy hollow, when we saw a group of people entering the sacred precincts. most of them followed a path which led them away from us; but an old man passed near us, and smiled to see margaret reclining on the ground and me standing by her side. he made some remark upon the beauty of the afternoon, and withdrew himself into the shadow of the wood. then we talked about autumn, and about the pleasures of being lost in the woods, and about the crows whose voices margaret had heard; and about the experiences of early childhood, whose influence remains upon the character after the recollection of them has passed away; and about the sight of mountains from a distance, and the view from their summits; and about other matters of high and low philosophy." nothing that hawthorne has ever written of concord is more to be cherished to-day than this description of a happy afternoon passed by him in sleepy hollow talking with margaret fuller of "matters of high and low philosophy." for there are few parts of concord to which visitors go more religiously than to the still old cemetery, where on the hill by ridge path hawthorne himself now sleeps quietly, with the grave of thoreau just behind him, and the grave of emerson, his philosopher-friend, on the opposite side of the way. a great pine stands at the head of hawthorne's last resting-place, and a huge unhewn block of pink marble is his formal monument. yet the old manse will, so long as it stands, be the romancer's most intimate relic, for it was here that he lived as a happy bridegroom, and here that his first child was born. and from this ancient dwelling it was that he drew the inspiration for what is perhaps the most curious book of tales in all american literature, a book of which another american master of prose[13] has said, "hawthorne here did for our past what walter scott did for the past of the mother-country; another wizard of the north, he breathed the breath of life into the dry and dusty materials of history, and summoned the great dead again to live and move among us." footnotes: [footnote 12: "historic towns of new england." g. p. putnam's sons.] [footnote 13: henry james.] salem's chinese god of the romantic figures which grace the history of new england in the nineteenth century, none is to be compared in dash and in all those other qualities that captivate the imagination with the figure of frederick townsend ward, the salem boy who won a generalship in the chinese military service, suppressed the tai-ping rebellion, organised the "ever-victorious army"--for whose exploits "chinese" gordon always gets credit in history--and died fighting at ning po for a nation of which he had become one, a fair daughter of which he had married, and by which he is to-day worshipped as a god. very far certainly did this soldier of fortune wander in the thirty short years of his life from the peaceful red-brick townsend mansion (now, alas! a steam bread bakery), at the corner of derby and carleton streets, salem, in which, in 1831, he was born. this house was built by ward's grandfather, townsend, and during frederick's boyhood was a charming place of the comfortable colonial sort, to which was joined a big, rambling, old-fashioned garden, and from the upper windows of which there was to be had a fascinating view of the broad-stretching sea. to the sea it was, therefore, that the lad naturally turned when, after ending his education at the salem high school, he was unable to gain admission to the military academy at west point and follow the soldier career in which it had always been his ambition to shine. he shipped before the mast on an american vessel sailing from new york. apparently even the hardships of such a common sailor's lot could not dampen his ardour for adventure, for he made a number of voyages. [illustration: townsend house, salem, mass.] at the outbreak of the crimean war young ward was in france, and, thinking that his long-looked for opportunity had come, he entered the french army for service against the russians. enlisting as a private, he soon, through the influence of friends, rose to be a lieutenant; but, becoming embroiled in a quarrel with his superior officer, he resigned his commission and returned to new york, without having seen service either in russia or turkey. the next few years of the young man's life were passed as a ship broker in new york city, but this work-a-day career soon became too humdrum, and he looked about for something that promised more adventures. he had not to look far. colonel william walker and his filibusters were about to start on the celebrated expedition against nicaragua, and with them ward determined to cast in his lot. through the trial by fire which awaited the ill-fated expedition, he passed unhurt, and escaping by some means or other its fatal termination, returned to new york. california next attracted his attention, but here he met with no better success, and after a hand-to-mouth existence of a few months he turned again to seafaring life, and shipped for china as the mate of an american vessel. his arrival at shanghai in 1859 was most opportune, for there the chance for which he had been longing awaited him. the great tai-ping rebellion, that half-christian, wholly fanatical uprising which devastated many flourishing provinces, had, at this time, attained alarming proportions. ching wang, with a host of blood-crazed rebels, had swept over the country in the vicinity of shanghai with fire and sword, and at the time of ward's arrival these fanatics were within eighteen miles of the city. the chinese merchants had appealed in vain to the foreign consuls for assistance. the imperial government had made no plans for the preservation of shanghai. so the wealthy merchants, fearing for their stores, resolved to take the matter into their own hands, and after a consultation of many days, offered a reward of two hundred thousand dollars to any body of foreigners who should drive the tai-pings from the city of sungkiang. salem's soldier of fortune, frederick t. ward, responded at once to the opportunity thus offered. he accepted in june, 1860, the offer of ta kee, the mandarin at the head of the merchant body, and in less than a week--such was the magnetism of the man--had raised a body of one hundred foreign sailors, and, with an american by the name of henry burgevine as his lieutenant, had set out for sungkiang. the men in ward's company were desperadoes, for the most part, but they were no match, of course, for the twelve thousand tai-pings. this ward realised as soon as the skirmishing advance had been made, and he returned to shanghai for reinforcements. from the chinese imperial troops he obtained men to garrison whatever courts the foreign legation might capture, an arrangement which left the adventurers free to go wherever their action could be most effective. thus reinforced, ward once more set out for sungkiang. even on this occasion his men were outnumbered one hundred to one, but, such was the desperation of the attacking force, the rebels were driven like sheep to the slaughter, and the defeat of the tai-pings was overwhelming. it was during this battle, it is interesting to know, that the term "foreign devils" first found place in the chinese vocabulary. the promised reward was forthwith presented to the gifted american soldier, and immediately ward accepted a second commission against the rebels at singpo. the tai-pings of this city were under the leadership of a renegade englishman named savage, and the fighting was fast and furious. ward and his men performed many feats of valour, and actually scaled the city wall, thirty feet in height, to fight like demons upon its top. but it was without avail. with heavy losses, they were driven back. but the attempt was not abandoned. retiring to shanghai, ward secured the assistance of about one hundred new foreign recruits, and with them returned once more to the scene of his defeat. half a mile from the walls of singpo the little band of foreign soldiers of fortune and poorly organised imperial troops were met by savage and the tai-pings, and the battle that resulted waged for hours. the rebels were the aggressors, and ten miles of ward's retreat upon sungkiang saw fighting every inch of the way. the line of retreat was strewn with rebel dead, and such were their losses that they retired from the province altogether. later savage was killed, and the tai-pings quieted down. for his exploits ward received the monetary rewards agreed upon, and was also granted the button of a mandarin of the fourth degree. he had received severe wounds during the campaigns, and was taking time to recuperate from them at shanghai when the jealousy of other foreigners made itself felt, and the soldier from salem was obliged to face a charge before the united states consul that he had violated the neutrality laws. the matter was dropped, however, because the hero of sungkiang promptly swore that he was no longer an american citizen, as he had become a naturalised subject of the chinese emperor! realising the value of the chinese as fighting men, ward now determined to organise a number of chinese regiments, officer them with europeans, and arm and equip them after american methods. this he did, and in six months he appeared at shanghai at the head of three bodies of chinese, splendidly drilled and under iron discipline. he arrived in the nick of time, and, routing a vastly superior force, saved the city from capture. after this exploit he was no longer shunned by europeans as an adventurer and an outlaw. he was too prominent to be overlooked. his ever-victorious army, as it was afterward termed, entered upon a campaign of glorious victory. one after another of the rebel strongholds fell before it, and its leader was made a mandarin of the highest grade, with the title of admiral-general. ward then assumed the chinese name of hwa, and married changmei, a maiden of high degree, who was nineteen at the time of her wedding, and as the daughter of one of the richest and most exalted mandarins of the red button, was considered in china an exceedingly good match for the salem youth. according to oriental standards she was a beauty, too. ward did not rest long from his campaigns, however, for we find that he was soon besieged in the city of sungkiang with a few men. a relieving force of the ever-victorious army here came to his assistance. he did not win all his victories easily. in the battle of ningpo, toward the end of the first division of the tai-ping rebellion, the carnage was frightful. outnumbered, but not outgeneralled, the government forces fought valiantly. ward was shot through the stomach while leading a charge, but refused to leave the field while the battle was on. through his field officers he directed his men, and when the victory was assured, fell back unconscious in the arms of his companion, burgevine. he was carried to ningpo, where he died the following morning, a gallant and distinguished soldier, although still only thirty years old. in the confucian cemetery at ningpo his body was laid at rest with all possible honours and with military ceremony becoming his rank. over his grave, and that of his young wife, who survived him only a few months, a mausoleum was erected, and monuments were placed on the scenes of his victories. the mausoleum soon became a shrine invested with miraculous power, and a number of years after his death general ward was solemnly declared to be a joss or god. the manuscript of the imperial edict to this effect is now preserved in the essex institute. the command of the ever-victorious army reverted to burgevine, but later, through british intrigue, to general gordon. it was ward, however, the salem lad, who organised the army by which chinese gordon gained his fame. the british made a saint and martyr of gordon, and called ward an adventurer and a common sailor, but the chinese rated him more nearly as he deserved. in a little red-bound volume printed in shanghai in 1863, and translated from the chinese for the benefit of a few of general ward's relatives in this country--a work which i have been permitted to examine--the native chronicler says of our hero: "what general ward has done to and for china is as yet but imperfectly known, for those whose duty it is to transfer to posterity a record of this great man are either so wrapped in speculation as to how to build themselves up on his deeds of the past time, or are so fearful that any comment on any subject regarding him may detract from their ability, that with his last breath they allow all that appertains to him to be buried in the tomb. not one in ten thousand of them could at all approach him in military genius, in courage, and in resource, or do anything like what he did." in his native land ward has never been honoured as he deserves to be. on the contrary, severe criticism has been accorded him because he was fighting in china for money during our civil war, "when," said his detractors, "he might have been using his talents for the protection of the flag under which he was born." but this was the fault of circumstances rather than of intention. ward wished, above everything, to be a soldier, and when he found fighting waiting for him in china, it was the most natural thing in the world for him to accept the opportunity the gods provided. but he did what he could under the circumstances for his country. he offered ten thousand dollars to the national cause--and was killed in the chinese war before the answer to his proffer of financial aid came from minister anson burlingame. it is rather odd that just the amount that he wished to be used by the north for the advancement of the union cause has recently (1901) been bequeathed to the essex institute at salem by miss elizabeth c. ward, his lately deceased sister, to found a chinese library in memory of salem's soldier of fortune. thus is rounded out this very romantic chapter of modern american history. the well-sweep of a song that the wise shakespeare spoke the truth when he observed that "one touch of nature makes the whole world kin" has never been better exemplified than in the affectionate tenderness with which all sorts and conditions of men join in singing a song like "the old oaken bucket." as one hears this ballad in a crowded room, or even as so often given--in a new england play like "the old homestead," one does not stop to analyse one's sensations; one forgets the homely phrase; one simply feels and knows oneself the better for the memories of happy and innocent childhood which the simple song invokes. dear, delightful goldsmith has wonderfully expressed in "the deserted village" the inextinguishable yearning for the spot we call "home": "in all my wanderings round this world of care, in all my griefs--and god has given my share- i still had hopes, my long vexations past, here to return and die at home at last," and it is this same lyric cry that has been crystallised for all time, so far as the american people are concerned, in "the old oaken bucket." the day will not improbably come when the allusions in this poem will demand as careful an explanation as some of shakespeare's archaic references now call for. but even when this time does come, and an elaborate description of the strange old custom of drawing water from a hole in the ground by means of a long pole and a rude pail will be necessary to an understanding of the poem, men's voices will grow husky and their eyes will dim at the music of "the old oaken bucket." it is to the town of scituate, massachusetts, one of the most ancient settlements of the old colony, that we trace back the local colour which pervades the poem. the history of the place is memorable and interesting. the people come of a hardy and determined ancestry, who fought for every inch of ground that their descendants now hold. to this fact may perhaps be attributed the strength of those associations, clinging like ivy around some of the most notable of the ancient homesteads. the scene so vividly described in the charming ballad we are considering is a little valley through which herring brook pursues its devious way to meet the tidal waters of north river. "the view of it from coleman heights, with its neat cottages, its maple groves, and apple orchards, is remarkably beautiful," writes one appreciative author. the "wide-spreading pond," the "mill," the "dairy-house," the "rock where the cataract fell," and even the "old well," if not the original "moss-covered bucket" itself, may still be seen just as the poet described them. [illustration: old oaken bucket house, scituate, mass.] in quaint, homely scituate, samuel woodworth, the people's poet, was indeed born and reared. although the original house is no longer there, a pretty place called "the old oaken bucket house" still stands, a modern successor to the poet's home, and at another bucket, oaken if not old, the pilgrim of to-day may stop to slake his thirst from the very waters, the recollection of which gave the poet such exquisite pleasure in after years. one would fain have the surroundings unchanged--the cot where woodworth dwelt, the ponderous well-sweep, creaking with age, at which his youthful hands were wont to tug strongly; and finally the mossy bucket, overflowing with crystal nectar fresh from the cool depths below. yet in spite of the changes, one gets fairly well the illusion of the ancient spot, and comes away well content to have quaffed a draught of such excellent water to the memory of this scituate poet. the circumstances under which the popular ballad was composed and written are said to be as follows: samuel woodworth was a printer who had served his apprenticeship under the veteran major russell of the _columbian centinel_, a journal which was in its day the leading federalist organ of new england. he had inherited the wandering propensity of his craft, and yielding to the desire for change he was successively in hartford and new york, doing what he could in a journalistic way. in the latter city he became associated, after an unsuccessful career as a publisher, in the editorship of the _mirror_. and it was while living in new york in the bohemian fashion of his class, that, in company with some brother printers, he one day dropped in at a well-known establishment then kept by one mallory to take a social glass of wine. the cognac was pronounced excellent. after drinking it, woodworth set his glass down on the table, and, smacking his lips, declared emphatically that mallory's _eau de vie_ was superior to anything that he had ever tasted. "there you are mistaken," said one of his comrades, quietly; then added, "there certainly was one thing that far surpassed this in the way of drinking, as you, too, will readily acknowledge." "indeed; and, pray, what was that?" woodworth asked, with apparent incredulity that anything could surpass the liquor then before him. "the draught of pure and sparkling spring water that we used to get from the old oaken bucket that hung in the well, after our return from the labours of the field on a sultry summer's day." no one spoke; all were busy with their own thoughts. woodworth's eyes became dimmed. "true, true," he exclaimed; and soon after quitted the place. with his heart overflowing with the recollections that this chance allusion in a barroom had inspired, the scene of his happier childhood life rushed upon him in a flood of feeling. he hastened back to the office in which he then worked, seized a pen, and in half an hour had written his popular ballad: "how dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood, when fond recollection presents them to view! the orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wildwood, and every loved spot which my infancy knew,- the wide-spreading pond and the mill which stood by it, the bridge and the rock where the cataract fell; the cot of my father, the dairy-house nigh it, and e'en the rude bucket that hung in the well,- the old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket, the moss-covered bucket which hung in the well. "the moss-covered vessel i hail as a treasure; for often at noon when returned from the field, i found it the source of an exquisite pleasure, the purest and sweetest that nature can yield. how ardent i seized it with hands that were glowing! and quick to the white-pebbled bottom it fell; then soon with the emblem of truth overflowing, and dripping with coolness it rose from the well,- the old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket, the moss-covered bucket, arose from the well. "how sweet from the green mossy brim to receive it, as, poised from the curb, it inclined to my lips! not a full blushing goblet could tempt me to leave it, though filled with the nectar that jupiter sips. and now, far removed from the loved situation, the tear of regret will intrusively swell, as fancy reverts to my father's plantation, and sighs for the bucket which hangs in the well,- the old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket, the moss-covered bucket which hangs in the well." woodworth's reputation rests upon this one stroke of genius. he died in 1842 at the age of fifty-seven. but after almost fifty years his memory is still green, and we still delight to pay tender homage to the spot which inspired one of the most beautiful songs america has yet produced. whittier's lost love in the life of the quaker poet there is an unwritten chapter of personal history full to the brim of romance. it will be remembered that whittier in his will left ten thousand dollars for an amesbury home for aged women. one room in this home mrs. elizabeth w. pickard (the niece to whom the poet bequeathed his amesbury homestead, and who passed away in the early spring of this year [1902], in an illness contracted while decorating her beloved uncle's grave on the anniversary of his birth), caused to be furnished with a massive black walnut set formerly used in the "spare-room" of her uncle's house--the room where lucy larcom, gail hamilton, the cary sisters, and george macdonald were in former times entertained. a stipulation of this gift was that the particular room in the home thus to be furnished was to be known as the whittier room. in connection with this home and this room comes the story of romantic interest. two years after the death of mr. whittier an old lady made application for admission to the home on the ground that in her youth she was a schoolmate and friend of the poet. and although she was not entitled to admission by being a resident of the town, she would no doubt have been received if she had not died soon after making the application. this aged woman was mrs. evelina bray downey, concerning whose schoolgirl friendship for whittier many inaccurate newspaper articles were current at the time of her death, in the spring of 1895. the story as here told is, however, authentic. evelina bray was born at marblehead, october 10, 1810. she was the youngest of ten children of a ship master, who made many voyages to the east indies and to european ports. in a letter written in 1884, mrs downey said of herself: "my father, an east india sea captain, made frequent and long voyages. for safekeeping and improvement he sent me to haverhill, bearing a letter of introduction from captain william story to the family of judge bartley. they passed me over to mr. jonathan k. smith, and mrs. smith gave me as a roommate her only daughter, mary. this was the opening season of the new haverhill academy, a sort of rival to the bradford academy. subsequently i graduated from the ipswich female seminary, in the old mary lyon days." mary smith, miss bray's roommate at haverhill, and her lifelong friend--though for fifty years they were lost to each other--was afterward the wife of reverend doctor s. f. smith, the author of "america." evelina is described as a tall and strikingly beautiful brunette, with remarkable richness of colouring, and she took high rank in scholarship. the house on water street at which she boarded was directly opposite that of abijah w. thayer, editor of the _haverhill gazette_, with whom whittier boarded while at the academy. whittier was then nineteen years old, and evelina was seventeen. naturally, they walked to and from the school together, and their interest in each other was noticeable. if the quaker lad harboured thoughts of marriage, and even gave expression to them, it would not be strange. but the traditions of whittier's sect included disapproval of music, and evelina's father had given her a piano, and she was fascinated with the study of the art proscribed by the quakers. then, too, whittier was poor, and his gift of versification, which had already given him quite a reputation, was not considered in those days of much consequence as a means of livelihood. if they did not at first realise, both of them, the hopelessness of their love, they found it out after miss bray's return to her home. about this time mr. whittier accompanied his mother to a quarterly meeting of the society of friends at salem, and one morning before breakfast took a walk of a few miles to the quaint old town of marblehead, where he paid a visit to the home of his schoolmate. she could not invite him in, but instead suggested a stroll along the picturesque, rocky shore of the bay. this was in the spring or early summer of 1828, and the poet was twenty years old, a farmer's boy, with high ambitions, but with no outlook as yet toward any profession. it may be imagined that the young couple, after a discussion of the situation, saw the hopelessness of securing the needed consent of their parents, and returned from their morning's walk with saddened hearts. whatever dreams they may have cherished were from that hour abandoned, and they parted with this understanding. in the next fifty years they met but once again, four or five years after the morning walk, and this once was at marblehead, along the shore. miss bray had in the meantime been teaching in a seminary in mississippi, and whittier had been editing papers in boston and hartford, and had published his first book, a copy of which he had sent her. there was no renewal at this time of their lover-like relations, and they parted in friendship. i have said that they met but once in the half-century after that morning's walk; the truth is they were once again close together, but whittier was not conscious of it. this was while he was editing the _pennsylvania freeman_, at philadelphia. miss bray was then associated with a miss catherine beecher, in an educational movement of considerable importance, and was visiting philadelphia. just at this time a noted massachusetts divine, reverend doctor todd, was announced to preach in the presbyterian church, and both these haverhill schoolmates were moved to hear him. by a singular chance they occupied the same pew, and sat close together, but miss bray was the only one who was conscious of this, and she was too shy to reveal herself. it must have been her bonnet hid her face, for otherwise whittier's remarkably keen eyes could not have failed to recognise the dear friend of his school-days. their next meeting was at the reunion of the haverhill academy class of 1827, which was held in 1885, half a century after their second interview at marblehead. it was said by some that it was this schoolboy love which whittier commemorated in his poem, "memories." but mr. pickard, the poet's biographer, affirms that, so far as known, the only direct reference made by whittier to the affair under consideration occurred in the fine poem, "a sea dream," written in 1874. in the poet, now an old man, the sight of marblehead awakens the memory of that morning walk, and he writes: "is this the wind, the soft sea wind that stirred thy locks of brown? are these the rocks whose mosses knew the trail of thy light gown, where boy and girl sat down? "i see the gray fort's broken wall, the boats that rock below; and, out at sea, the passing sails we saw so long ago, rose-red in morning's glow. * * * * * "thou art not here, thou art not there, thy place i cannot see; i only know that where thou art the blessed angels be, and heaven is glad for thee. * * * * * "but turn to me thy dear girl-face without the angel's crown, the wedded roses of thy lips, thy loose hair rippling down in waves of golden brown. "look forth once more through space and time and let thy sweet shade fall in tenderest grace of soul and form on memory's frescoed wall,- a shadow, and yet all!" whittier, it will be seen, believed that the love of his youth was dead. he was soon to find out, in a very odd way, that this was not the case. early in the forties, miss bray became principal of the "female department" of the benton school at st. louis. in 1849, during the prevalence of a fearful epidemic, the school building was converted into a hospital, and one of the patients was an episcopal clergyman, reverend william s. downey, an englishman, claiming to be of noble birth. he recovered his health, but was entirely deaf, not being able to hear the loudest sound for the remainder of his life. miss bray married him, and for forty years endured martyrdom, for he was of a tyrannous disposition and disagreeably eccentric. mrs. downey had never told her husband of her early acquaintance with whittier, but he found it out by a singular chance. when reverend s. f. smith and his wife celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage the event was mentioned in the papers, and the fact that mrs. smith was a schoolmate of whittier was chronicled. mr. downey had heard his wife speak of being a schoolmate of the wife of the author of "america," and, putting these two circumstances together, he concluded that his wife must also have known the quaker poet in his youth. he said nothing to her about this, however, but wrote a letter to whittier himself, and sent with it a tract he had written in severe denunciation of colonel robert g. ingersoll. as a postscript to this letter he asked: "did you ever know evelina bray?" whittier at once replied, acknowledging the receipt of the tract, and making this characteristic comment upon it: "it occurs to me to say, however, that in thy tract thee has hardly charity enough for that unfortunate man, ingersoll, who, it seems to me, is much to be pitied for his darkness of unbelief. we must remember that one of the great causes of infidelity is the worldliness, selfishness, and evil dealing of professed christians. an awful weight of responsibility rests upon the christian church in this respect." and to this letter whittier added as a postscript: "can you give me the address of evelina bray?" mr. downey at once wrote that he was her husband, told of his service of the master, and indirectly begged for assistance in his work of spreading the gospel. at this time he was an evangelist of the baptist church, having some time since abandoned the mother faith. and, though he was not reduced to poverty, he accepted alms, as if poor, thus trying sorely the proud spirit of his wife. so it was not an unwonted request. of course, the poet had no sympathy with the work of attack mr. downey was evidently engaged in. but he feared the girl friend of his youth might be in destitute circumstances, and, for her sake, he made a liberal remittance. all this the miserable husband tried to keep from his wife, who he knew would at once return the money, but she came upon the fact of the remittance by finding whittier's letter in her husband's pocket. naturally, she was very indignant, but her letter to whittier returning the money was couched in the most delicate terms, and gave no hint of the misery of her life. until the year of his death she was an occasional correspondent with the poet, one of his last letters, written at hampton falls in the summer of 1892, being addressed to her. their only meeting was at the haverhill academy reunion of 1885, fifty-eight years after the love episode of their school-days. when they met at haverhill the poet took the love of his youth apart from the other schoolmates, and they then exchanged souvenirs, he receiving her miniature painted on ivory, by porter, the same artist who painted the first likeness ever taken of whittier. this latter miniature is now in the possession of mr. pickard. the portrait of miss bray, representing her in the full flush of her girlish beauty, wearing as a crown a wreath of roses, was returned to mrs. downey after the poet's death, by the niece of whittier, into whose possession it came. mrs. downey spent her last days in the family of judge bradley, at west newbury, massachusetts. after her death some valuable china of hers was sold at auction, and several pieces were secured by a neighbour, mrs. ladd. the ladd family has since taken charge of the whittier birthplace at east haverhill, and by this chain of circumstances evelina bray's china now rests on the whittier shelves, together with the genuine whittier china, put in its old place by mrs. pickard. [illustration: whittier's birthplace, east haverhill, mass.] it was not because of destitution that mrs. downey made application to enter the old ladies' home which whittier endowed, but, because, cherishing until the day of her death her youthful fondness for the poet, she longed to live during the sunset time of her life near his grave. in all probability her request would have been granted, had not she, too, been suddenly called to the land where there is neither marriage nor giving in marriage. the end. index adams, john, 96. adams, mrs. john, 111. adams, samuel, 119. agassiz, mrs., 290. alford, mrs. a. g., 297. allston, 270. antigua merchant, 60. auburn, mount, 323. bana, doctor, discovers deborah sampson's secret, 181; sends letter to general patterson, 188. bancroft, 309. barlow, mrs., 301. barr, george l., buys royall house, 72. bartley, judge, 368. bath, 13; death of frankland at, 55. beck, doctor, 286. belem, frankland sails from, 53. belknap, jeremy, letter of, 265. berkeley, bishop, 11; student at dublin university, 12; fellow at trinity college, 12; life as a tutor, 12; reception in london, 28: marriage, 29; sails for rhode island, 30; arrives at newport, 30; writes "minute philosopher," 32; bequeaths books to yale college, 33; dies at oxford, 34; portrait by smibert, 35. bermuda, proposed college at, 13. "blithedale romance," 300, 307. bradley, judge, 380. bray, evelina, born at marblehead, 368. brook farm institute of agriculture and education organised, 296. "brothers and sisters" at fay house, 292. brown, rev. arthur, 248. brownson, 301. brunswick, triumphs of riedesels at, 145. burgevine, henry, 346. burlingame, anson, 355. burgoyne, 56, 136. burr, aaron, 123. burr, thaddeus, 120. bynner's story, agnes surriage, 45. cadenus and vanessa, poem, 24. caldwell, sir john, 305. carlyle visited by ripley, 299. caroline, queen (consort george second), 29. carter, madam, 135. cary sisters, 367. channing, ellery, 334. channing, lucy, 282. channing, mary, 281. channing, william henry, 282, 314. chambly, baroness riedesel at, 131. charlestown city hall, 270. chichester, eng., 56. child, professor, 286. christ church, boston, 104. church, doctor, 122; fall of, 147; imprisoned, 150; education of, 151; delivers old south oration, 152; tried at watertown, 154; confined in norwich jail, 155; lost at sea (?), 156. clark, rev. jonas, 111. clark, mrs. jonas, 118. clarke mansion purchased by frankland, 54. clough, capt. stephen, 162. codman, mrs. j. amory, 261. codman, martha, 261. _columbian centinel_, 360. coolidge, j. templeton, 247. corey, giles, pressed to death, 238. corey, mrs. martha, condemned as witch, 234. corwin, justice jonathan, 226, 228. cotton, rev. john, 212, 221. _courier, new england_, 30. congress, continental, 120. copley, 270. crowninshield, hannah, 85. curtis, george william, at brook farm, 303. dana, charles, 303. dana, dr. j. freeman, 274. dana, edmund, 281. dana, sophia willard, 281; marries george ripley, 293; goes over to rome, 299. danvers, 228. dawes at lexington, 114. deerfield, 190. diaz, abby morton, 304. dorothy q. at lexington, 112, 117; marries john hancock, 123; marries captain scott, 128; receives lafayette, 129. downey, evelina bray, 367. downey, rev. william s., 375, 376. drew, mr. john, 56. duse, eleanora, at fay house, 290. dunbarton, stark house at, 74. dwight, john, 303. dwight, marianne, 303. dwight, president of yale college, 269. edmonston, captain, 140. _elizabeth_, loss of the ossolis on, 322. eliot, john, at deerfield, 190. ellsworth, annie g., 275. emerson, ralph waldo, at the manse, 325; hawthorne and, 337. emerson, william, at the manse, 325. endicott, governor, 227. erving, george, at medford, 63. essex institute, 67; ward bequest to, 355. eustis, madam, 46. everett, edward, 281. fairbanks, jason, 252; trial of, 258; escape of, 259; hanging of, 259. fairbanks, jonathan, 260. fairbanks, rebecca, 260. fairbanks, chapter d. r., 260. "fair harvard" written in fay house, 289. fales, elizabeth, 252; murder of, 257. fay house, 279. fay, maria denny, 283. fay, p. p., 283. felton, president, 286. fielding, henry, describes lisbon, 50. fire island beach, loss of the ossolis off, 323. fountain inn, marblehead, 58. frankland, charles henry, 39; born in bengal, 39; collector of boston port, 39; meets agnes surriage, 43; adopts agnes surriage, 44; builds home at hopkinton, 48; dies at lisbon, 55. franks, miss, 100. fuller, margaret, at brook farm, 301; born in cambridge, 312; joins _tribune_ staff, 316; at concord, 338; goes abroad, 317; marries ossoli, 320; is lost at sea, 322. fuller, timothy, 312. gage, general, at boston, 107; in correspondence with church, 149. geer, mr., present owner royall house, 73. george first, 29. george third entertains the riedesels, 142; west's anecdote of, 271. gilman, arthur, 287. gilman, dr. samuel, 289. goldsmith, 357. gordon, "chinese", 341. greeley, horace, 316. greenough, lily, 288. greenough, mrs., 288. griswold, sarah e., 276. hamilton, gail, 367. hancock, john, at lexington, 111; letters of, 120, 122; marries miss quincy, 123; occupies home on beacon street, 125; dies, 128. hancock, lydia, at lexington, 118. hartford, conn., riedesels entertain lafayette at, 140. haverhill academy, 368. haverhill _gazette_, 369. hawthorne writes of sir wm. pepperell, 67; goes to brook farm, 295; writes of margaret fuller, 310; at the manse, 324. higginson, col. thomas wentworth, 281; writes of margaret fuller, 314. hilliard at the manse, 333. hilton, martha, 242; marries governor wentworth, 248. hobgoblin hall, 72. hollingsworth, 301. holmes, oliver wendell, 280. honeyman's hill (newport, r. i.), 16. hopkinton (mass.), 48; home of frankland burned, 57; residence of frankland, 55; agnes surriage at, 55. howard, lady, 142. howe, sir william, 99, 136, 138. hutchinson, ann, mrs., 210; arrives in boston, 214; holds meetings, 216; accused of heresy, 219: sentenced, 220; banished, 222; murdered, 224. hutchinson, governor, 222, 230. inman's farm, 326. ireland, nathaniel, 279. isle of shoals, 66. james, professor william, 232. johnson, doctor, 20, 24. kittery point, 66. ladd, mrs., 380. lafayette entertained by starks, 80; on washington and lee, 90; entertained by john hancock, 128; received by madame scott, 129; dines with baroness riedesel, 140; visits george third, 142. lane, professor, 286. larcom, lucy, 367. larned, "sam," 304. lauterbach, family vault of riedesels at, 145. lee, general, at royall house, 71. lee, general, in british army, 90; arrives in new york, 92; at medford, 94; at somerville, 95; dies in virginia, 103. lee, sydney, 103. lexington, affair at, 110. lindencrone, de hegermann, 288. lisbon, frankland at, 50; earthquake at, 51; agnes surriage's experience at, 56; frankland consul-general at, 55. longfellow, 286. louisburg, 67. lowell, james russell, 281. lowell, john, 257. luther, martin, orphan home, 297. macdonald, george, 367. marblehead, maid of, 37; town house, 39; fountain inn, 42; whittier at, 371. marie antoinette, plot to rescue, 163. marley abbey (residence of "vanessa"), 22. marshall, judge, 23. massachusetts historical society, 53. mather, rev. cotton, 233. mckean, elizabeth, 282. mckean, joseph, 280. mckinstrey, sarah, marries caleb stark, 79; portrait of, 84. mcneil, gen. john, 83. michelet, 231. minot, captain, 327. morris, robert, 82. morse, rev. jedediah, 265. morse, samuel f. b., 83; birthplace of, 264; student at yale, 269; studies painting in europe, 270; returns to america, 272; paints lafayette, 272; invents the telegraph, 273. moulton, mr. charles, 288. moulton, suzanne, 289. nason, rev. elias, 41. newman, robert, 106, 110. nichols, george c., buys royall house, 72. norris, miss, 287. nourse, rebecca, 228. "old oaken bucket," 356. orvis, john, marries marianne dwight, 303. ossoli, angelo, marchese d', 320. ossoli, marchesa d' (see margaret fuller). otis, harrison gray, 257. oxford, death of berkeley at, 34. page, capt. caleb, 76. pennsylvania _freeman_, 372. pepperell, sir william, 1st, 66. pepperell, sir william, 2d, at medford, 63; graduated, 68; marries miss royall, 68; denounced, 68; sails for england, 68; dies, 69. pepperell, lady, 85. pepperell house built, 66. percival, lord, 13; letter from walpole, 33. phips, governor, 233. pickard, elizabeth w., 366. pickard, samuel, 374. pierce, professor, 286. porter house in medford, 111. prescott, doctor, at lexington, 114, 326. price, rev. roger, 48. quebec, baroness riedesel at, 131. quincy, miss, 120; marries john hancock, 123. raben-levetzan, suzanne, 289. radcliffe college, 279. _radcliffe magazine_, 287. revere, paul, 104, 110, 111; writes of church, 156. revolution, agnes surriage in, 56. riedesel, baron, 130; entertains lafayette, 140; visits george third, 142; returns to brunswick, 145; dies at brunswick, 145. riedesel, baroness, 130; letters of, 131; lands in america, 131; reaches cambridge, 134; dies at berlin, 145; cambridge street named for, 146. ripley, doctor, 331. ripley, george, 281; marries sophia dana, 293; goes to brook farm, 295; visits carlyle, 299. rouville, maj. hertel de, 192. royall house visited by frankland, 45; built at medford, 60. royall, isaac, the nabob, 61. royall, col. isaac, proscribed, 69; leaves land to harvard, 70. russell, major, 360. salem, isaac royall to sail from, 65. saltonstall, 285. sampson, deborah (gannett), 170; early life, 172; enlists in continental army, 174; writes her mother, 176; in battle of white plains, 179; sex discovered by physician, 181; receives love letter, 182; returns to her home, 188; marries, 188; conducts lecture tour, 189. savage, 347. scituate, 358. scott, sir walter, 340. schuyler, general, at saratoga, 132; daughter of, 135 sewall, judge, 239. shirley, governor massachusetts, 41. shirley house, 45. shurtleff, robert (see deborah sampson). sleepy hollow, 338, 339. smibert paints berkeley, 35; paints sir wm. pepperell, 1st, 67. smith, mary, 368; marries s. f. smith, 369. sophia, princess, and madame riedesel, 144. sophocles, evangelinus apostolides, 287. sparhawk, colonel, 66. stark, general, at royall house, 71. stark, archibald, 75. stark, caleb, born at dunbarton, 77; marries miss mckinstrey, 79; entertains lafayette, 80. stark, charlotte, 82. stark, harriett, 82. stark, charles f. morris, 82. stark burying-ground, 88. stella, journal of, 17; marriage to swift, 20. story, capt. william, 368. story, judge, 286. story, mary, 285. story, william, 285. sully steamship, 273. surriage, agnes, 37. swan, col. james, 159; member sons of liberty, 160; at bunker hill, 160; secretary mass. board of war, 161; makes fortune, 161; loses fortune, 161; secures government contracts, 162; returns to america, 164; arrested at paris, 165; confined in st. pélagie, 166; dies, 168. swift, dean, friend to berkeley, 16; at lodging in bury street, 17; letter to vanessa, 21; letter to lord carteret, 27. swift, lindsay, 301. tai-ping rebellion, 346. thayer, abijah w., 369. thaxter, celia, 285. thaxter, levi, 285. thoreau and hawthorne, 335; grave of, 339. three rivers, baroness riedesel at, 131. tidd, jacob, buys royall house, 72. tituba, the indian slave, 229. titus, mrs. nelson v., 261. tremont house, 305. ursuline convent, 284. vane, sir harry, 215. vanessa (cadenus and vanessa), 19; goes to ireland, 20; letter to swift, 21; letter to stella, 22; legacy to berkeley, 23; death of, 25. vanhomrigh, esther (see vanessa), 17. vassall house, 148; becomes hospital, 149; doctor church there confined, 150. vaudreuil, governor, 200. walker, lucretia p., 272. walpole, sir robert, 28; writes to lord percival, 33. ward, elizabeth c., founds chinese library, 355. ward, frederick townsend, born at salem, 342; enters french army, 343; enlists in nicaraguan expedition, 344; arrives at shanghai, 344; defeats tai-pings, 347; is made a mandarin, 349; organises ever-victorious army, 350; marries changmei, 350; buried at ning po, 352; is made a god, 352. warren, doctor, and church, 157. warren, mrs. mercy, 100. washington, george, letter of, 88. wayside inn, 49, 241. wentworth, governor, marriage of, 248. wentworth, michael, 249. west, benjamin, 270. west indies, proposed seminary at, 14. whitehall (built at newport, r. i.), 11; made over to yale college, 33. white, maria, 285, 286. whitman, mrs. sarah, 290. whittier at marblehead, 371; at philadelphia, 372; "a sea dream," written by, 374; at haverhill seminary reunion, 379; endows amesbury home, 366. williams, gov. charles k., 208. williams, rev. eleazer (dauphin?), 207. williams, eunice, captured, 194; is converted by jesuits, 205; marries a savage, 205; revisits deerfield, 205. williams, rev. john, 193; captured, 194; redeemed, 203. williams, roger, 226. williams, rev. stephen, 198; captured by indians, 194; redeemed, 203; settles at longmeadow, 204. winthrop, john, 217. wiscasset, me., plan to entertain marie antoinette at, 163. woodworth, samuel, born at scituate, 359; writes "old oaken bucket," 362; dies, 364. yale college, bequest from berkeley, 33; s. f. b. morse at, 269. zenobia, 301. * * * * * _little pilgrimages series_ _little pilgrimages among the men who have written famous books by e. f. harkins_ _little pilgrimages among the women who have written famous books by e. f. harkins and c. h. l. johnston_ _literary boston of to-day by helen m. winslow_ _the romance of old new england rooftrees by mary c. crawford_ l. c. page & company new england building boston, mass. scanned images of public domain material from the google print archive. [illustration: book cover] historic homes of new england [illustration: plate i.--the old pickering house, salem, mass. built in 1651. _frontispiece._] historic homes of new england by mary h. northend author of "colonial homes and their furnishings" _with numerous illustrations_ [illustration] boston little, brown, and company 1914 _copyright, 1914,_ by little, brown, and company. this book is dedicated to the best of mothers preface the study of old houses grows in interest with each additional discovery of good material, such as can be found in the old new england towns and cities, more especially those along the seacoast. the preservation of these old houses has done much to give us correct ideas of the interiors, though many of these, with the change of owners, have been stripped of their colonial furnishings. most of the houses that are shown in this book are private homes which have been opened by the owners to allow pictured representations of correct ancestral furnishing. houses such as these possess the greatest charm--ancestral homes that have descended from generation to generation in the same family since their founding. it has been a great pleasure to be allowed to visit these old mansions, which show wonderful staircases, richly carved mantels, and colonial windows, each one of which is an architectural gem. through pictured homes like these one is given a deeper interest in the early life of our country and realizes more than ever before what the colonial period stood for in home building. i wish to acknowledge the kindness of my many friends in helping me to make this book possible, particularly mrs. charles m. stark of dunbarton, new hampshire, for use of the old stark mansion; the colonial dames of massachusetts, for allowing correct representations in pictures of the quincy mansion; the new hampshire society of the sons of cincinnati, for the use of the ladd-gilman house; miss caroline o. emmerton of salem, for permission to show the historic house of seven gables; the historical society of marblehead, for the use of the lee mansion; the medford daughters of the revolution, for the old royall house; the dalton club of newburyport, who have thrown open their club-house to be pictured; mrs. jacob c. rogers of boston and peabody; mr. jacob c. peabody of danvers; as well as many others, including mr. john pickering of salem, who have allowed me access to their houses. we of new england are deeply interested in our historic homes, and it is to the lover of the colonial that i wish to show by picture and text the wonderful old mansions that are still in our midst, which have done much to bring new england into prominence in the architectural world of to-day. mary h. northend. august 15, 1914. contents chapter page preface vii i. homes of long ago 1 ii. the house of the seven gables 13 iii. the pickering house 27 iv. "the lindens" 37 v. the rogers house 49 vi. the colonel jeremiah lee house 59 vii. the ladd-gilman house 70 viii. the adams house 83 ix. the spencer-pierce house 93 x. the governor dummer mansion 109 xi. the macphaedris-warner house 119 xii. the wentworth house 130 xiii. the franklin pierce house 141 xiv. the savory house 157 xv. the stark mansion 167 xvi. the saltonstall house 178 xvii. the dalton house 189 xviii. the kittredge house 204 xix. the royall house 216 xx. the longfellow house 230 xxi. the quincy mansion 241 xxii. "hey bonnie hall" 252 index 265 list of plates i. the old pickering house, salem, mass. _frontispiece_ facing page ii. doorway, oliver house, salem, mass. 8 iii. hallway, oliver house; living room, oliver house 9 iv. hallway, cabot low house; fireplace, oliver house 14 v. the house of the seven gables, salem, mass. 15 vi. hallway, house of the seven gables; hepzibah's shop, house of the seven gables 18 vii. dining room, house of the seven gables; parlor, house of the seven gables 19 viii. attic, house of the seven gables. 22 ix. the pickering house, salem, mass. 23 x. the pickering house, side view 26 xi. entrance doors, pickering house 27 xii. hallway, pickering house 30 xiii. dining room, pickering house; alcove, pickering house 31 xiv. living room, pickering house; drawing room, pickering house 34 xv. fireplace with scriptural tiles, pickering house; the old pickering sideboard 35 xvi. "the lindens," danvers, mass. 38 xvii. hallway, "the lindens" 39 xviii. dining room, "the lindens"; chamber, "the lindens" 42 xix. drawing room, "the lindens"; library, "the lindens" 43 xx. chambers in "the lindens" 48 xxi. the rogers house, peabody, mass. 49 xxii. doorway, rogers house 52 xxiii. parlor, rogers house; drawing room, rogers house 53 xxiv. the lee mansion, marblehead, mass. 58 xxv. porch, lee mansion 59 xxvi. two views of the hallway, lee mansion 62 xxvii. wallpapers, lee mansion 63 xxviii. wood carving, lee mansion 66 xxix. banquet hall, lee mansion; fireplace, lee mansion 67 xxx. chamber, lee mansion; four-poster, lee mansion 70 xxxi. the ladd-gilman house, exeter, n. h. 71 xxxii. parlor, ladd-gilman house 74 xxxiii. living room, ladd-gilman house; robert treat room, ladd-gilman house 75 xxxiv. middle chamber, ladd-gilman house; prison, ladd-gilman house 82 xxxv. the adams house, newbury, mass. 83 xxxvi. parlor, adams house; living room, adams house 88 xxxvii. dining room, adams house 89 xxxviii. the spencer-pierce house, newburyport, mass. 94 xxxix. hallway, spencer-pierce house 95 xl. dining room, spencer-pierce house; living room, spencer-pierce house 100 xli. parlor, spencer-pierce house 101 xlii. the dummer mansion, byfield, mass. 110 xliii. doorway, dummer mansion; hallway, dummer mansion 111 xliv. dining room, dummer mansion; den, dummer mansion 116 xlv. two views of the living room, dummer mansion 117 xlvi. the warner house, portsmouth, n. h. 120 xlvii. doorway, warner house; porch, warner house 121 xlviii. living room, warner house 126 xlix. parlor, warner house 127 l. the wentworth house, little harbor, n. h. 130 li. hallway, wentworth house 131 lii. dance hall, wentworth house 136 liii. room in wentworth house where martha hilton was made bride 137 liv. the franklin pierce house, hillsboro, n. h. 142 lv. library, franklin pierce house 143 lvi. sword given by the state of new hampshire to president pierce; bowie knife used at barbecue given at hillsboro for president pierce, and canes presented to him by notable personages; sword presented by ladies of concord, n. h., to president pierce 156 lvii. the savory house, groveland, mass. 157 lviii. porch and gateway, savory house 160 lix. hallway, savory house; chamber, savory house 161 lx. china closet, savory house; china closet, savory house, where china of three generations of brides is kept 164 lxi. parlor, savory house; living room, savory house 165 lxii. the stark mansion, dunbarton, n. h. 168 lxiii. old mill, stark homestead 169 lxiv. hallway, stark mansion; parlor, stark mansion 172 lxv. dining room, stark mansion 173 lxvi. saltonstall house, haverhill, mass. 182 lxvii. two views of the hallway, saltonstall house 183 lxviii. two views of the dining room, saltonstall house 186 lxix. chambers in the saltonstall house 187 lxx. the dalton house, newburyport, mass. 190 lxxi. porch, dalton house 191 lxxii. lower hall, dalton house; upper hall, dalton house 198 lxxiii. fireplaces, dalton house 199 lxxiv. the kittredge house, andover, mass. 206 lxxv. hallway, kittredge house 207 lxxvi. living room, kittredge house; parlor, kittredge house 212 lxxvii. soapstone fire frame, kittredge house; fireplace, kittredge house 213 lxxviii. the royall house, medford, mass. 218 lxxix. doorway, royall house 219 lxxx. hallway, royall house, from the rear 222 lxxxi. spinning room, royall house 223 lxxxii. kitchen fireplace, royall house 226 lxxxiii. chambers in the royall house 227 lxxxiv. the longfellow house, cambridge, mass. 236 lxxxv. library, longfellow house 237 lxxxvi. the quincy mansion, quincy, mass. 242 lxxxvii. porch, quincy mansion 243 lxxxviii. dining room, quincy mansion 246 lxxxix. kitchen, quincy mansion; parlor, quincy mansion 247 xc. paper hung for wedding of dorothy quincy, quincy mansion 250 xci. chambers in the quincy mansion 251 xcii. porch of the middleton house, bristol, r. i. 254 xciii. hallway, middleton house; fireplace, middleton house 255 xciv. living room, middleton house 258 xcv. bridal chamber, middleton house 259 chapter i homes of long ago scattered here and there throughout the south, the middle west, and the new england states, we find the homes of long ago standing as mute witnesses and representatives of periods in our country's settlements that have become historical. we come across them by the wayside, when driving along country roads, or we catch glimpses of them at the end of grassy lanes, surrounded by pleasant meadows, while others, jutting in between twentieth century houses in our large cities, serve to link the old days with the new. these old mansions are often tenantless; some, with sagging roofs and gaping sides, are fast falling into decay. still others, well preserved and freshly painted, surrounded by the well kept lawns and posy beds of our grandmothers' time, are survivals of a glorious past. old houses are like old romances; both are filled with mystery. could they but speak, what fascinating tales they would reveal. they carry us back in imagination to one of the most eventful periods of our country's life--that of its struggle for freedom--and they inspire us with a desire to weave them into stories that will give authentic glimpses of the days when our country was young. surrounding these ancient landmarks we find an irresistible and intangible charm that never fails to appeal, not only to the house-lover but the antiquarian as well. for, no matter how shabby the exterior may be, inside its four walls has been enacted a series of comedies and tragedies, which, if known, might overshadow the romances of the great masters of literature. in spite of the mystery surrounding these old homesteads, there is, nevertheless, something definite about them which has for the student of the past a deep meaning and a distinct appeal. harking back, we find that each particular type of house represents a stage in the development of architecture. they cover a period when architects were practically unknown. many were evolved from the master builder's brain, while others have been developed little by little from early designs. monuments of departed days, they stand models to which our present-day architects turn for inspiration. few, if any, of the first houses are still standing. they were constructed of logs and had thatched roofs. the timber was, at first, hand sawed in saw pits dug for that purpose, a tedious process. later on, sawmills were erected, but not in sufficient number to meet the demand for frame houses. the second period of house building brought out a new idea in construction. some of these houses were built with two stories in front and one in the rear, this lower story being covered by an extension of the sloping roof. the most imposing of this type were those which were designed with gables at the front and chambers underneath. in those days, the best kinds of lumber were plentiful, so the frame could be built of picked wood, preferably white oak. in houses of this style, the outer walls were daubed with clay, covered with boards. at first, they were called clay boards, the name being afterwards corrupted to clapboards. lime was rarely used in daubing, since lime was obtainable only by burning shells. sometimes clay was intermixed with straw. many windows had small, diamond panes, set in lead cases. these may be found to-day in some of the old houses that have escaped vandalism. the windows were often divided into two parts and opened outward. the entrance hall in these old homes led into a large and imposing apartment. on the walls were hung frames containing hair flowers and funeral pieces wrought by hand. this was known as the "company" or "guest" room, used only on state occasions. the principal room was the kitchen with its sanded floor, often laid herring-bone pattern. this was used as a dining-room and kitchen combined. through the center of the house ran a chimney six feet square, around which clustered the closets, many of them secret. here were concealed the family treasures, plate, and perchance a refugee. the family gathering place was the kitchen. it requires little imagination to repeople it with guests. seemingly, we watch the elders seated on large, wooden settles inside the fireplace, roasting their faces, while they freeze their backs. the old iron crane swings outward, holding the jack, spit, and pot hooks. the dutch oven covered with ashes contains the evening meal. the only light save the firelight was the pitch-pine torch, by whose flickering flame one read or sewed. close at hand on a nail hung the old horn lantern ready for use, either to tend the stock or light a visiting neighbor home. it is an appealing picture of colonial life. among the old houses there are none so full of interest as those which have been carefully preserved in the same family, handed down from generation to generation. over the threshold of these homes have passed men and women whose names are linked irretrievably with important events in our nation's history. in the early history of our country, few seaport towns stand out in bolder relief than salem, massachusetts, a city noted at the commencement of the nineteenth century for her commercial prosperity, and whose ships sailed to every port on the globe. these ships were small, clumsy affairs, but staunch in build. the cargoes were valuable ventures, sent by salem merchants who were fearless plungers. the flavor of the sea still lingers about this seaport town, particularly along derby street, where, in the prosperous shipping days, social life was centered. years crept on apace, and the country grew more prosperous with the increase of population; and in the seaport town, more especially, came a demand for larger and better houses. money circulated freely, and ventures proved successful. trade steadily increased, bringing prosperity in its wake. commerce was at its height, and the harbor was filled with incoming and outgoing ships, whose holds were stored with rich cargoes of household goods, furniture, and glass, intermixed with merchandise. much of the valuable furniture is still to be found in the houses of to-day. the story of those stirring times reads like a bit of romance. the tide still ebbs and flows at derby street, lapping the piers much as it did a century ago, when ships four tiers deep lay tied up at the now deserted wharves. the crews were boys, many of them, sons of the merchants, who, from sailing before the mast, rose rapidly to positions of importance, becoming captains of their ships at an age when the lads of to-day are just leaving school. like a dream seems the life of long ago. no more, save in imagination, do we see the jolly sailor lads with sea legs on, bowling along derby street, bound for kit's dancing hall, there to indulge themselves in merry dance or quench their thirst at the flowing bowl. the old inn or ordinary has long since passed away, as has the lumbering stage and jolly drivers, who snapped their whips and cracked their jokes around a cheerful, open fire while waiting for the incoming ships. the large, square homes of yesterday are now degenerated into tenement houses. three of the most prominent merchants of that day were william grey, joseph peabody, and elias hasket derby. they owned the greater number of the ships that sailed to foreign ports, and their names are household words. on the wharves still stand their old counting-houses, now put to other uses. [illustration: plate ii.--doorway, oliver house, salem, mass. built in 1802.] with the decline of commerce and the decrease of shipping, the tide of building turned inland. large, imposing houses were erected in other parts of the town. elias hasket derby chose as a site for his new house what is now known as derby square. the estate was a large one, terraced to the water's edge. the house was of wood, three stories in height, and costing eighty thousand dollars. much of samuel mcintire's best wood work was used here. not many months after its completion, the owner died, and his entire estate was sold. the house was torn down, much of the timber being used in other houses that were in the process of building. captain cook was at that time erecting for his daughter, who married henry k. oliver, a stately home on federal street. into this were introduced some of the best specimens of the wood carving. this mansion was a type that came into prominence at the close of the revolutionary war, a large, square house, three stories in height, showing in exterior finish many of mcintire's best designs. the gate-posts on either side of the little picket gate were especially carved for the old derby mansion, as were the classic columns that support the porch. not only outside the house but inside as well, one comes across mcintire's wonderful carving. step over the threshold, enter the spacious hallway, that like most constructed in that day extends entirely through the house and opens on to an old-fashioned garden beyond. here the door frames and stairway show the master's handiwork. the broad landing is lighted by a window especially designed. large, square rooms open on either side of the hall, the one at the right showing scenic wall-paper made in paris and hung in 1808. a feature of this room is a hob-grate, one of the first ever placed in any salem home. [illustration: plate iii.--hallway, oliver house; living room, oliver house.] the old merchants knew well how to build for comfort and beauty. one of their old houses, still standing on essex street, salem, was built in 1750 by one joseph sprague, a merchant. it is a rambling, spacious affair, three stories in height at the rear and two at the front. the grounds were extensive, leading to the water's edge. major sprague was a man of standing, interested in military affairs. it was he that commanded the first uniformed company of light infantry. organized on april 22, 1776, they applied to the general court to make them independent of the militia but not of the regiment. in those days their uniform was much more striking than at present. green coats with gold trimming were worn, also ruffled shirts, the ruffles falling over the hands, under dresses of white, black gaiters, and black hats of beaver ornamented with ostrich plumes. this company soon disbanded. the ancestral home of major sprague has never been out of the family. it was built by him for his bride. lifting the ponderous knocker, one enters the open door, passing into a broad hallway with a colonial staircase showing fine, hand-carved balusters. opening out of this are large, square rooms, filled with rich, old chippendale. much of this was brought over in the major's ships. huge open fireplaces are found in every room. one of them is surrounded by tiles, picturing ã�sop's fables. closets innumerable, such as would delight the heart of a twentieth-century housekeeper, are everywhere. there are large ones and small ones. sometimes, concealed behind panels, were secret closets, but the most important of all, as well as the most historical, has disappeared. this was used in revolutionary times to shelter one of the servants, a deserter from the continental army, who was discovered and shot. major sprague had a comely daughter sarah, who was a reigning belle of that day. her beauty attracted the attention of one william stearns, a harvard collegian, who lived in the craigie house at cambridge, afterwards the home of longfellow. every saturday night he swam the unbridged mystic river and walked to salem to see her. they were married in 1776 and lived in the town. he was one of the largest stockholders in the turnpike road built between salem and boston, and the story runs that he declared after it was finished he would be able to stand on the steps of his salem home and look directly into the boston market. a son of the fair sarah married thresea st. agnan from trinidad. she was an intimate of josephine tascher de la pageree, afterwards the consort of napoleon. a beautiful gold-banded tortoise-shell comb is still kept in the family, a present from josephine to agnes. many are the interesting historical houses to be found in this city, each of which has a story hidden away under its roof. one of these standing next to the old witch house was owned originally by a captain davenport. it is mentioned as early as 1662. later, the captain removed to boston to take charge of the fortification at castle island and on july 15, 1665, was killed "by a solemn stroke of thunder." the estate was then conveyed to one jonathan corwan, afterwards called curwin, a man of prominence in the witchcraft trial through being appointed one of the judges. later on his grandson samuel, an exceedingly interesting man with a most irascible disposition, lived in the same mansion. graduated from harvard in 1735, he became a merchant, afterwards taking part in the pepperrell expedition against louisburg as captain and rose to the rank of "judge of admiralty." espousing the cause of the loyalists, he was forced to leave for england. returning in 1784, he found his estate in a very bad condition, most of his valuable library having been sold. for many years afterwards he was a prominent gentleman in the life of the city and was often seen walking the streets, wearing his english wig, clothed in a long cloak of red cloth, his fingers covered with rings, and using a gold-headed cane as he walked. [illustration: plate iv.--hallway, cabot low house, 1748; fireplace, oliver house.] there is no purer type of colonial house in the city by the sea, than the cabot house, built by one joseph cabot in 1748 and which was for thirty years the residence of william crowninshield endicott, who served under president cleveland as secretary of war. near derby street stands the house made famous by nathaniel hawthorne. here, in may, 1840, he called to see his cousin "the duchess," miss susan ingersoll, on which occasion she told him the story of the house, and the name struck him so forcibly that he is said to have repeated it again and again as if to impress it on his memory. from this incident we have the romance of _the house of the seven gables_. chapter ii the house of the seven gables the visitor to salem has no difficulty in finding the house of the seven gables, for any one can direct him there, and he is waylaid by boys who wish to guide him to it. his way lies through what was once the court end of the town. this quarter, long since deserted by fashion--its fine old houses are now turned into tenements--still retains enough of its ancient state to arouse the visitor's interest. so his mind is in a most receptive mood when a final corner takes him into turner street, and he descries at its very end the rear of the ancient mansion, embowered by trees, the long sweep of its lean-to crowned by a cluster of chimneys. [illustration: plate v.--the house of the seven gables, salem, mass.] the house of the seven gables is most pleasantly situated, overlooking salem harbor, with a view across the water and of marblehead in the distance. the house faces the south. its east end borders on turner street, crowding down so close to the narrow sidewalk that the picturesque sign over the shop door swings just over the heads of the passers-by. at the back of the house the lean-to already mentioned slopes down to the yard, while to the west the land extends beyond the garden to the next street. the steeply sloping roof of the ancient mansion, its sharp, pointed gables, its gray, weather-beaten clapboards, the faded red of its brick chimneys, all attract the visitor. romance speaks to him from the tiny casements and, dreaming that he shall find miss hepzibah herself behind the counter, he opens the shop door and hurriedly enters. the bell over the door jangles his welcome. it would be hard to find a tinier place than that little shop. and how full it is of everything: of toys, of candies, of baskets and rag mats and antiques and bits of embroidery and, best of all, quaint jimcrows, the gingerbread men so thoroughly appreciated by miss hepzibah's young customer. the present presiding genius of the little shop stands behind a high, narrow counter surmounted by a very old, quaint, glass show-case. she is a lady of far more charm and tact than was poor miss hepzibah, with much of interest to tell about her wares, and answers with great patience questions about the house and the families who lived in it. the house was built in 1669 by john turner, a salem merchant, and was successively owned by his son and grandson, both john turners. the third john turner sold the house in 1782 to captain samuel ingersoll. hawthorne's connection with the house begins with the ingersolls, who were his kinsfolk. mrs. ingersoll was a hawthorne and a cousin of hawthorne's father. her daughter susannah was eighteen years older than hawthorne, although of the same generation. she inherited the estate while still a young woman and was at first fond of society, but after an unfortunate love affair she became a recluse. she spent a long life in gloomy retirement in the ancient mansion with no companion except her under-witted maid. her young cousin, nathaniel hawthorne, was one of the few men allowed to cross her jealously guarded threshold. miss ingersoll's old age was cheered by an adopted son, a boy of mysterious birth, supposed by some to be the child of her servant. whoever he was, miss ingersoll was devoted to him. she gave him a fine education and started him in life as a clergyman. he was known at first as horace conelly but later took the name of ingersoll. miss ingersoll left him her entire fortune, even her family homestead, the house of the seven gables. but unfortunately he proved to be a man of very weak character. he dissipated the fortune, and in 1879 the house was sold for his debts. in the next few years the house changed owners many times, until in 1883 it came into the possession of the upton family, who occupied it for twenty-five years. in 1908 it was bought for the use of the settlement to which it gives its name. in 1909 the house was repaired and fitted up for settlement work, and while it was under repair, many of the original features, or traces of them, were discovered. during its two hundred and forty years of existence some of its gables and its lean-to had been taken off, the overhang closed in, and the secret staircase taken down. a careful restoration was made of all these missing features, a matter of great interest to architects and antiquarians and even to the casual visitor. [illustration: copyright. 1910, by c. o. emmerton.] [illustration: copyright, 1910, by c. o. emmerton. plate vi.--hallway, house of the seven gables; hepzibah's shop, house of the seven gables.] leaving the little shop, the visitor enters directly the old kitchen. this is a small room sheathed with pine boards put on perpendicularly, after the fashion of the earliest times, so as to form a simple pattern. this special pattern is peculiar to the house of the seven gables. an immense fireplace occupies nearly the whole of one side of the room. it is filled with old-fashioned cooking utensils and illustrates the evolution which has taken place along this line. the pots and kettles are swung from a long iron bar placed well up in the chimney. (the crane with which we are all familiar is simply a later development of this primitive bar.) there is a brick oven built into the fireplace, also a dutch oven, which is a pot with a rim around the cover to hold the hot coals; and, the last step in evolution before the cook-stove, we find the tin kitchen standing in its place before the andirons. the most precious of all the furnishings of the fireplace is an old-fashioned toaster from which hawthorne has had many a slice of toast. close to the fireplace is a panelled oak chest as old as, if not older, than the house. flanking the chest is the top of a highboy, which once belonged to miss ingersoll and may have been bought of the turners with the house. as miss ingersoll was a conservative person, it was probably not until after her day that the highboy was divided, and the top part set on the floor with feet of its own. opposite the highboy is an old-fashioned kitchen dresser, part of which was found in the house, and the rest designed to match. its shelves now contain samples of crockery and old salt glaze, with specimens of bennington and tortoise-shell ware. if the visitor is up on such matters, he will have noticed that certain articles in the room are of much later date than others. he is then told that the idea in furnishing the house is to make it look as an old, conservative salem house would have looked in 1840, the period of the story. that is to say, there is practically no furniture later than 1840, and most of the pieces are much earlier--survivors, so to speak, of the many periods through which the house has passed. the later and more elegant pieces of furniture (generally speaking, mahogany of about 1800) are to be found in the parlor and dining-room, while the earlier pieces of walnut, cherry, pine, and oak have been relegated to the kitchen and attic; the same is to be said of the china--lowestoft and lustre supplanting the earlier wares in the parlor and dining-room. [illustration: copyright, 1910, by c. o. emmerton.] [illustration: copyright, 1910, by c. o. emmerton. plate vii.--dining room, house of the seven gables; parlor, house of the seven gables.] with the determination to note this evolution in household furnishing, the visitor continues on his tour of the house. he leaves the kitchen by a dark, narrow passage. a door at its end admits him to a large, sunny, low-ceiled room, which has always been used as a combination dining and sitting-room. the turners called this room "the hall," a term the early settlers brought with them from england. the ingersolls called it "the keeping room." to the settlement residents to-day, it is simply the dining-room. it is certainly most attractive with its rare, old, white painted panelling and old-fashioned furniture. the sideboard, dining-table, and secretary are fine old pieces of mahogany. the chairs are of the windsor pattern. on the wall are pictures of clipper ships and foreign ports and one portrait of a rather grim old gentleman. under the portrait is the dinner-wagon and a red lacquer tray, once the property of miss ingersoll. in the novel this room is called "the parlor of more moderate size" in contrast to the grand reception room. and here, more than anywhere else, the scene of the story is laid. for this was the room where colonel pyncheon was discovered dead by his little grandson, and here after many years that grandson received matthew maule the carpenter and sent for his daughter alice to join them. and this was the room that miss hepzibah pyncheon used as the living-room, and where she and her brother clifford and her little cousin phoebe ate their meals under their ancestor's frowning portrait. here it was that judge pyncheon came and bullied hepzibah and sent her to find her brother. the story tells how poor hepzibah, sadly against her will, goes over the house looking for clifford. but she does not find him in his room, and when she hurries back to the living-room, clifford himself comes out of it and points to the judge, who is sitting dead in his chair. hawthorne does not explain in the novel how clifford left his room and got down to the living-room, but the house itself offers an explanation. beside the fireplace in the living-room is a round-topped door opening into a brick-lined closet. entering the closet the guide opens a secret door, revealing a mysterious staircase by which the visitor mounts apparently right into the heart of the huge central chimney. the staircase is very steep and narrow and makes many a turn. finally, the door at the top opens, and the visitor steps out into clifford's room. the door closes with a snap behind him. the visitor looks round but sees only the pine sheathing with the pattern peculiar to the house of the seven gables. in response to the question: "why was the secret staircase built?" the guide confesses that no one knows. there have been many surmises. some have thought it was a refuge from the indians. others have fancied it was for purposes of smuggling. the most probable explanation seems to be that it was a temporary hiding-place in case of a recurrence of the witchcraft delusion. about 1889 mr. upton began to take down the great central chimney and then discovered the secret staircase, which was rebuilt in 1909 from his description. it looks so old that the visitor can hardly believe that it is only a very exact reproduction of the original. clifford's room is only a small attic chamber with a mahogany bed and bureau and an attractive set of painted chairs, which belonged in the house of the seven gables but were given away at the time the house was sold for horace ingersoll's debts. all the furniture was scattered at that time, but since then many pieces have found their way back, either by gift or purchase. [illustration: copyright, 1910, by c. o. emmerton. plate viii.--attic, house of the seven gables] the visitor leaves clifford's room and makes his way into the open attic, for he came up two stories by the secret staircase and is now under the sharply pointed roof and surrounded by trunks, chests, and bandboxes. this is a good place to understand the structure of the house. the main building had at first just two gables in front and one at each end; then a wing was built on in front, covering one of the gables, which was largely cut away. this wing had three gables, and the porch, which was built in the angle of the wing and the main house, was roofed by another gable. an old plan of the house shows a wing built on to the lean-to in the rear, which was probably roofed by another gable; so the house in the time of the first two john turners probably had eight gables. it seems likely that the third john turner took off the porch gable, which must certainly have been very troublesome, as its position made it a pocket for the ice and snow. if we omit the porch gable, assuming that it was gone long before the ingersolls bought the house, we find that the rest correspond very closely to hawthorne's description of them as they are mentioned in different parts of the novel. the stump of the cut-off gable is a great object of interest in the attic, as is also a piece of the old front door, which is studded with nails after the fashion of the early colonial days. one flight below the attic is the great chamber, phoebe's room in the story. this splendid, great, sunny room has fine panelling, dating from about 1720, and good examples of early furniture. to give an idea of how the room looked when first built the guide moves aside the queen anne mirror and opens a small door behind it, cut in the wall of the room. this reveals one of the great supporting posts, which is roughly carved in mediã¦val manner. this post, with its companion beams and posts, once stood out in the room, but since the panelling was put in, that is nearly two hundred years ago, it has been hidden from sight. this silent witness indicates the great age of the house, which has outlived so many styles and fashions. another flight below is the parlor or "grand reception room," as it was called. in the story it is described as unfurnished--an empty room that miss hepzibah was too poor to heat, where clifford took his exercise on rainy days. into this room the hero holgrave drew little phoebe, that she might not enter the living-room and have the shock of discovering judge pyncheon sitting there dead. one forgets about the story in admiring the very happy color scheme of this finely proportioned room. the wall-paper is gray, a reproduction of some wall-paper found in the house. the graceful little classical groups indicate that it was designed in the early part of the last century. against the gray wall-paper and fine white painted panelling, the red curtains at the three windows are seen in pleasant contrast. they are a wonderfully soft yet brilliant red, with a beautiful brocaded design. a set of sheraton chairs covered with black figured hair-cloth give character to the room, and the warm turkey rug on the floor helps to carry out the color scheme. the fireplace in this room is of especial interest. it is large, but the guide opens a wood closet and shows that the original fireplace was very much larger. at the right of the fireplace opens a quaintly panelled door, disclosing a buffet with a carved shell overhead and shelves crowded with delicate and beautiful old china, while on the floor of the closet an array of ginger jars reminds one of the salem ships that brought home such good things from the east. one is also reminded of the east by the lacquered work-box, chess-board, and teapoys. in front of a slant-top desk stands hawthorne's favorite chair. it looks so comfortable that we can readily believe that he would select it when making a call on his cousin. her portrait looks down on the chair. hers is an unusual face, striking though hardly beautiful. was she the original of miss hepzibah? her lonely life in this old, gabled house, the wealth of affection she bestowed on a weak and selfish man, certainly suggest that hawthorne had his cousin in mind when he drew this character. after a lingering inspection of the parlor, which looks so homelike because, like the dining-room, it is really lived in by the settlement residents, the visitor passes out the front door to study the exterior of the house and enjoy the old-fashioned garden. the first object of interest is the overhanging second story. the "overhang," as it is called, was closed in, probably for a century or more, simply because overhangs had gone out of fashion. it was accidentally discovered when the house was repaired by the carpenter, who was examining the soundness of the sills. some of the old clapboards can still be seen, and a small piece of the drops which originally ornamented the corner posts. the present drops are reproductions, except a bit of the old drops that were left to nail to. at the end of the garden, which is bright with old-fashioned flowers, stands the counting-house. this is a small building found on the estate in use as a wood-shed. its age and previous history are not known, but as it is of the same size and shape as the old counting-house mentioned in the inventories of the turner family, it has been furnished to represent it. there is the master's desk, a wonderful affair with many secret drawers, the clerk's desk, and armchairs, models of ships, a barometer, a telescope, etc. adjoining the counting-house is a grape arbor, where the visitor can refresh himself with a cup of tea, and while he sits there enjoy a view of the harbor across the garden. on his left is the house of the seven gables, and on his right is another old house used for the settlement clubs and classes. it is the hathaway house, dating from 1683, but that is another story. chapter iii the pickering house it is doubtful if any other historic home in new england can boast, as does the pickering house situated in salem, massachusetts, of being in the direct line of a family for nine generations. this family originated in yorkshire, england. john pickering, the founder of the salem branch, was born in old england in 1614; he came to the colonies and lived in ipswich from 1634 to 1636. in the early part of 1636 he came to salem, and on december 7, 1636, john pickering, carpenter, was granted to be an inhabitant of that city. [illustration: plate ix.--the pickering house, salem, mass.] long years ago, when this city was in its youth and sparsely settled, large estates, many of them original grants, were founded. it was then that this now famous house was erected. it was commenced in 1650 and finished in 1651 by one john pickering, the emigrant ancestor of the present owner of the old mansion, who became a considerable landowner, purchasing his estate in different lots until his property extended from chestnut street to the mill pond, then known as south river. [illustration: plate x.--pickering house, side view.] the twenty-acre lot known as the home lot, on which he built the historic mansion, was originally a part of the governor's field, once owned by governor john endicott. it was conveyed by him to emmanuel downing, who sold it, so tradition tells, to one john pickering to pay for the commencement dinner of sir george downing, who was graduated in the first class at harvard. the original deed is still in the possession of the family. [illustration: plate xi.--entrance door, pickering house; entrance door in the pickering house.] the house was built in the elizabethan style of architecture and resembled the famous peacock inn in rouseley, england. it was constructed of white oak, which grew in a swamp on the estate. the exterior is practically unchanged; and the interior shows low, beamed ceilings and small windows. the entrance door opens into a low hall, from which the stairs ascend to the second story floor. this has been lengthened within the last few years by taking out one of the chimneys. as in many old houses, large rooms open on either side. at the right is the library, which has been enlarged by opening up an alcoved recess. this was formerly a chamber, and is used to-day to accommodate several bookcases filled with rare old books, many of which are in manuscript. the colonial fireplace, with its scriptural tiles, is a feature of this room, where is shown a wonderful old english ball table that was brought over by the emigrant ancestor. the chairs, many of them, were made by theophilus pickering, whose old desk where he wrote many of his sermons stands at one side of the fireplace. rare books and interesting mementoes are found on every side. [illustration: plate xii.--hallway, pickering house.] [illustration: plate xiii.--dining room, pickering house; alcove, pickering house.] opposite is a large drawing-room filled with chippendale and colonial furniture, and showing colonel timothy pickering's picture on the wall. at the rear of this room is a dining-room which, as does the rest of the house, contains more fine furniture. [illustration: plate xiv.--living room, pickering house; drawing room, pickering house.] [illustration: plate xv.--fireplace with scriptural tiles, pickering house; the old pickering sideboard.] autograph letters fill many books, some of them received by colonel timothy pickering from president washington. rare old glass, china, and silver speak of bygone days. up-stairs are interesting, rare old four-posters, still showing their quaint hangings; and one notes the old chimney that occupies such a large space in the house. inside one of the closets is the old army chest marked with pickering's initials and showing his rank. it was used by him when quartermaster in the revolutionary war. the builder of the house married elizabeth, whose surname is not known. he resided upon the estate until his death, which occurred in 1657; the property descended to his son john, who increased his landownings by the purchase of the eastern or anthrum lot from edmund batter. the second john married alice flint, a most estimable lady, in 1657. he served as a lieutenant in the indian war, in 1675, and particularly distinguished himself in the memorable fight of bloody brook at deerfield, massachusetts. he died in 1694 and was succeeded by another john, third in line, who was a farmer, frugal and industrious, and who held many positions of trust in the community. he married sarah burrill, of an influential lynn family. there were two sons, timothy and theophilus. the latter was graduated from harvard and was called to chebacco parish, first as assistant to reverend john wise, and afterwards as minister. there is in the pickering house a manuscript book on physics bound in leather and illustrated by him. there is also a set of ten chairs made by his hand in 1724. his brother timothy, who inherited the estate, was deacon of the tabernacle church in salem at his father's death. he was the father of nine children. during his lifetime he added three more rooms on the northern side, raising the roof, which sloped almost to the ground after the fashion of buildings of that period. at the time of these improvements, the eastern part of the house was one hundred years old and the western part eighty. when the weather boards were ripped off, the sills of white oak were so sound that it was decided they would last longer than new ones. one of the peaks was removed at this time because of leaks but was replaced in 1840 by john, the son of colonel pickering. when timothy inherited the estate, he was the first to break the line of johns. he is described as a gentleman of great piety, firmness of character, and decided convictions. he died at the age of seventy-five and left the estate to his son john, the fifth of the line, who was a bachelor and lived in the old home with his sister, mrs. gool, as housekeeper. his occupation was agricultural, but he held several public positions. he represented the town in the general court for many years, and was town treasurer in 1782. his brother timothy, who was clerk of register of deeds, entered the continental army, and at that time john took his place with the intention of returning the office to him on his return from the war, but he became so accustomed to the work that he kept the position until 1806, when he was compelled to resign through the infirmities of age. it is related of him that at one time he was supposedly fatally ill, and the question of his successor in office coming up, it was proposed to canvass for a candidate. this so enraged john that he recovered from his illness. he was one of the original members of the academy of arts and sciences and was noted for his honesty, industry, and the careful management of his affairs. at his death, the ancestral estate passed to his nephew john (the fifth), the only break in the transmission of the property from father to son. john's father, colonel timothy, the brother of john (fourth), although never owning the estate, spent his early boyhood upon it, and much of its fame comes from his connection with it. colonel timothy was born in the old house july 17, 1745. upon his graduation from college, he entered the office of the register of deeds as clerk and was appointed head of this department a few years later. in 1768, he was admitted to the bar, and became the leader and champion of the patriots of essex county; he wrote the famous address from the citizens of salem to general gage, relative to the boston port bill. he held the office of judge of the court of common pleas for essex county, being sole judge of the maritime court of the middle district. this was an office involving great responsibility and decisions concerning large amounts of property, as that was the day of privateers. his military service began in 1766, when he was commissioned lieutenant of the fourth military company of salem. three years later he was promoted to the rank of captain and by his interest and careful training raised appreciably the standard of discipline. he was commissioned by the royal government colonel of the first regiment, essex county militia. he led the troops who marched out to oppose the entry of leslie and his redcoats into salem on february 26, 1775, when the famous colloquy on north bridge took place, and the munitions of war concealed in the town were saved to the colonists. in the fall of 1776, he joined washington in new jersey with a regiment of seven hundred men, and the next year he was made adjutant-general of the continental army, commencing his service july 17, 1777. when congress decided to change the personnel of the continental board of war from members of congress to three men not congressmen, colonel pickering was chosen to serve on the board, whose powers and duties were many and important. he was made quartermaster-general of the army, also, holding this position until its abolishment, july 25, 1785. he was a member of the committee which wrote the farewell address delivered to washington, november 15, 1783. with the close of the war, colonel pickering withdrew from public life to devote himself to agriculture. he settled in philadelphia, but his private life was of short duration, as his services were needed for the adjustment of claims made by wyoming settlers. he had a thrilling experience in the west, being captured by a band of masked men who carried him off and subjected him to horrible torture. colonel pickering was a most charming host and though apparently stern and forbidding, delightful in the midst of his family. he retained his inherited fondness for agriculture, at seventy-five still filling the position of president of the agricultural societies of essex county and bearing off the first prize for plowing, in competition with the farmers of the vicinity. it was his habit to preserve letters and documents of every description, the most important of which were published after his death in 1829, and which, owing to his prominence in national affairs, are very interesting reading. colonel pickering is an example of one of the best types of a new englander of his time: a brave, patriotic soldier, a talented writer, an impartial, able, and energetic public official, a leader of the federal party, occupying four cabinet positions, serving his country whenever he was needed, but content to return to his simple life when the need for him in public life was over. at the death of colonel pickering's brother, john, the ancestral estate descended to the colonel's son, john (fifth). he inherited his father's public spirit and served in the general court, three times as representative from essex and twice from norfolk and suffolk counties. he was secretary of the legation at lisbon and later under rufus king in london, and finally became united states minister to england. he was a member of many learned societies in europe, received several diplomas, and brought home a fine library collected on the continent. he was a profound scholar, a writer in law, and especially interested in philology, understanding twenty-two different languages. the house is now in the possession of john pickering, the eighth of the line, whose son john will succeed his father. the ancient house, in all the dignity of old age, is the central feature of the lot, a picturesque historic mansion, considered one of the most important landmarks of salem, massachusetts. chapter iv "the lindens" nowhere in american history is there a colonial home more closely linked with england than is "the lindens," for here it was that governor gage, during his sojourn in the colonies, made his official home. this house, situated at danvers, massachusetts, was erected in or about 1770. the exact year is not definitely known, as at that early period the records were scanty, but about this time the mansion, which is now standing, was built by one robert hooper, a rich marblehead merchant, who was thought to be a tory at heart. [illustration: plate xvi.--"the lindens," danvers, mass.] when governor gage, sent over by order of the king from england to convene the general court, came to this country as a stranger, he naturally demanded a residence suited for his station. this was in 1774, probably four years after the completion of the building. robert hooper offered this house to the governor as a summer home. being retired, as it was several miles from salem where the court convened, and also surrounded by extensive grounds, it proved most suitable for the general's residence, a magnificent home in keeping with what he demanded. those were troublous times. the edict had gone forth forbidding the passage of many measures that would have given to the colonies more freedom than the mother country thought best. it was even feared that if these measures were adopted, the colonies would eventually be allowed to do practically as they chose. in considering this subject, it must be remembered that the colonies were supposed by england to have very rich possessions, and it behooved her to keep a strict hand on her unruly subjects who were planning for separation from the mother land. general gage was sent over to look into the condition of affairs and to see what could be done to bring about harmony. it was the middle of july when the troop ships sailed into the harbor of boston, and landed general gage, who later made his way through salem streets to his headquarters in the hooper house. during his residence, this mansion was the scene of many a merrymaking, and within its walls was often heard the clanking of his officers' swords as the brilliantly uniformed men, members of his majesty's army, visited the house and were entertained by their commander. while "the lindens" was the headquarters of general gage, or governor gage, as he was generally known, he had his office at the page house in danvers, where the tea drinking episode took place on the roof. he formed a brilliant spectacle, with his officers accompanying him, as he rode over the highway every day in the fulfilment of his official duties. at that time the country was not thickly settled, and the houses were so few that from his windows he could obtain an uninterrupted view of salem harbor. one reason for his taking the page house was because he could watch the vessels sailing in and out and thus guard himself against capture by surprise. not long afterwards british troops were brought into salem harbor, disembarking at the point where derby wharf now is. there were two companies of the sixty-fourth royal infantry who, with their brilliant red uniforms, made a striking spectacle as they marched through the streets to the governor's house, where they encamped on the plain opposite the headquarters. later on these troops were followed by the fifty-ninth regiment, who were quartered at fort pickering on winter island. messengers were constantly passing from one body of troops to the other, carrying messages from the commander. but little imagination was required to realize that the defender was not popular, and that the people had very little respect for him. they had never forgotten the boston massacre, neither did they fail to remember that they had come to this country for freedom of thought. there was a growing hostility among them, though they were under discipline and generally kept within bounds. still, enough restlessness was manifested for the camp to be watchful against surprise. they knew only too well that the independent citizens would let no occasion pass for a taunt or a scornful word. during their encampment many practical jokes were played on the troops, one of which was particularly amusing. at the drum call to arms one morning, a thoroughly disguised man dashed in among them on horseback and in a very loud voice cried: "hurry to boston, the devil is to pay!" the troops were on the alert, however, and paid no attention to his cry. standing near "the lindens" in those days was a large oak tree, to which culprits were tied and flogged. this was known as the whipping-post. singularly enough a part of it was used for the sternpost of the frigate _essex_. in late september the british soldiers were withdrawn, and hooper was given back his summer home. still visible on the door is a large hole made by a musket ball which is said to have been fired to warn the tory owner. a more probable legend, however, is that the gate-posts were ornamented with large balls showing lead ornaments attached, and that one day a party of patriots who were going by to join the army spied the precious metal and helped themselves to it to melt for bullets. this aroused the wrath of the owner, who came to the door and remonstrated in such a violent way that one of the men lifted his rifle and fired close by his head, the bullet entering the door. the estate on which this house stands was originally a part of the governor endicott grant. it must be remembered that this grant covered one thousand acres. at the death of the governor in 1665, this land which was owned by him came into controversy, and the courts were called upon to settle definitely the boundary line. a part of this grant fell into the hands of one doctor amos putnam, familiarly known the country around as the good old doctor amos on account of his gentle manner and his extreme kindness to the poor. when he came into possession and how long he held it can never be definitely known, as there is no record of any deed passing until 1753, when we learn that the doctor and his good wife hannah transferred the property to doctor robert hooper of marblehead, or as much of it as that on which the house stands, the exact number of feet not being recorded. this was in consideration of â£186 13_s._ 4_d._ it is definitely known that the marblehead merchant added to his original purchase from the fact that in 1755, two years later, more land was bought. robert hooper, who erected this colonial mansion, though a man of lowly birth, was a wealthy merchant who lived in marblehead. he possessed great prudence and sagacity, so that he rose to be a man of power and for a period of years practically monopolized the fishing industry of marblehead. during his life there, he entertained in a most lavish way, rivalling colonel jeremiah lee, not only in grandeur of equipage but in liberality as well. his name of "king" was given to him by the fishermen on account of his integrity and his personal honesty in dealing with them. his ships sailed to almost every part of the civilized world, and his name became well known in every country. king hooper erected a beautiful residence in marblehead, one of the few elaborate mansions that still remain. it was a common sight in those days to see his magnificent equipages, drawn often by four prancing steeds, come dashing through salem on his way to danvers. the first record of the danvers house we find is in 1774. who the builders were will always remain a mystery, but one fact can never be challenged: that the work was done honestly and well, and that mcintire must have been connected with its wood-carving as is shown from the fine examples which are to be found in the interior. the house, as it now stands, is recognized as one of the best examples of provincial architecture in massachusetts, ranking in the same class with the famous john hancock house in boston, which was later torn down. the mansion, surrounded at the front by a stone wall, stands far back from the street. the entrance is by a wide, circular driveway enclosing a central grass plot of carefully shaven lawn, the decorative feature then as to-day being the magnificent elms that shaded the home. it received its name from the fact that lindens lined either side of the entrance drive. the grounds are extensive, mowing fields and grass land interspersed with fine old trees showing at the rear of the house. at the rear, also, is a fine old-fashioned garden carefully preserved, where appear the same kinds of flowers that blossomed in our grandmothers' day. the building itself is a stern, dignified, two-story house with a gambrel roof. this is surrounded with a curved balustrade similar to that found in the page house, as well as in many others of that period. at the front are four dormer windows, but the central feature is the high porch extending to the dentation in the roof and showing a pointed cap above. the corinthian column supporting it on either side is an example of fine hand-carving, while the white trim corresponds picturesquely with the gray of the exterior. the house is panelled on the outside and painted to represent a stone house, although in reality it is wood. the entrance door is unique, lacking the distinguishing porch that is found on so many colonial homes. it is framed with white instead. just how long the estate was owned by robert hooper will never be definitely known. we find that later judge benager collins lived there, thus giving the name of "collins house" to the mansion. subsequently francis peabody, one of salem's most noted citizens, occupied this residence as his summer home until his death, when it passed into the hands of his son. during the elder mr. peabody's residence, the place was restored to its former dignity. the grounds were materially improved, and the garden was changed back to its original design. within the walls of this house have been entertained some of the most notable men in the country. mr. peabody was a lavish entertainer, and many important events occurred during the time of his residence. one of the most frequent visitors at the house was the late j. pierpont morgan. [illustration: plate xvii.--hallway, "the lindens."] dignified and imposing as is the outside of the house, the interior is even more impressive. entering the sturdy door that swings back on its long strap hinges, one finds himself in a wide hall extending entirely through the house and opening on to the old-fashioned garden in the rear. this remarkable hall shows some of the most wonderful wood-carvings found in any colonial home. this is particularly noticeable in the balustrades, probably mcintire's work. the newel post and the balustrade are of mahogany, the former most elaborately carved. the walls are hung above the panelling with a rich old-time paper, depicting different scenes in the story of the adventures of telemachus. the furniture throughout the house is of either the colonial type or massive old carved english pieces brought over centuries ago, most of them heirlooms that have descended in the family for many generations. on the extreme right are the stairs, rising by low treads; on the wide landing is a window flanked by pilasters on either side. on this same landing stands a rare colonial chair associated with the witchcraft times. the upper hall, practically a replica of the lower one, is wide and ample in its dimensions. opening from the hallway at the right is the library, finished in mahogany and showing an oriental paper of the seventeenth century design. the mantel is one of mcintire's best, the central feature being a basket of flowers with festooned ornamentations on either side. here, as in every room of the house, we find massive pieces of english oak, richly carved cabinets and chairs. [illustration: plate xviii.--dining room, "the lindens"; chamber, "the lindens."] [illustration: plate xix.--drawing room, "the lindens"; library, "the lindens."] the drawing-room, also finished in mahogany, is perhaps the most elegant room in the house, with its fireplace of supporting pilasters rich in elaborate hand-carving. there is a dignity and charm that surrounds every room in this house, telling of the days when honest labor gave thorough workmanship. all through this mansion the woodwork is particularly impressive in its richness and careful finish of hand-carving. the dining-room, a large room in the rear of the house, is in close harmony with the other apartments, the most notable feature here being the strap hinges of wrought brass. these show most unusual ornamentations, which differ from those on the entrance floor. here the trim is painted white and gives a most effective background to the brass hinge. on every door is a ponderous brass lock of elaborate design. few houses, even among the most famous found in this vicinity, can boast of more wonderful furniture and such a wealth of old-time wall-paper. [illustration: plate xx.--chambers in "the lindens."] no two chambers are alike. many of the fireplaces are particularly fine, as mcintire has taken special pains to give good samples of his work. the fireplace motive all through the house seemingly runs to baskets of flowers. in the days of commercial prosperity, the peabody family was among the most prominent of the salem merchants. on the walls of "the lindens" are many paintings of ships that were at one time in the service of the peabodys. the house to-day is owned by the son of the late francis peabody, who has kept it in perfect preservation and intact as in his father's day. little wonder that romance clings about the place, leading one to tread reverently through the different rooms, where, during the colonial period, both american and english history were made. chapter v the rogers house there was built in peabody, massachusetts, in the early part of the nineteenth century, one of the most magnificent colonial homes of the period. it still stands, a large, pretentious, two-storied house, known as "oak hill" and the summer residence of mrs. jacob c. rogers. the house itself is in the center of well laid out grounds, being placed far back from the road and showing at the front a wide stretch of lawn interspersed with trees, one of which, a purple beech, is among the tallest and largest in new england. [illustration: plate xxi.--the rogers house, peabody, mass.] the avenue which starts between stone gate-posts shows a wide gravelled road lined on either side by magnificent trees, many of which were planted at the time of the house building. at the left, standing by itself, is a wonderful oak, notable for its symmetry and its height. it is from this tree that the house derives its name "oak hill." the grounds at the rear of the house show a garden that covers three acres, the garden proper being geometrically laid out with a fountain in the center and a sun-dial at the end. back of it all are arches of woodbine that make a most effective setting for the floral display, while catalpa trees, weeping mulberry, and other varieties are found scattered through the estate. at the left one comes upon the most wonderful feature of the place. it is a large lotus pond, where during the season are found many varieties of the egyptian lotus, there being sometimes one hundred of these marvellous blossoms open at once. just back of the house is a lily pond, which is laid out in a decorative manner. it shows many varieties, including the cape cod lily, the blue, the pink, and the white. the grounds cover an area of two hundred acres, which are laid out at the front and sides in lawns resembling those of england. the rear gives a background of flowers, while beyond sweep to the boundary line extensive grain fields and vegetable gardens. entrance to the grounds is through carved gateways, the boundary being a well built wall of stone. in the early days these grounds belonged to nathaniel west, who was a very noted merchant and the owner of the ship _minerva_, the first of the salem vessels that circumnavigated the globe. nathan west married elizabeth derby, one of the daughters of elias hasket derby, familiarly known as king derby and who was one of the three merchant princes that led the commerce in salem. the house, which at the time of its building was one of the most notable ever erected, was designed by a celebrated english architect and is a type of the adams period. originally it was much larger than it is now, for at the death of mrs. west two portions of the house were detached and moved away to meet present-day requirements. the parts taken were so large that one of them to-day forms a private residence on chestnut street in salem. the rogers house is colonial in design. it is two stories in height and was built at the time when wood-carving had reached the highest degree of excellence in the historic city by the sea, and when skilled workmen had been attracted there from every part of the land. doubtless many of them were employed by samuel mcintire on this house which contains some of his most wonderful work. these men, with the native ingenuity and wonderful skill in the handling of tools, took great pains to execute in wood what many of the master architects across the sea were doing in stone, more particularly as regards decorative molding. in studying the work on this house, one cannot too carefully take into consideration the tools which these men had to use, and the precision with which the fine scale detail is carefully thought out, making these workmen compare favorably with those of to-day. [illustration: plate xxii.--doorway, rogers house.] the house where so much fine woodwork is shown is painted white, with green blinds, and is an exceptionally good example of what the century-old architecture in and around salem stands for, possessing character, dignity, and grace such as is seldom found. this is particularly exemplified in the front doorway, the porch being perfectly balanced, its well proportioned fanlights and sidelights giving it rare dignity and refinement. ornamentation in the balcony shows mcintire's work in baskets of flowers picturesquely carved, while the steps are flanked with marble vases filled with geraniums, the bright blossoms giving just the right touch of color to bring out the white of the house. the flooring of the porch is tiled, and the hallway is most imposing, the stairway being lined with pictures of the old masters, including van dykes, and salvator rosas, oliver cromwell proroguing the long parliament, diogenes with his lantern hunting for an honest man, and many others. the dado here is most unusual, being fabric painted red, while the hand-painted landscape decorations show a section of the classic zuber wall-paper. the front entrance displays on the inside a well planned elliptical arch over the door, with a frieze motif of reeded sections between applied rosettes tied into the cornice, the charming pattern in these sashes being brought about by iron bent against the glass. in most houses of this period, as in this, the elliptical arch of the fanlight is echoed elsewhere in the house. the staircase cannot fail to attract notice, with its twisted newel post and balusters and the molded mahogany railing. the box stairs with panelled ends show decorative brackets. it is interesting to note the twisted portion of the three balusters on each stair, each differing, although the tops and bottoms are alike. the newel, hand-carved and turned, is a specially good specimen of its type, and with the balusters, which are also hand-carved and turned, represent a direct development of the shipbuilding industry in their likeness to the rope moldings of the ship cabins, so much used in those days. in this hallway the door caps are placed above the lintel, showing no supporting pilasters. they represent different designs of mcintire, in some cases showing baskets, in some flowers, and in others garlands. [illustration: plate xxiii.--parlor, rogers house; drawing room, rogers house.] the entire house is finished in white pine, a wood that is rather rare to-day but which shows lasting qualities. this is particularly noticeable in the drawing-room, which lies at the right of the hallway. over the fireplace is a wonderful old painting representing saturday night. this is almost priceless in value, and shows a european peasant scene where little children are gathered around their grandmother for a good night parting. the woodwork of this room is painted a soft brown, the carving on the mantelpiece showing neptune with sheaves of wheat, and the whole is supported by ionic columns. the center of the room at the rear is arched, showing wonderful carving, molded pilasters giving an effect that is fine and distinctive. here we find, as through all the house, the marked individuality of the adams period. inside this arch is a background of rich, dark red leather, on which are fastened wonderful old plates, many of them brought over by the ancestors of the owner, and without duplicates in this country. these plates are arranged to form a most artistic archway. most of the prints on the wall are from sir joshua reynolds' paintings. upon the chimneypieces, not only in this room but also in the several others, it would seem as if mcintire had put his best work. they appear to stand out with exceptional grace and dignity, with charm of line and proportion. here we find applied work of the most delicate nature and hand-carving that is exquisite in detail, adorning not only the moldings of cornice or frieze, but re-echoed in the pilasters of the over-mantel. the architrave of the mantelboard proper and its frieze, the capitals of the colonnettes, the edge of the shelf, and the molding that surrounds the panel over the chimney-breast, are masterpieces in bas-relief. the architectural treatment in this room convinces one of the great possibilities that lie in the white wood finish and how appropriate it is as a background for the rare pieces of old furniture that were used in our forefathers' day. the living-room on the opposite side of the hall furnishes a most satisfactory tone for mahogany furniture in its white wood finish, there being a somber richness in the combination of the mahogany and white that is most harmonious. for instances of that, we have only to go back to our great-grandfathers' time, for a white finish was a popular fad in colonial days. over the mantel in this room is "sunday morning," a choice picture that is worthy of its setting. the casings of doorways which are often elaborated by the addition of a beautiful cornice and frieze, are further examples of mcintire's wonderful skill. sometimes the cornice includes wonderful hand-carved molding showing between the dentiles fine spears which are supported by pilasters on each side. there are dainty grapevines and superbly modelled fruit baskets, while the door-cap frieze often shows dainty festoons and straight hanging garlands, with rosettes between. in the pilasters we find carved eagles and fruit-filled urns. while most of these decorations are carved in wood, some of them are made in french putty and applied to the surface of the wood with glue. this idea is being carried out to-day by our leading decorators. the morning-room is at the rear of the living-room, a large, handsome apartment opening on to the wide veranda, which is a feature of one side and approached by broad steps. the dining-room leads off the morning-room and is finished in english oak. the entire house, more especially in its interior decoration, is considered by architects all over the country to be one of the finest examples of colonial architecture that was built during the period of salem's prosperity. the furniture follows also the same period. rarely in any private home does one find such a gathering of rare pieces of the three masters: hepplewhite, sheraton, and chippendale. most of these pieces, in fact practically all, are heirlooms which have descended directly from generation to generation, for this family has the distinction of being one of the oldest connected with salem's early history. it is fitting that mcintire should have put his best work into a house like this, where one finds no plain spaces, no wide panels without decoration, and no simple pilasters, for there is a dignity and a charm both in exterior and interior bespeaking not only wealth but good taste. while the house does not contain as much old-time paper as do many of the residences of that day, yet the pieces that are shown are exceptional and comprise subjects such as one can seldom find. it is refreshing to find such a house as this, where great taste has been shown in the selection of furnishings, and where there is so much harmony in surroundings. chapter vi the colonel jeremiah lee house of the many noted colonial houses found in new england, one of the most distinguished is the colonel jeremiah lee house situated on washington street, in the picturesque old town of marblehead, massachusetts. the quaintness of marblehead, situated on a rocky peninsula, is world renowned; and its name heads the list of patriotic towns in new england, for from its rugged shores went forth a larger majority of soldiers than from any other place of its size in our country. [illustration: plate xxiv.--the lee mansion, marblehead, mass.] the celebrated lee mansion, erected in 1768, is of the purest colonial type, and was the most costly residence ever built in this seaport town. many traditions relate that the timber and the finish were brought over in one of the colonel's trading ships as ballast. however that may be, the material used was pine, such as was known in the old days as pumpkin pine. the trees of that species sometimes allow for boards four feet in width, and the fact that boards of this width are found in the lee mansion is claimed by many to refute the idea of english wood, as the pines in the old country did not produce boards of such width when jeremiah lee commenced to build. standing back from the street behind a granite curb and iron paling is the old mansion, its dimensions being sixty-four feet by forty-six feet, and containing fifteen large rooms. the exterior was built of brick, over which were placed huge, bevelled, wooden clapboards, more than two feet in width, and one and a half in height. from a distance the observer might mistake the gray of the exterior for stone, as the block style of construction was employed, the wooden cube being painted and sanded to resemble dark gray rock. [illustration: plate xxv.--porch, lee mansion.] this gray wooden building, with its two wide-girthed chimneys pushing up from the red roof, has the same appearance as in the days when the first housewarming took place, in 1768. the handsome porch and the gray cupola are distinguishing features, and from the former in the olden days the colonel swept the seas with his spy-glass to watch for incoming ships just as sea captains do to-day. in the early part of the eighteenth century jeremiah lee came to this country and settled at manchester-by-the-sea. the little that can be learned of him shows him to have been a keen trader, who took care to make his savings increase his income. in 1760 we find him living in marblehead, prominent in town affairs and serving on important committees, being one of the board of fire-wards in the first fire department of the town. he was also one of the building committee that had charge of the construction of the powder house erected about that time. originally lee was a loyalist, but he later became a patriot and was foremost in all the movements that kindled the spirit of independence in the colonists. before the struggle had fairly commenced, his career was cut short by an early death; otherwise he would have been as well known to posterity as was his intimate friend and fellow-townsman, elbridge gerry. as a member of the province committee of safety and supplies, which held a meeting on april 18, 1775, at weatherby's black horse tavern, situated on the highway between concord and lexington, he was among the number who decided to spend the night at the tavern rather than to go on to lexington. the advance guard of the british troops was sighted in the early morning, and the colonel and his friends hastily dressed and escaped by a rear door, the colonel thereby contracting a cold from which he died. during lee's life in marblehead he entertained royally in this mansion, which was erected at a cost of ten thousand pounds. within a few steps of this mansion there was also a cooking-house, the same building being used to shelter the carriages of the family. originally the large brick building now used for the store was made his slaves' quarters. not long ago was found inside the house a small brass button, bearing the coat of arms of the lee family, which was doubtless once worn on the livery of one of his slaves. in the flagging that leads to the side door has lately been uncovered a central stone bearing the date of the erection of the house. [illustration: plate xxvi.--two views of the hallway, lee mansion.] as the ponderous front door swings open, one enters a grandly spaced hall, wainscoted waist high in solid mahogany. at the right is a deeply recessed window, and a door on either side of the hall leads into rooms beyond. above the casing of these entrances runs the classic egg and tongue molding. the feature of the hallway is the wall-paper. this represents scenes of grecian ruins, such as shattered columns, temples, landscapes, coats of mail, each set in a separate panel, handsomely carved. it is finished in soft tones of gray, beautifully blended, doubtless the highest development of early decorative art. [illustration: plate xxvii.--wallpapers, lee mansion.] at the rear of the hall, ascends the grand staircase, with boxed stairs spacious enough for several people to walk abreast. it is quite likely that the stair rail was made on the other side of the water. the finely turned balusters of regularly varying style, together with the exquisitely wrought carvings and delicate panels running along the side of the staircase, are expressive of the taste and skill which went into its building. a great, arched window, which floods the hall with light, is inserted at the landing, and is flanked by several pilasters, which seem to support the high ceiling encircled with heavily dentated corners, and heighten the effect of grandeur. from this lofty window the broad hall is lighted. [illustration: plate xxviii.--wood carving, lee mansion.] in this hallway at the time of lafayette's visit to the house, the banquet tables were set. the ever-loyal ladies of marblehead sent for the entertainment some of their choicest belongings: table-cloths of wonderful damask brought from over the seas, rare old silver, and choice english glass. at the right of the hallway is the drawing-room in white and gray. two corinthian pilasters flank the fireplace, rising to the molding and following the line of the wall. the whole chimneyside of this room was panelled in huge white slabs. this was the living-room of the house, and here were doubtless entertained the members of the secret council. [illustration: plate xxix.--banquet hall, lee mansion; fireplace, lee mansion.] on the opposite side of the hallway is the dining-room, which was known as the banquet hall. here washington was entertained, also monroe and jackson. this room shows a huge open fireplace and a richly carved mantel. so carefully have the chimneypieces been wrought, that there are no two alike in the large house. the tiles in many of the fireplaces are fascinating. we find some quaint and humorous, while others are sentimental. there is the wide-skirted shepherdess climbing the stile with the aid of the swain, a sailor taking leave of his lass, a ship lying in the offing, nymphs and shepherdesses piping and playing. these tiles of blue and pale pink afford a study of interesting pictures to the lover of the antique. in the former days scriptural texts and marble tablets were placed over the mantel in one of the chambers. one of these, a representation of susannah and the elders, was purchased from the family and is now found in the independence hall in philadelphia. great care as to detail has been exercised in the finish of every room. notwithstanding the talk of secret stairways and mysterious trap-doors, there is nothing at all uncanny about the place, which was built for comfort and good living. it is easy to be carried back in imagination to the days when colonel lee and mistress martha, noted for their open-handed hospitality, dwelt in this mansion. its great rooms echoed with the laughter of the gallants of the day, who in short clothes, silver buckles, and laces, made love to the stately dames in trailing gowns and powdered hair and danced in the state chamber over the parlor, used then as a dance hall. in this house the venerable marquis de lafayette accepted the hospitality of the lees, when he came to america in 1824 at the invitation of congress, accompanied by his son, george washington lafayette. it was during this visit that he danced a minuet in the great southwest room. an old letter, discovered recently by miss dixie, of marblehead, discloses the fact that her mother led the dance with the gallant frenchman. this room is panelled in wood of dark finish, with exquisite designs over the fireplace, where a shelf on consoles shows over it an ornate panel made from a single board and exquisitely carved. on the opposite side of the room is the large apartment which was originally used as a chamber, probably by colonel lee. here the pictures all relate to the sea,--one of them depicting neptune and another a fish. [illustration: plate xxx.--chamber, lee mansion; four-poster, lee mansion.] the lee mansion, like many of the marblehead houses, stands with one foot on the land and the other almost on the water, bespeaking the maritime side of the community. within the house, the arrangement of rooms and passages suggests the troublous times in the years just before the revolution. a secret stairway connects two of the upper rooms, while the front hall shows a trap-door which led to the cellar. this doubtless gave rise to stories of intrigue but probably was concerned only with the contents of the cellar. a small cupboard door, leading apparently into a clothes-press, gave access to a narrow secret stair leading to a bedchamber above. a smaller panel, sounding hollow, was discovered to have a pair of hinges. on being opened, this revealed an iron safe with double doors, buried in the brick work of the chimney. doubtless it was the private safe of colonel lee, for according to tradition there was always plenty of money in the house. in the early days an effort was once made to surprise the bank of which lee was an official. a party of men came into town after the closing hour, and meeting the genial colonel, explained that they had come to collect money on a note. without a moment's hesitation, they were escorted to the lee mansion, where the entire sum, which was an unusually large one, was paid by him in gold. this story has been vouched for by one of the earliest inhabitants of the historic town, and the finding of the safe discounts the idea of the secret closet being used for any other purpose. in the upper floor are plainly found marks of sliding panels to mask a retreat by secret floors and false walls to reach the garret. the kitchen fireplace has been a recent discovery. when the house was restored, the fireplace was a practical but shallow affair, not showing the generous depths found in many houses of that day. in the process of repairs it was discovered that this was a false fireplace, back of which two feet more were found, and behind them the deep oven that had not been used for cooking since massachusetts bay was a royal colony. this kitchen fireplace is believed to be in what was used as the family dining-room, for doubtless the cooking was done in the slave quarters, much as in the southern homes, the food being brought into the house through a covered passageway. in the early days, a little after the building of the house, there was a great demand for lead to make bullets for the continental army. it has been discovered that in the upper casements of the house, in rooms which were rarely occupied, the lead weights are wanting. this leads one to believe that the old tradition of their being melted during the time of the revolution for ammunition may be true. in the attic is a mark which shows the house to have been built by english architects. this is an inside dormer window used in those days by architects in the motherland for ventilation. this idea is rarely if ever carried out in a house where the architects or master builders are of this country. on the death of colonel lee, the house was occupied by his widow, who continued to extend hospitality to the townspeople and visitors from other places, much as during her husband's lifetime. at her death the estate passed into the hands of her son, and afterwards was owned and occupied by judge samuel sewall. a grand old landmark this colonial mansion makes, and even now the old sea captains climb to the gray cupola to scan the horizon for incoming ships, much as they did in the days of long ago. chapter vii the ladd-gilman house closely linked with romance and history is the ladd-gilman house, one of the notable colonial houses at exeter, new hampshire. this mansion was not always of its present dimensions. when built by nathaniel ladd in 1721 it was of brick and about half the size of the present structure. it is situated on a large area of land, with a frontage on water street, on a part of the original lot that was purchased of oliphalet coffin in the year above mentioned. for many years this estate was held in the possession of the ladd family, descending from father to son until 1747, when it was purchased by colonel nathaniel gilman, a leading citizen of the place and a man of influence. gilman came from a family which had been prominent in the town for many years. [illustration: plate xxxi.--ladd-gilman house, exeter, n. h.] here in 1752 his son, colonel nicholas gilman, then only twenty-one years of age, brought his bride, anne taylor, a very beautiful young woman who had descended from puritan ancestors and who was very popular with the patriots of that day. during their residency the house, considered at that period one of the best in exeter, was enlarged to its present size, and the exterior was entirely covered with wood to correspond with the additions. colonel gilman was distinguished as one of a quartet who furnished brains for the old granite state, being known as the robert morris of the province and possessing not only influence but wealth and ability. he was a close friend of governor wentworth who, with his son, was a frequent visitor at the house; so sincere was their intimacy that when colonel gilman sided with the colonists governor wentworth declared that instead of making a rupture in their friendship, if the rebellion were crushed, he should save his friend. this great intimacy was also shared with count rumford. it was in 1775, several years after the house was enlarged, that gilman was made treasurer and receiver-general of the state, in which office he stayed until his death in 1783. the treasury building was a room in his own house. this may in a way account for there being two entrance doors, one for family guests and the other for business purposes. the house has never been altered, with the exception of the introduction of modern improvements, since the day that it was enlarged. it is a fine, substantial building, two and a half stories in height, showing dormer windows and a six-foot chimney. the huge fireplaces are still kept intact, few if any showing hand-carving. the porches are dignified but ample in their lines of architecture, and the entire exterior shows an unusual type. the room nearest the entrance door at the extreme left was used as a treasury, for in addition to the office of state treasurer, colonel gilman held the position of continental loan officer of the state, all the money being received here. in this same room the committee of safety used to meet, and it was here that the battle of bennington was discussed and planned. gilman was a great friend of daniel webster, who never came to exeter without passing the principal part of his time in this house, the bed in which he slept being still shown in one of the large continental chambers. the house was noted for its hospitality, a home where many gatherings, both for charity and pleasure, were held. the mistress of the household was a famous new england housekeeper, who possessed the whole art of housekeeping at her fingers' end. beautiful as a young bride, she was even more so in after years. her trim figure became rounded out, while her dark eyes and fresh, rich color preserved their brightness. colonel gilman was a striking figure, six feet tall, with an erect carriage. he wore until the day of his death a ruffled shirt-front and a cue. it was during his occupancy that the declaration of independence was passed. the legislature had not adjourned when the message came, and the president, who was in waiting, decided the documents must be publicly read. the news spread like lightning; the farmer eager to hear all dropped his scythe in the swath, the mechanic rushed from his shop, while the housewife forsook her spinning-wheel, all meeting in a general enthusiasm to hear the words that gave them freedom and a country. the document was brought into exeter by a courier, who dashed suddenly into the village, bearing in his hand a letter addressed to the convention of new hampshire and signed by no less a personage than john hancock. on, on, he rode, until he reached the gilman house and delivered it into the hands of the host. it was read in the village square amid intense enthusiasm by his son, john taylor gilman, who was also destined to play an important part in our country's history. john taylor gilman was then just out of his teens. he was a handsome man with magnetic power and an idol of the people. no one in the whole audience was more thrilled than was the father of the reader, who, filled with ardor, paused often to crush down the rush of sentiment that overmastered speech. colonel gilman was distinguished as one of those who financed the revolution, and his son succeeded him in this service. after colonel gilman's death, in 1783, the house was left to john taylor gilman, who inherited his father's love for political power. he, like his sire, was a most comely man, just entering into manhood when he married dorothea folsom, a great-granddaughter of the noted revolutionary hero. she was only twenty-one years old when she married, being one of the belles of the village and a most estimable young lady. for sixty years she directed the affairs of her household in a most exemplary manner and was the personification of hospitality. directly after their marriage, the young husband, then only twenty-two years of age, gathered a company together and marched for cambridge, where he was encamped for a short time only. later on he acted as commissary to supply the three regiments of the state at cambridge, for he was considered too important a person to be allowed to take a place in the field. in 1779 he was elected a member of the new hampshire legislature and was called in 1780 as the only delegate to attend the gathering which was to take place at hartford, connecticut. those were the days when there was no money or credit in the treasury, so that he was forced to take the journey on horseback. he was absent six weeks, paying his own expenses everywhere out of his personal income. so popular did he become that he was elected to congress in 1782, being one of the youngest and most popular members. later on he became treasurer of state, succeeding his father in this work. he was made governor of new hampshire, which office he held for fourteen consecutive years and later on accepted the nomination for two years more. in 1816 he declined the election, giving as an excuse that he preferred to spend his remaining days in quietness. this governor gilman was a portly man, weighing two hundred pounds and standing six feet in his stockings. he was a dignified old gentleman, preserving his vigor to the very end. while the latter part of his life was spent in renewing social relations with his friends, the memories of the past were always with him, and he was never so happy as when he recalled the days of washington, who was a personal friend. strong and original in intellect, few men were able to foresee as he did the future of his country. it is said that the night before his death he was brought downstairs by a faithful old negro retainer to spend his last evening with his family. he had a clear realization that his time was drawing near, and he gave full instructions to his family concerning his burial and the manner in which they should cherish his memory. he requested particularly that no one should wear mourning for him--"spend upon the living, not the dead," he said. after a short time he was reminded that he was getting very tired, and he left the room remarking: "i have no disposition to leave this precious circle. i love to be here surrounded by my family and my friends." he commended them to god, saying: "i am ready to go and i wish you all good night." the brothers of this noted man also held positions in state affairs and in the militia. his brother nicholas at one time lived in this house. he occupied the position of lieutenant, captain, adjutant, and adjutant-general in the revolution, being also a member of congress. he took his seat in the united states senate on march 3, 1797, and came out in views a solid federal. governor john taylor gilman, who succeeded his father, colonel nicholas, had eleven children, many of whom were married in the state room of this house, which is so closely connected with the political events of the revolution and where so many distinguished guests have been entertained. the gilmans were one of the most distinguished families in exeter, coming up from massachusetts to join reverend john wheelwright's little colony. their enterprise, energy, and thrift made them natural leaders in the community. if there was a meeting-house to be erected, there was always a gilman on the committee. should there be a military company to be enlisted, there would always be a man of that name in the ranks. when the commissioners, seven in number, distributed the common lands in 1739, there were four of this family among the band. little wonder then that their name is allied with the principal events of history. [illustration: plate xxxii.--parlor, ladd-gilman house.] [illustration: plate xxxiii.--living room, ladd-gilman house; robert treat room, ladd-gilman house.] the hallway of this home is found to be a small and unpretentious one, with a winding flight of stairs at one side that leads to the second-story floor. at the left of the side entrance is the treasury room, where, during the lifetime of gilman, important meetings were held and state secrets were often discussed. the furniture from this room has long since been gone, but the white pine walls with their coat of paint are still as fresh as they were the day they were built. the huge fireplace without tiles bespeaks plainly the days of prosperity. at the right of the hallway is a large, square room that was used in the olden times as a dining-room. there are no secret closets in this house, with the exception of a sliding panel in the grill room, which when lifted gives access to the wine closet below. beyond that is the old kitchen, which is now used as a dining-room. it still shows the old brick oven, where during governor gilman's occupancy the baking was done, and also the dutch oven, where the meat was roasted in the governor's day. on the mantel over the old fireplace are displayed some fine bits of old pewter, while the windows of this house still retain the small panes. the room at the right of the family entrance is known as the state room. it is a dignified room, large enough to have held easily the notable assemblages that must have met there during his occupancy. the fireplace has no mantel, but a wide panelling, such as is found only in houses of that period. the only ornamentations are the elaborate columns that define the fireplace and panelling. the room is finished in wood panels. the huge beams have been cased in, and the windows with their wooden shutters remain as they were first built. the furnishing is all of the colonial period, showing slat-back chairs and cane-seated ones. a feature of this room is the wonderful old mirror, one of the largest ever made and so tall that an opening had to be made in the ceiling, that it might be set up. it is a room typical of the period and shows woodwork that has never been replaced. the andirons are painted in brilliant colors, showing the hessian soldiers,--a kind that were in use directly after the revolution. [illustration: plate xxxiv.--ladd-gilman house; prison, ladd-gilman house.] the chambers have each an old four-poster, while their fireplaces are unlike many of that period, being finished in stone instead of wood. in the middle chamber is a fine example of a field bed, which was used by daniel webster. in this room also is a queer little mahogany piece that, when the cover is lifted, shows a foot-bath that was taken by governor gilman to washington during his term of service there. in addition to this there is a quaint little trunk of leather, which was used by the governor to transport his belongings to and fro,--not a very elaborate wardrobe if it all went into the one trunk. the middle chamber, as this is familiarly known, has also one of the old fireplaces without a mantel. every room in the house shows the wide-beamed ceilings that came into use about that period. probably the most interesting room is a small one at one side which was used as a prisoner's room. here the windows are very small and were formerly barred over. in this room the poor debtors were kept until released by their friends. in the capacity of treasurer of state, colonel gilman had his office in the house, and here he affixed his signature to the paper bills of credit to which the state and country were obliged to resort in order to carry on the war. it was a duty, however, that still permitted him to devote part of his time to military service, holding the position of colonel of the fourth regiment of militia and aiding in the capture of general burgoyne. within the walls of this mansion were born his children, three of whom became conspicuous in the history of the state. john taylor gilman, who succeeded his father, held many offices of trust and in 1814, at the alarm of portsmouth, he took personal command of a large detachment of militia stationed by his order in that vicinity. nicholas gilman, jr., who resided in the house until the age of twenty-one, became senior deputy adjutant-general of the continental army on the staff of general washington and participated in all the important battles and campaigns in which, under washington, the army engaged. in 1787 captain nicholas gilman and john langdon were chosen delegates to the federal convention of states, which assembled at philadelphia and framed and adopted the constitution, the delegates signing in the order of states. the signatures of langdon and gilman followed immediately after that of general washington, as president of the convention. gilman was one of the youngest members of that body, that combined patriotism, experience, and character. the third son, colonel nathaniel gilman, succeeded his father colonel nicholas gilman, sr., in the treasury department--the continental loan office--as early as 1783. from 1818 to 1824 the mansion was occupied by captain nathaniel gilman, son of colonel nathaniel gilman and grandson of colonel nicholas gilman, sr. the house itself is in an excellent state of preservation. the partially panelled walls, the quaint windows with wide sills, the large and cheerful fireplaces in which the original dogs still do duty, belong distinctively to colonial days. the small, high windows fitted with wooden shutters show the great thickness of the house wall, and the whole surroundings impress one with solidity and comfort. chapter viii the adams house one of the first settlers at newbury, massachusetts, was one henry sewall, who came over from england in 1634, bringing with him cattle, servants, and provisions. he was allotted six hundred acres of upland and marsh land at newbury, according to agreement made before he left his native country. this land bordered the river parker, near what is now known as byfield proper, a fertile, woodland country with rolling hills and rich land. he married jane dummer, settling later on the grant of land that had been apportioned to him for the first stock farm in america. near the foot of the hill, at the parting of four roads, was a lot of land that he bequeathed to his wife, with ten pounds yearly. the grant of land later on was divided into several house lots, one of which was the home of william longfellow, the emigrant ancestor of the longfellow family in america, who married anne sewall. this shows the connection through marriage of the prominent families who settled in this region. captain abraham adams was born in newbury, may 2, 1676. he followed the sea in early life, sailing first to the west indies, and soon rose to the command of a vessel, making fourteen trips to england, besides many coastwise trading voyages. in 1703 he married anne longfellow. she was a niece of judge samuel sewall, and lived on the part of the old sewall grant then known as "highfield," which name was given to the estate that abraham adams' father gave to him at the time of his marriage, although the deed was not passed until two years afterwards. upon this land captain adams built his mansion, an unpretentious house following the lines of that period. it stood in the midst of the tract which at that time was much larger than it is to-day, although even now it is still possible to walk a mile in a straight line from the homestead on ancestral ground covered with heavy timber and showing broad meadows. stone walls were not then built to define boundaries, and the highway was a mere bridle-path running by the door and on between the houses of henry sewall and william longfellow to the ford over the brook, at that time a considerable stream. the captain, who took kindly to farming, greatly improved the land, and on the grant are still found small apple-trees that grew from those set out by him in 1706. the seeds for these trees were brought by captain adams when he returned from one of his voyages. tradition relates that while bringing them from the ship his oxen stopped in the ford at cart creek, and the captain, in a discouraged mood said: "i would rather dump the seeds in this cart into the creek than to put them in the ground." he changed his mind, however, and became a very successful farmer. after captain adams' marriage to anne longfellow, he promised to give up his life on the sea and devote his time to farming. whether with this he made a mental reservation is not known, but in his shipyard half a mile away he afterwards built several vessels and engaged in a coasting-trade. unlike the other farmers of the day, the products of his farm were carried to new orleans and other ports and bartered for rice and molasses. the old shipyard can still be seen, but the vessels have long ago disappeared. the narrow river winding to the sea shows little space for shipping, and even in its most prosperous days it was necessary to launch the rudely built ships sidewise. [illustration: plate xxxv.--the adams house, newbury, massachusetts.] the old house is still standing. some of the original shingles and clapboards, covering a solid wall of home-made bricks, are still in a good state of preservation, especially on the west end. the innovation of a modern porch has added to rather than detracted from the pleasing appearance of the house. the diamond paned windows that were imported from england have been removed. inside, the smoothly finished beams, the great fireplaces with panelled sides, the heavy doors, the broad, low steps, the fine woodwork in staircase and mantel, all speak of former pride and prosperity. many an ancient legend is related concerning this old dwelling. under the attic eaves is still shown a bunk known as booth's bin, on account of an indian slave by that name who for many years slept in it. many years ago david adams, while on a visit to deny, new hampshire, took with him a slave who became suddenly ill. no regular physician could be secured who was willing to attend him, so a cow doctor was called. he advised a hot bath. as nothing could be found large enough for the bath, an old dug-out was dragged up from the river, pitched, and filled with boiling water, into which the negro was unceremoniously thrust but escaped with his life. during a fire that occurred in this house sometime during the residence of abraham adams, this slave wished to aid in putting it out, he rushed up over the stairs to cut a hole in the roof with a hatchet. the hatchet was dull and the roof was high, so he battered it with his head until a hole was made. somewhere on the bridle-path that led to the house in the early days of its occupancy there lived for a time a little band of twenty-five indians, many of whom died there. one beautiful day in the early spring mother anne sauntered down the lane and strolled across the fields, as was her custom, to sit down outside the wigwam and chat with the old squaw. she was all alone, as quanto, the brave, was absent attending to work around the place. soon the old squaw stirred up the blaze of the camp-fire and set the kettle on to boil, making ready for the return of her husband for the midday meal. she put in beef and turnips, for it was before the days of potatoes. the smell of the savory stew was most appetizing, and mother anne, who had been often urged to partake of the indian hospitality, decided this time to accept. suddenly a slight rustle in the branches caused her to turn her head, and there by her side stood the brave, quanto, who had come out silently from the shadows. his blankets were cast aside, and twined around his arm and shoulder was a big black snake which he held by its head. with the characteristic grunt of the indian he saluted his guest, then stepping quickly forward, he removed the cover of the kettle with his left hand and with his right threw the writhing snake into the stew. needless to say, mother anne's important household duties called her home before the meal was ready. when the house was first built, the land was covered with forests which were afterwards felled. since then many generations have ploughed and sowed the fields which, with incredible toil, were wrested from the wilderness. six ponderous oxen and a pair of steers were attached to a massive wooden plough, on which rode a man and boy; the stronger of the two held the plough upright. thus were the sods turned and the fields prepared. the labor of mother anne in those days was as arduous as was that of captain abraham. at the east side of the house, close by the old well, stood the leach-tub holding one hundred gallons. here lye was made to be used in working the flax. soap-making followed the cattle-killing in the early spring, for butcher and baker did not come near the house at that period. from the apple trees cider was made, forty barrels being put in for a yearly allowance, for it was drunk much as tea and coffee are to-day. the indians naturally craved some of this drink. one of them, after being repeatedly refused, came with a basket filled with gifts from the woods and asked slyly if "him captain" would fill it with cider in return. so persistent was he that the captain told him yes. the indian answered: "him, captain, wait a little!" quick as a flash, attaching the basket to the rope, he swung it down the well. after several dippings it froze, making an excellent receptacle in which to carry the cider home. captain adams was a very prominent man. he had two sons, twins, who both were sent through harvard. there was a daughter, anne. all three of these were very religious, for we read that the twins established the lynnfield church and also the old south in newburyport, while the daughter anne, with her husband, established the first baptist church in new hampshire. jacob, another son, started the first seminary for girls in america, called the adams female seminary, one of its teachers being mary lyon, the founder of mount holyoke college. samuel adams was the same type of man as his father and succeeded to the homestead. he had five sons, the eldest of whom was blind, and with four of these sons he fought through the long war of the revolution. from this old doorway loving wives looked anxiously for the return of their husbands and sons from the wars. singularly enough, although five generations of adams' went to war, and the heads of the families wore side-arms, no trace of them is found in the household, with the exception of one sword that did duty at bunker hill. what they did with their arms was never known, but if they were melted into ploughshares, the work must have been done quickly. after the death of abraham, the house was left to samuel, his son, in consideration of one pound and the love and affection borne him; after his death it went to samuel's son, captain stevens, born in 1760. captain stevens, so the legend runs, was a very tall man, standing six feet four inches in his stockings at the time of his enlistment in the continental army when sixteen years of age. still kept in the house are his spectacles which were made to order from silver dollars which he had saved. his desk still stands in the living-room and was bought with money paid him as a soldier. it cost forty dollars even at that period. [illustration: plate xxxvi.--parlor, adams house; living room, adams house.] entrance to the house is through a colonial porch that gives into a small hallway. at the left is a large, square room that is used as a living room. in one corner is the old desk in which is the original deed of the house, signed by samuel sewall and hannah sewall. the dwelling is a treasure-house of old colonial furniture, many of the pieces having been originally in the old longfellow house. one of the most interesting of these is a fine example of banister chair, the one that was brought by anne longfellow across the fields to the adams house when she came there a bride. on the opposite side of the house is a second large, square room, also filled with heirlooms, among which is a fine example of an 1800 mirror of the picturesque type showing "dawn." this was also brought by the longfellow bride. the fireplace in this house is the original one around which the adams father and son gathered the night before the battle of bunker hill, to mold bullets that would be used on that occasion. [illustration: plate xxxvii.--dining room, adams house.] back of this room, which is used for a parlor, is a dining-room with an old desk secretary, of 1800, showing the ball and eagle ornamentation. here also is another large old fireplace, for the interior of the house has been unchanged since it was built by abraham adams, in 1676. the house has descended in a direct, unbroken line, and has been handed down from sire to son for the consideration of one dollar. it is one of the most charming of country-seats, enriched by history, and retaining still all the atmosphere of the old colonial homestead. chapter ix the spencer-pierce house an unusually picturesque location has the spencer-pierce house at newbury, massachusetts, which stands at the end of a long, grassy lane, leading off from the main road not far above the old town church. the house itself is unique and forms a fascinating study for architects in its fine state of preservation, its beauty enhanced by overhanging vines. old houses are like open books, disclosing by their type to what period they belong, and it is interesting to find one that stands out so distinctly from other houses of long ago as does the spencer-pierce mansion. at first glance of its foreground of open lawn and its background of trees, one readily perceives that it was intended for a gentleman's residence. it has been falsely called a garrison house from the fact that its walls are of stone and brick, but a knowledge of the first owners and their time shows this to be a fallacy. later it might have been used for some such purpose, but if so there is no record. [illustration: plate xxxviii.--the spencer-pierce house, newburyport, mass.] whoever built the house had an eye for the beautiful. it stands in the midst of a large farm surrounded by grass land and trees, with the ocean stretching beyond. in construction it is different from others of the period, being shaped like a cross. the northern projection, the kitchen end of the house, shows a large brick chimney built on the outside with a stone foundation. it is so high and big that it reaches far above the roof, and possibly is the first one of its kind ever shown in colonial architecture. the self-evident age of both the brick and the plaster, broken here and there, leaves no reasonable doubt to the student of the antique as to the period of its building. on the opposite side is the porch. this is familiarly known as the great porch of the house. architects come from all over the country to copy the lines of this particular bit of architecture, for it is one of the most beautiful specimens in new england. much of its beauty, however, lies in the mellow, many-toned coloring of the exterior produced by its two hundred years' exposure to wind and weather. a settled air of old age surrounds it, and without doubt it will last as it is for centuries. the arches of this mansion are interesting, showing bevelled brick and most carefully introduced casements, while the wonderful ornamentation has helped to establish the fact that it is not in reality a genuine garrison house. much doubt is expressed as to the exact year of its building, the erection of the house being generally credited to john spencer, the younger, while others assert it is the elder who was the first owner and occupant of the house. this leads to a confusion of dates, placing the time of building anywhere from 1635 to 1651, at which time it fell into the hands of one daniel pierce. one of the first settlers was john spencer, the reputed builder of the house. he came to this country in the _mary and john_ and settled on the banks of the river parker in 1635, his name showing on the first page of the proprietors' records, where it appears that he was the grantee of the houselot which was next the great river. he was a man of means and took an important part in the formation of the little settlement which was established by his influence. searching through the records of the time, we find his name constantly mentioned in the list of proprietors, and the statement that he built a mill at the falls of newbury, where he had a mill lot of fifty acres, and rose to such prominence that the following year he was chosen magistrate in newbury in the general court. in other ways, too, he was a prominent man, being very much interested in military affairs. in april, 1637, we find him captain of a battalion that had been sent out under captain stoughton against the pequod indians. his religious opinions, however, did not agree with those of the settlers, and he was discharged from his command and returned to england after having been disarmed and condemned, being one of three under sentence; the other two were richard dummer and nicholas eaton, but he was the only one who went to england, where he remained until his death, which took place about 1647. considering the enormous amount of work that went into the building of this house, which was a very large one, it is evident that he could not have built it before he left for england, as it could not possibly have been completed before then. while the records are scanty on this point, we have reason to believe that even if he commenced it, his nephew, who succeeded to the property, must have finished it. the brick used in the making of the old porch, and the square tile we find in the floor, were both in all probability brought over from the motherland. history relates that previous to 1680 brickyards had been established in salem, as well as in medford, but the bricks found to-day that were made at that period show them to be of very inferior quality. they were made by order of the superior court and measured nine inches long, two and a half inches thick, and four and a half inches wide. in this house the bricks used were much smaller and were also very smoothly molded. this leads one to believe that they were imported english brick, perhaps brought over as ballast in some of the ships that came to this country with settlers. the walls, however, were composed of a great variety of stone, some of which was probably brought by boats and rafts down the merrimac river. there were also many that doubtless came from a long distance, but these facts are difficult to determine because of the scanty information to be obtained. young spencer, who was the next to own the land and who may have begun the construction of this house, was a careless, improvident man. he soon became involved in pecuniary troubles and sold the farm in small lots, eventually getting rid of the entire property. his uncle, daniel pierce, a village blacksmith, bought part of the land in 1651 with the proviso that any time within the next seven years, if spencer wished, it could be repurchased on the same terms. this transaction was through the old ceremony of "turf and twig," the transfer being supplemented by a deed. it was a blind transaction, there being nothing to ascertain the worth of the place. pierce was a thrifty man, and tradition relates that he kept all the money he possessed tied up in an old stocking that was hung up in his shop. through mr. coffin, the historian of newbury, we learn that the house was not built until 1666 to 1670, but no matter how carefully we trace the records, we find it impossible to determine the accuracy of this fact. nowhere in the pierce family is there a tradition that it was built by any of their ancestors, and even the oldest inhabitants failed to swerve from their assertions that the spencers were the first occupants of this stone house. the only fact that points to its presumable erection by a pierce is that daniel pierce, who was a member of governor carteret's first council, and who with others founded the town of woodbridge, two years later returned to his native place with a well-lined purse. we read how he valued his estate highly and desired to entail it in his will, saying: "it shall never be sold nor any part divided." whatever his intentions were, they were never carried out, as is shown later on. pierce supported the cause of the pastor in the famous parker controversy, and died in 1677 at the age of sixty-six years. his son daniel was his sole executor, and he was asked to do for his brother joshua's children as he thought best. the will also has a singular provision, allowing that his wife anne, according to his marriage agreement, should have "twenty pounds a year and all the proper necessaries of which she stands in need, and during her life to enjoy her former liberties in the house." daniel pierce, jr., or colonel daniel pierce, was the next to live in the house. he was most prominent in military and civil affairs, marrying elizabeth, daughter of thomas and anne millwood, who was only sixteen years of age at the time of her marriage. he was considered the most important man in town, as is shown by an extract from the town records, where is found a statement that the minister's wife's pew shall be built close to the pulpit stairs and that daniel pierce shall have the first choice of pews. this was a difficult and delicate matter, as the seats were assigned according to age, dignity, and deafness. "to my son benjamin" was the estate next left. benjamin received it on august, 1771, and died in may of the following year. charles, his eldest son, became the next owner. he was a man prominent in church affairs. we find him a firm adherent of whitfield, taking part in the great controversy which eventually divided the old town church and led to the establishment of the old south society at the port. among the most distinguished descendants of the pierce family was the late franklin pierce, the fourteenth president of the united states, who was said to have been a visitor at this historic house. it is hard to say whether nathaniel tracy, the merchant, or his father was the next owner of this house. it was sold by daniel pierce, who owned half of the estate, to nathaniel tracy in 1778, and by the widow of william pierce the same year. this was at a time when tracy was possessed of great wealth and lived in magnificent style, owning a large house on state street in newburyport nearly opposite the dalton house, and a large farm at medford, as well as the craigie house in cambridge. nathaniel tracy was well known in the mercantile profession. he was a dashing young man, who loved to change his place of residence at his whim. few men of the period had a more brilliant career than did he. at the breaking out of the revolution he was a very young man, and with patriotic zeal he fitted out a fleet of privateers to prey on british commerce, the first privateer ever fitted out in our country being his, and sailing in 1775. they were small vessels, manned by intrepid men and having but few guns which, however, were handled in so masterly a manner that many valuable prizes were brought by them to both boston and newburyport. during the next eight years he was the principal owner, according to records, of one hundred and ten merchant vessels which had a gross tonnage of fifteen thousand six hundred and sixty tons and cargoes valued at $2,733,300. many of his fleet were lost or captured,--so many indeed that at the end of the war there were only thirteen left. the value of the work they had done in aiding the government can never be estimated. they brought into port quantities of stores and ammunition that were designed primarily to supply the british army. the records show that during this period tracy's men captured one hundred and twenty vessels with twenty-two hundred and twenty-five men, and their cargoes were sold for $3,950,000. his patriotism is well shown from the fact that in addition to these services he loaned the government $167,000. rivalling tristram dalton, he is said to have had some of the finest horses and coaches in the country and to have lived in grandeur and luxury, his house being the meeting place for the dignitaries of the land. he was also very fond of reading and had in his possession a large and well selected library. with the close of the war, his money vanished. his successful ventures met with disaster, so that in 1786 he was bankrupt. his estates were all given over to his creditors with the exception of the newbury farm, which had been secured by his father to his family. here he lived the remainder of his life, pressed by no claims for money, and loved and respected by all. this was his favorite home, and it was no disappointment to spend his declining years here, walking around his extensive estate and listening to the sound of the seas while reviewing the troublous times of the revolution. in size he was a large man, comely of feature, and noted for his wit and humor. he married in early life the daughter of colonel jeremiah lee of marblehead, who was a great beauty; during her lifetime the house was filled with noted guests. few houses with such numerous changes in occupants have had so many noted owners as the spencer-pierce house, which after the death of mr. tracy was sold by his wife, through the authority of the general court, to one offin boardman for $12,800. captain boardman was well known, particularly in a military way, on account of his performing the daring feat of capturing a transport as it came into newburyport harbor. it was a british ship, _friends_, with captain bowie commanding, that appeared off the mouth of the harbor, tacking and wearing in such a way as to indicate that she did not know her bearings. this led captain boardman, whose house guarded the mouth of the river, to suspect that it was a british ship bringing ammunition for the troops that were stationed in boston. calling seventeen men to his aid, they manned three whale-boats and rowed off to the stranger. when in speaking distance, they hailed her to know where bound, rightly suspecting she bore contraband goods. she replied that she hailed from london and was uncertain as to her situation, whereupon she was offered a pilot. the vessel was boarded by captain boardman and his valiant crew who carried no arms in sight, thus preventing the suspicion of the captain. the boldness of the attack won success, and the ship was taken into newburyport, where she was overhauled. for twenty years afterwards the house was occupied by the same owner, being sold at auction in 1813. it was purchased by one john pettingell, who is said to have used it as a summer residence only; during the time of his occupancy the wooden buildings at the back, together with the farm, were let to tenants. the mansion house has been owned and occupied by wealthy families ever since it was built. it is considered one of the most picturesque homes in new england. unlike other houses built at that period, the walls, which are two feet thick, were made of granite interspersed with stone and brick, over which a thick overlay of plaster was placed, and having arched doorways and windows and small niches introduced over the door. the wooden additions at the back were built for the use of servants. the porch of the house is unique. the bricks that form the arch of the door have fancy, rounded edges that distinguish them from those made in the colony. hanging vines add to the picturesqueness of the house. the entrance door is divided like the dutch doors of to-day, showing two sections acting independently, the upper part being at one time protected by an inner shutter. this was arranged so as to hang down from the ceiling, the old hinges which are still left plainly attesting to this fact. there are also shown to-day marks of the pulley through which ran the cords to raise and lower the shutter. the old-fashioned door swings back on wrought hinges twenty-four inches in length. these, as well as the old hardware in the house, have been carefully preserved. [illustration: plate xxxix.--hallway, spencer-pierce house.] between the outside porch and the inner one is a second set of doors, in between which are hanging buckets. these are of leather and were kept in the hall of every house for use in case of fire. the stairway starts at the right-hand side of the hall, which is merely a narrow passageway. it leads by two turns to the second-story floor and has a most unusual background in the brick work of a large chimney. tradition tells us that the builder of these stairs received no ready money for his work but, instead, eight acres of land, since it was a very common practice at that time to pay for work in this way. [illustration: plate xl.--dining room, spencer-pierce house; living room, spencer-pierce house.] [illustration: plate xli.--parlor, spencer-pierce house.] at the right is the old parlor, which is now used as the family dining-room. it is a spacious apartment, nineteen feet square, with walls two feet thick, corresponding in depth to all those found in the main house. great oak beams, rough with marks of the adze, support the chamber floors. these beams, for many years boxed in, have been lately revealed. the table in the parlor is of the empire period, while the chairs are rough bottomed, windsor, and other types, all colonial, though of mixed periods. singularly enough, the house differs from most of its kind in that it has two main chimneys, one providing fireplaces between the front rooms and the other built in the kitchen. during the summer months these are still used, but in the winter stoves are substituted. the inner kitchen is now used as a living-room. it has been remodelled within the last few years, there being no plaster on the wall except that which was put directly on the stone. the old fireplace is still seen in this room, although adorned with a new mantel. window-seats have been introduced, and many sheraton chairs and hepplewhite tables are seen. indeed, every piece of furniture belongs to the same period. while the eastern part of the house is the original building, the western end shows an attractive addition that was built on during captain boardman's lifetime for the benefit of his wife, who was a confirmed invalid. she had believed it was unhealthful to live between stone walls and so asked that this addition be built. this part shows the same finishing as other rooms in the house and is furnished like them in colonial style. the central feature is a gate-leg table, while a sheraton chair of the martha washington type is found here, and a chippendale, together with dutch chairs having rush bottoms, dating back to 1740. the chambers show a likeness to the lower rooms, and the attic is especially large. in the chambers there is little or no hand-carving but very good woodwork. long before this house came into its present ownership, during the time of the pierce occupancy it was used to stow away a part of the town's powder. while this was stored here, one of pierce's slaves, a negro woman, went up-stairs to her room and carelessly placed a lighted candle near one of the kegs. she was weary from a long day's work and fell asleep without any thought of serious consequences. while she slept, the candle burned lower and lower, finally sputtering and falling over. a grain of powder that had been carelessly spilt on the floor was ignited. a blinding flash, a tremendous report, an unearthly yell, and the negress flew out of the window, bed and all, and landed safe in the top of an apple-tree which is still standing! the old home is a splendid example of the houses of that day. it is in a perfect state of preservation, and from its windows one still overlooks the river, where in the olden days the ships of the tracys passed to and fro, bearing rich cargoes in their holds. chapter x the governor dummer mansion richard dummer, emigrant ancestor of the family of that name, came to america in 1632, joining the little company who were banded together at massachusetts bay in 1632. his first residence was in roxbury, but he removed afterwards to boston. while here, he became interested in starting a stock farm, in which venture he was joined by two other prominent citizens named richard saltonstall and henry sewall, the ancestor of the chief justice who bore that name. when looking about for a suitable place to start their enterprise, they came to newbury, massachusetts. this was in 1634. here they selected the territory bordering on the river parker, or great river as it was called at that time. it was a most suitable place to carry on this enterprise, both on account of the fertility of the upland and because of the large quantity of salt marsh grass which was considered of special value for forage, so they immediately contracted for the importation of a large number of cattle. in may, 1635, the same day that this territory, known as wessacumcon, was by the general court of the colony allowed to be a plantation under the name of newbury, a committee was appointed to set out a farm for richard dummer about the falls of newbury, not to exceed five hundred acres, that is, provided it be not prejudicial to newbury. on the eighth day of july it was further ordered by the general court that a convenient quantity of land be set out within the bounds of newbury for the keeping of the cattle that came over in the dutch ship that year and to belong to the owners of said cattle. richard dummer removed to newbury in the spring or summer of 1635, and other grants of land were subsequently made to him. it is a little difficult to determine the precise boundaries, on account of the scanty records. a short time before his death he executed deeds for his sons that showed him to be the owner of most of the uplands and marshes bordering on the south side of the river parker, a tract more than three miles in length and including most of the extensive marshes, assembling a farm of three hundred and thirty acres. whether he had more land or not is uncertain, but it is known that it never exceeded five hundred acres. since the early grant this farm has been in the family, richard dummer making his first home on newbury neck on the place that was known as mr. dummer's farm. a very rich and benevolent man, he contributed much toward the growth of newbury, being elected one of the assistants of the colony in 1635 and re-elected in 1636, taking the highest office with the exception of governor and deputy-governor. he was an ardent supporter of governor sir harry vane, taking active part in the election of 1637 which resulted in vane's defeat. although he was disarmed, with seventy-two others, he was not removed from the colony. richard dummer was an unusual man. manifesting no resentment at his treatment, two years afterwards, when winthrop, owing to his impoverishment, called for contributions, dummer gave one hundred pounds,--more than one-fifth of that contributed in the colony. two of his sons, richard and jeremiah, became very prominent, the former living on the farm by the falls and the latter becoming a judge. it was this jeremiah who was the father of the governor, william dummer, and also of jeremiah, jr., who was graduated from harvard in 1699. at this period the names of the students were arranged in the catalogue in rank of family, and jeremiah's headed the list. he was also the first scholar in his class and was spoken of by president mather as the best scholar ever at the college. he was very prominent all his life. bancroft, speaking of him, said: "his writings were the fruit of loyal colonial liberties and contained the seed of american independence." in 1687 his brother william was born in boston. william was not a student, being educated simply at the boston grammar school. enlisting in the artillery company in 1702, he rose to its captaincy. england was his residence for several years prior to his marriage in 1714 to katherine, daughter of joseph dudley, then governor of the province and son of thomas dudley, one of the early governors of the colony. in 1716 governor dudley refused re-appointment, and colonel samuel shute was appointed in his place by the crown, who under the province charter reserved the right to appoint governor, lieutenant-governor, and secretary. this was a time of continual conflicts in the colony through disagreements in appointments, so that the province governors enjoyed little ease. after an uneasy administration of six years, governor shute left in 1723 in disgust, remaining in england until the arrival of his successor, william burnett, in 1728. this left dummer in the gubernatorial chair for nearly six years. governor dummer was placed in a very trying position. the administration made it practically impossible for him to render strict and impartial judgment and give satisfaction to the people. his alliance with dudley and shute, however, proved no obstacle to his influence with them, for governor dummer was born in the province, and his education, his experience, and his family traditions were with the people. it is said of him, too, that during the critical period of his administration, his wisdom and impartiality, as well as his kind, conciliatory spirit brought about the confidence and respect of all who were thrown in contact with him. the office of lieutenant-governor was his until 1730, when he was succeeded by lieutenant-governor tailer. the house in newbury was only a summer estate, for he occupied in winter a brick house on school street in boston, bounded northerly on province street, and being separated from the province house estate by a six-foot passageway. governor dummer was a very religious man, attending the hollis street church and presenting it with an imperial folio bible in two volumes, richly bound in rich crimson levant morocco, splendidly gilt on the edges and elaborately tooled by the bookbinders. it was presented on condition that it should be read as a part of the divine service, and at the present day retains its former richness of color and gilding. the paper is rich and smooth and creamy as though just made, while the size and clearness of type are a comfort to any minister's eyes. after dummer's death he was buried in the granary burying ground on tremont street, boston. governor dummer was a man of great firmness, strict integrity, and warm benevolence. in civil and administrative affairs he showed a rare combination of qualities, leading his administration to be spoken of by dudley as the "wise administration of dummer." [illustration: plate xlii.--dummer mansion, byfield, mass.] the dummer mansion, which is situated in byfield, then newbury, massachusetts is prominently connected with the town's history, being one of the most notable colonial homes in new england. it was built by governor dummer about 1715 on a farm which was given him by his father on october 15, 1713, a few months before his marriage. it is a fine specimen of the houses of that day, showing brick sides and resembling in architecture the royall house at medford, massachusetts. just after he and his bride took up their abode in the newly completed mansion, a housewarming was held. governor dummer, so the legend runs, was a famous horseman, and on this occasion he is said to have dashed up the broad front staircase to the second floor, mounted on a magnificent white charger, much to the consternation of the guests. this event took place in the month of august in the time of the full moon, and tradition relates that he repeats this performance even unto the present day whenever in august there are two full moons, riding forth on the occasion of the first full moon and charging up the stairs and down again. in the kitchen of the mansion house on several occasions a little child appeared. whenever the apartment was left vacant, the next person to come in would find a little golden-haired, blue-eyed girl about five years of age, balancing herself upon the door-sill and peeping in and out just as a real child naturally would do at play. she was never seen in any other part of the house. where she came from no one ever knew. she always appeared in the same doorway and after standing awhile would vanish. she became so familiar to the people of the house that they called her elizabeth. she had such a pleasant, smiling face that even the most timid person felt no fear of her. during the oiling of the kitchen floor a child's ring was discovered in a crack where it had lain for years. in trying to get it out, a secret spring was seen and a trap-door was disclosed. on opening it, an old ladder was revealed, leading to the space below, but it fell to fragments at a touch. the cellar underneath was explored. in a secret recess was a small chamber not larger than a grave. inside was a large, round, cheese box, which contained the bones of a child. these were properly buried, and the apparition ceased to appear. in the slave quarters, which were in the ell of the mansion house, the slaves were chained each night to prevent their escaping. the rings to which the chains were attached were to be seen until quite recently, and when the wind was right, the clanking of the chains could plainly be heard. outside the house on the green, so the story runs, a duel was fought by an english officer and a gentleman over an affront concerning madam dummer. the english officer was killed, and tradition relates that he appeared subsequently. he was clad in epaulets and gold lace, wandering about as if in search of his adversary. he always wore an amazingly large, powdered white wig and carried a dress sword in its sheath, as on the occasion of the fateful encounter. [illustration: plate xliii.--doorway, dummer mansion; hallway, dummer mansion.] the present mansion, remodelled, is to-day a famous landmark. it is considered an excellent example of a colonial home, with its pitched roof, its huge stone chimneys covered with mortar, its dormer windows, and its georgian porch. one enters through the wide doors into a noble hallway extending entirely through the house, the woodwork showing fine panelling of white pine. the box stairs rise by easy treads to the wide landing, where a colonial window gives light to the apartment. at the foot of the staircase is an arch, a great ornament to the hallway. the balusters are hand-carved, the newel post being plain. the balusters and stairs are of mahogany and the furniture is windsor. opening from the hall at the right are double parlors. on the wall hangs a fine portrait of governor dummer and his wife, katherine dudley. the portrait of the governor is in oil by smibert, while a copy of it by the late frederick vinton is in the senate chamber of the state house in boston. the parlor shows woodwork in place of plastering or paper. the old shutters have been carefully preserved as have the window-seats. the furniture is of the colonial type, including chippendale and windsor pieces. [illustration: plate xliv.--dining room, dummer mansion; den, dummer mansion.] [illustration: plate xlv.--two views of the living room, dummer mansion.] opposite the parlor is the living-room, with its fine carvings shown in the mantel. this carving is done in wood and not in french putty glued on, as is the case with many ornamentations. although there is fine panelling and woodwork in this room, it shows plaster and paper as well. double doors open into the rear parlor, now used as a dining-room. these doors show strap hinges and are considered fine specimens of the colonial period. wonderful woodwork is seen in this room, as in other rooms in the house. when the parish was renamed, the name of dummer was proposed. finally, however, it was called after judge byfield on account of a handsome gift proposed by him. in acknowledgment of this compliment a bell was presented to the church by judge byfield. chapter xi the macphaedris-warner house one of the noted houses in portsmouth, new hampshire, is the warner house. this is a large brick mansion of ample dimensions, which stands at the corner of daniel and chapel streets, and has the distinction of being the oldest brick residence in town. it must be remembered that the use of brick in house-building was not extensively carried out in the colonies, even as late as the early nineteenth century. occasionally we find houses where brick was used to cover the frame, outside of which was an exterior of wood. this was for the sake of warmth, for, as we know, in the early days not only was the climate more severe, but there were not the scientific methods of heating known to-day. [illustration: plate xlvi.--the warner house, portsmouth, n. h.] while the frame of these houses was generally of oak, yet the shingles or clapboards were of white pine. white pine was very generally used then, chiefly on account of its lasting quality. this is evidenced very plainly in many old houses of that period which are found to-day in a remarkable state of preservation. this same wood was used not only for clapboards but for the principal interior finish, and we often find it in large panels as perfect as when put in place two hundred years or more ago. wood was generally used during the eighteenth century, but we occasionally find a brick house such as the macphaedris-warner house. the brick used was generally imported in those days, for the american brick was of rather an inferior quality to that obtained on the other side of the water. the bricks and tiles used in this house were imported as ballast from holland in some of the vessels owned by captain macphaedris. it is two centuries ago that this mansion was erected and it is still as perfect in construction as it was the day of its finish. there has been no change in either exterior or interior, so that it can well be considered a fine example of a house that represents true honest labor and the skill of the master mechanic. another thing in its favor is that it has always remained in the family. much of the furniture shown there to-day was formerly imported by captain macphaedris, who felt the need of furnishing it for his bride in accordance with his station. at the time of its erection, captain archibald macphaedris was a wealthy merchant and tory at heart, being a member of the king's council. he came over from scotland, attracted by stories of the new country's wealth, in the early part of the eighteenth century, and taking kindly to life here, he entered into trade and was so prudent that later on he was able to build this splendid house. the building was designed as a town residence, and although twelve miles distant from his industry, was considered a suitable situation for this very reason. he preferred to leave business cares at the close of the day and spend the intervening time as far removed from them as possible. early in the eighteenth century iron works were founded at dover, new hampshire. they were the first of the kind ever established in this country, and captain macphaedris was the chief promoter of the new industry. in addition to this, he carried on an extensive fur trade with the indians, with whom he was very friendly; by combining the profits from his two ventures he was able to amass a considerable fortune. a distinct feature of this house is the design of the roof and the high brick chimneys, which convey a hint of dutch sturdiness and which resemble many of the houses in the netherlands. this goes to show that the valiant captain imported dutch ideas along with his bricks and tiles. [illustration: plate xlvii.--doorway, warner house; porch, warner house.] when finished, this mansion was three stories in height, being perfectly plain with the exception of two fine doorways, the one on the front being much the more elaborate. these have never been changed since the days they were placed there. whether the walls were built to resist attacks of the indians or not will never be known, but they are eighteen inches thick, making the house one of the warmest of that period. the plans of the house were designed in accordance with the wishes of the bride, who was no less a personage than sarah wentworth, the daughter of governor john wentworth, and one of the reigning belles of portsmouth. that it was an expensive house is shown from the fact that it cost six thousand pounds or thirty thousand dollars, a considerable sum to be spent in those early days, when money was not plentiful. the furniture was all imported, brought over in captain macphaedris' ships and especially designed for the house. it was in many respects quite different from much of the furniture that had been brought into the colony, and as much of the original is still shown, we realize how carefully the captain must have sought to combine beauty and comfort. the house was most carefully built, for it was first commenced in 1718 and not completed until five years later, in 1723. in all probability the opening of the house was attended by a large housewarming, to which the dignitaries of portsmouth, including governor john wentworth, were invited, but the event was considered of too little importance to be mentioned in the annals that are left concerning the mansion. by a strange irony of fate, the name of the man whose money and brains built the house is rarely associated with it; the fine old pile is known far and near by the name of the man who married the captain's daughter mary, a comely lass who was a great belle in the town. he was the hon. jonathan warner, a member of the king's council until the revolution made his commission ineffective. mr. warner was a familiar figure about portsmouth in the latter days of the eighteenth century and is spoken of, in an old review, as "one of the last of the cocked hats." he invariably wore a long-skirted brown coat, small clothes, silk stockings, and buckles on his shoes. he always carried a cane, and his dignified bearing never failed to impress the youngsters of the place with proper respect, and they always courteously saluted him as he passed. and to-day the visitor at portsmouth has the macphaedris-warner house pointed out to him as the warner house. there can be no better proof that this house was well built than the fact that it has withstood the ravages of new england weather for nearly two hundred years and is still in good condition, the eighteen-inch walls of honest dutch brick as staunch as the day they were laid. the gambrel roof, the lutheran windows, and the quaint cupola all mark this three-storied house as a genuine old-timer, and the broad, simply ornamented doorways are suggestive of good old colonial hospitality, for this house was the scene of many a merrymaking. over the brick pavement, laid herring-bone pattern, and up the stone steps came many a dignitary of the land, who lifted the ponderous brass knocker, and as the panelled door swung back on its long, strapped hinges, entered the spacious hall, which extends the entire length of the house. there are a few pieces of the old mahogany furniture left, showing to best advantage against the white panelling of the wall. the staircase at the extreme left is hand-carved, the newel post being exceedingly plain. the heavy iron bar that still securely fastens the entrance door bespeaks a time when the red men lurked in portsmouth and made this protection a necessity. if reliance is to be placed on old traditions, the captain was a great friend of the indians. the fact that two portraits of indian chiefs are still hanging upon the wall seems to corroborate this story. but the most distinctive and remarkable feature of this hall is the wall fresco, reaching from the foot of the stairs to the second-story landing, on the rough plaster of which are depicted various scenes, all the work of a master hand. these wonderful frescoes, covering an area of from four to five hundred feet, were hidden many years ago, and have only been exposed within the last sixty years. as proof of the fact that the frescoes must have been covered up for many years, the story is told of an old lady eighty years of age who was a constant visitor at the warner house during her girlhood days. when shown these paintings she looked at them wonderingly and asserted that their existence was unknown at the time when she was an intimate of the family. [illustration: plate xlviii.--living room, warner house.] [illustration: plate xlix.--parlor, warner house.] opening from the hallway on the right is the parlor, a spacious apartment, panelled from floor to ceiling. a great fireplace, faced with quaint dutch tiles, occupies one corner; and on the narrow mantel above, resting against a beautiful old mirror, is the warner coat of arms. beside this is the coat of arms of the sherburne family, into whose possession the old house passed in the early part of the nineteenth century. at one side of the room is a broad, arched doorway, where once stood a large pipe organ which was removed some years ago. several fine pieces of chippendale and sheraton furniture are placed about the room, and from the panelled walls stately dames and old-time gallants deign to give the intruder a haughty glance. these fine old portraits, all painted by the famous copley, were originally encased in paul revere frames. during the great fire which swept through the town a number of years ago, the pictures were removed to insure their safety, and before their return all the frames, with the exception of the one encasing the portrait of mary macphaedris warner, had mysteriously disappeared, and no trace of them has ever been found. included in the collection are portraits of captain macphaedris, hon. jonathan warner, and his daughter mary. the latter is pictured as an old-time belle, in a gown of stiff brocade and rich red lace. opposite the parlor is the living-room, panelled like the hall, and possessing the same charm as the rest of the house. the walls are adorned by queer, old-fashioned pictures and heavy, gilt-framed mirrors, the latter reflecting in their depths the beauty of the rare old mahogany with which the room is furnished. beside the broad fireplace, tiled in brown, is a spacious cupboard, deftly concealed in the panelling, where are stored quantities of fine old silver and china, the treasured possessions of many generations of warners and sherburnes. this fireplace is framed in quaint dutch tiles, but instead of grate and andirons it contains a franklin stove, surmounted by a queer coffee-urn once owned by governor langdon. although quaintly attractive, this stove is not nearly so interesting from an historic point of view as is a stove still used in one of the chambers. the latter, although not nearly so pretentious, has the distinction of having been set up by franklin himself, one of three in portsmouth whose installment he personally supervised. a fine example of mahogany is shown in a beautiful secretary standing at one side of the room, and through its traceried-glass doors are caught glimpses of curious shells and bits of pink and red coral--brought home by some seafaring sherburne--as well as numerous indian relics. it has also a few old books left from a rare collection. near by is a diminutive desk, interesting from the fact that it is said to be an exact reproduction in every detail of one brought to this country by john alden. each chamber shows wonderful four-posters, hand-knotted spreads, odd candlesticks, foot-stoves, and powder-horns, each piece enhancing the flavor and romance that clings to every nook and corner of the old house. all these relics, as well as the fire-buckets hanging in the rear hall, have been in the family for generations. carefully treasured in an old chest up-stairs are many things connected with colonel jonathan warner. there is the embroidered military suit which he wore when serving in the continental army, together with his sword and cocked hat. these, with a bill of lading presented with much of the family plate and imported furniture, have been preserved in the family ever since 1713. indeed, every piece of furniture and every treasure is historic and has its own distinctive story. the fine simplicity of colonial designs is well illustrated by the outside of this house. its simplicity verges almost upon the forbidding, as there is nothing but flat walls of brick, windows of severe design, and a simple cornice that sets off fine old doorways enriched with delicate dentations and supported by hand-carved corinthian columns. to-day, after nearly two centuries of existence, the house is as solid as it was on the day it was erected, and with its quiet atmosphere of age, its old-time flavor obtained through steady and long continued use, and the treasury of relics shown here, is conceded to be the most picturesque house in portsmouth. chapter xii the wentworth house one of the most historic houses in new hampshire is situated at little harbor, about two miles from the city of portsmouth. it was built in the latter sixteenth century, or early seventeenth, the exact date not being known, for the records of the early days were carelessly kept, so that there is nothing legible to determine the time of its erection. the houses that were built during this period are generally of such a distinct type that there is little or no difficulty in placing them and ascertaining their age. [illustration: plate l.--the wentworth house, little harbor, n. h.] this is not true of the wentworth mansion, for its design does not definitely indicate the architecture of any special period. one does not wonder, when history tells us that it was bought by governor bennington wentworth in 1750, that it was at that time simply a farmhouse of moderate size which had been occupied by one of the earliest settlers in this section, whose name has never been handed down. after its purchase, great pains were taken to make it an attractive and habitable house. rooms were added, and ells were built, until it assumed its present size. it is a stately pile, with wings joined to either side of the long main building, occupying three sides of a hollow square, and showing open ends facing the water. its original appearance has been carefully maintained by the present owner, who occupies the estate as a summer residence. with great care the garden has been restored to the distinctly old-fashioned type, while all the memorable traditions of the building have been preserved. there is about it an atmosphere differing from most houses of that time, partly due to its retired situation. from the high road one enters the curving avenue to seek the house, hidden from the entrance behind hills and trees. the main entrance is the same as in the governor's day. there is a second entrance, however, nearer the house, through which we get glimpses of the mansion beyond. this is flanked by two marble statues, one of which represents an angler dressed in colonial costume, while the second is a hunter, armed with a rip van winkle fowling-piece. they seem to extend, with outstretched arms, a mute welcome to the guest, for hospitality has ever been a characteristic of the wentworth mansion. the grounds are extensive and are laid out in lawns and grass lands. the house is surrounded by shade trees, some of which were there when the governor occupied the mansion. its exterior shows a gray finish, the same coloring that was originally in use. the porch through which the house is entered is the same one through which washington passed when, during his visit to portsmouth, he came to this mansion on his return from a fishing trip, and was royally entertained by the widow of governor wentworth. the rear of the house faces the harbor, at the spot where the governor's wharf used to be, for in the early days ships were anchored near by, and their officers were frequently entertained at the mansion. it is said that in the early days of its occupancy by the governor, a secret passage connected the house with the wharf, and boats were kept always in waiting, ready to be off at a moment's notice. this was done so that the unpopular head of the government might escape at any time if an attempt was made to take his life. on a neighboring island which is in plain sight, there were several small houses, moved there on a scow. governor wentworth, who was the first owner of this house, was the governor of new hampshire during the most troublesome times of our country's history. he was elected in 1741 and served for twenty-five years, during which period he conducted the affairs of government through stormy times and two bloody wars, and there is little doubt that he administered the affairs as well as most men could have done under such trying circumstances. it is well known, however, that he pleased neither people nor king. at the end of his term of office he was courteously superseded by his nephew, john wentworth, whose popularity had won him favor. it was then, in 1767, that governor wentworth retired to the colonial home at portsmouth. during his administration, his wife and his children had died. lonely and discouraged, he offered himself in marriage to one molly pitman, who chose instead richard shortridge, a mechanic by trade. doubtless through his instigation, because piqued at the indignity of her refusal, a press gang seized shortridge and carried him away. he was sent from ship to ship, until a friendly officer listened to his sad tale and allowed him to escape and return home, to find his wife still true, although tempted by the allurements of wealth. not cast down, however, by his ill luck, the governor soon after made the house at little harbor his all-the-year-round home. the house became the rendezvous for prominent personages--not only in new hampshire, but through the land. during one dinner party given to distinguished guests an important event occurred. in the governor's employ was a girl of most attractive personality, who had entered the house as a domestic, and bore the name of martha hilton. her beauty attracted the attention of the governor, so that he desired to marry her. among the guests was one reverend arthur brown, of the episcopal church. the dinner was served in the style becoming to the governor's table. just as it was over, the governor whispered, so low that no one else could hear, to a messenger who stood near by. then martha hilton came in through the hall door, on the west side of the parlor, and looking down, a blush upon her cheek, took her stand in front of the open fireplace. she did not bring anything with her, nor did she seem to expect to take anything out. the governor, his hair bleached with the frost of sixty winters, arose, and turning to the rector, he asked: "mr. brown, will you marry me?" the pastor looked up aghast. "to whom?" he asked. stepping to martha's side, and taking her hand in his, the governor answered: "to this lady." the rector still stood confounded, and the governor, angered by the delay, in an imperative manner said: "as the governor of new hampshire, i command you to marry us." then and there, in the presence of the assembled guests, the ceremony was duly performed, and martha hilton became madam wentworth. as a careless, laughing girl, barefooted, and carrying a pail of water, with a dress scarcely sufficient to cover her, martha was said to have declared: "no matter how i look, i shall ride in my chariot yet," and she now achieved her ambition. in a charming little poem longfellow relates this incident and assures us that she filled the position with great dignity. the old governor did not live long to enjoy his new hampshire home. his widow, however, soon forgot her solitude, after rejecting many offers of marriage, for we read of her marriage not very long afterwards to michael wentworth, a retired colonel of the british army. one daughter, martha, was born as the fruit of their marriage. in 1789 washington came to portsmouth to visit the wentworth mansion. he sailed into the harbor on one of his ships and was received with characteristic hospitality by colonel michael wentworth and his lady, both of whom accorded him a royal welcome. the colonel was a high liver and prided himself on his horsemanship. the legend runs that he started from boston at eight o'clock in the morning and arrived in portsmouth at 6 o'clock in the afternoon, a feat which was considered remarkable. he was not master of the house for many years, for he died suddenly in 1795. after his death, sir john wentworth, a lawyer in portsmouth, married martha wentworth, the daughter, and they occupied the house in little harbor together with madam wentworth until the time of her death in 1805. upon their departure to europe in 1816, the house passed out of the family. the house stands as it was built, the massive door, three inches in thickness, at its main entrance, showing enormous locks and strapped hinges that extended eighteen inches in either direction. strap hinges were a necessity in those days, as the doors were fastened together with wooden pegs, and unless this precaution was taken, they would sag. [illustration: plate li.--hallway, wentworth house.] one enters a narrow vestibule which gives into an inner hallway. this, too, is narrow, severely plain, and strictly colonial in type. the old staircase has hand-carved balusters. there is no change in the panelling upon the walls, and the original bull's-eyes are in the door opposite the entrance. the hallway leads at the left into a colonial dining-room, with rich panelling, and an old fireplace which is large enough to hold a yule log. the room is spacious and fitted with furnishings of colonial type. over the mantel is hung an old powder-horn and flint-lock, while at one side are colonial relics: a cabinet of old china and a sheraton table with late mahogany chairs form the furnishings. adjoining the dining-room is a large pantry, which contains some ovens that were at one time used for the making of rum, doubtless partaken of very freely during the governor's residence there. [illustration: plate lii.--dance hall, wentworth house, showing marble fireplace.] [illustration: plate liii.--room in wentworth house where martha hilton was made bride; council chamber, wentworth house.] at the right of the hallway is the present living-room, where are many relics of the old governor; in one corner is a chair in which he sat. the old fireplace before which martha hilton stood on her wedding night is in this room. passing through, one reaches a narrow landing and a short flight of stairs which connect with the hallway below, where we come upon the original entrance. the walls on either side over the door are decorated with arms. these are thirteen in number, and are the muskets of the governor's guard, so long ago dismissed. yonder is the council chamber. in this spacious apartment for many years were discussed public affairs of the utmost importance; heated debates were carried on in the stormy times that ante-dated the revolution. it is finished in the best style of the last century, the carved work around the mantel taking more than a year's work with the knife and chisel of a master carpenter. around the room were formerly a great many pictures of the family. among them was a choice painting by copley of the beautiful dorothy quincy who became the wife of john hancock, and who came frequently to visit in portsmouth. there were wonderful pictures of secretary waldron, who was killed by the indians at dover, and also of his son westbrook. sofas and rare bits of colonial furniture furnished the room in the governor's day, and the closely jointed, smooth white floors, which are none the worse for a century's wear, have been pressed by the feet of many a merry dancer. we look at pictures of the old-time occupants, in periwigs and silver buckles, who people the shadows in the dim grandeur of this wonderful old room. in one corner still stands a rack, with sixteen flint-locks, some of which have bayonets attached. this stand of arms was discovered by the present owner hidden away under plaster. just what is concealed to-day in the old house is not known, for it has never been fully explored. naturally one conjectures secret closets and hidden passageways, such as were built in many houses of that period. beyond is the billiard-room. there is now no billiard table but instead a spinning-wheel, and a dainty, old-fashioned spinet upon which little martha wentworth learned to play. one wonders if it was in this room that madam wentworth dropped her ring to be picked up by the maid. all at once the maid became near-sighted, and it was not until martha herself stooped down and touched her ring that it could be found. several smaller rooms lead out of the billiard-room. they were used in the olden times as card-rooms, and here many a close rubber was played by the great and reverend patriots of the land. underneath is a huge, rambling cellar where the builder of the mansion kept stalls for thirty horses, ready at a moment's notice to be off. the gun-rack in the hall of the council chamber does much to convince us that the great man whose personality is stamped so deeply on this interesting pile, must have led a very uneasy life. there were no descendants to inherit the old home, but he left a lasting memorial to himself in the house which embodied so many of his ideals. chapter xiii the franklin pierce house in the little town of hillsboro, new hampshire, stand two notable houses. one of them was formerly the home of governor benjamin pierce, while the other was occupied by his son, franklin pierce, who was the fourteenth president of the united states. both houses are in a good state of preservation, the former being used as a village inn, while the latter, still filled with interesting mementoes connected with the life of president pierce, is now occupied by his nephew, mr. kirk pierce. these houses are not in the village proper but just outside, in a location known as hillsboro bridge, a romantic, wooded section on the main road, where in the early days the stage-coach passed on its way to concord, new hampshire, not so very far away. franklin pierce was born on november 23, 1804, in the old homestead where his father, governor pierce, lived, and here he passed his early days. the old governor was a prominent character in the history of new hampshire, being one of the heroes of bunker hill, afterwards becoming governor of the state of new hampshire, a man revered and loved, not only by the military element of the state but by politicians as well. even when franklin pierce was a child, there existed a true companionship between the boy and his father. he was an attractive lad, with light curling hair that fell to his shoulders, blue eyes, and a winsome face. not particularly fond of study, he was the ringleader in all the pranks played in the neighborhood; yet he was beloved by all the townspeople, who were a bit suspicious of him, however, never knowing what tricks would be played on them through his love of fun and influence with the other boys. it was a pleasant sight during the long winter evenings to see this fair-haired boy sitting upon his father's knee, listening to stories of his army life. these filled the boy with a desire to enter the militia and win for himself glory on the battlefield. his early education was obtained in a little brick schoolhouse that is still standing at hillsboro centre, about a mile and a half distant from his home. here in his boyhood days he attended school with twenty other children. at one time during his school life here, a visitor who was talking to the children told them to have a high aim in life, for in that very room might be a future president of the united states,--a prophecy that rang true. later on pierce was sent to hancock to enter the academy. unused to discipline, he became very homesick and walked all the way home to see his family. it was on a sunday morning that he appeared in the yard and found that the household had gone to church. on their return, they found him sitting on a bench waiting for them. when asked the reason why he came home unannounced, he pleaded homesickness. his father was a stern disciplinarian and without a word had a horse harnessed into a chaise; franklin was driven into the midst of a dense wood and left to walk the rest of the way back to the academy. it was a dark day and a heavy thunder shower came up, so that he was drenched to his skin by the time he reached school. in speaking of it afterwards he said: "it was the turning-point of my life. i learned the lesson that my father wished to impress upon me." at the age of sixteen he entered bowdoin college and became one of the most popular students. not inclined to study, the first two years of his life were spent in partial idleness, until suddenly he awoke to the value of education and was graduated with honors. another turning-point in his life lay in the time when he first met nathaniel hawthorne. this meeting was in a stage-coach, in 1821, when pierce was returning to college during his sophomore year. in the same coach also were jonathan cilley and alfred mason, both intimates then and in after years. it might be said that pierce's political campaign commenced at college, for here he held his first civic office as chairman of the athenean society, also being elected captain of a little company formed in the college. there are still treasured in the college library at brunswick, maine, two mementoes of his college life. the one is a silhouette found in a little red book containing the pictures of the members of the class, which was made before the art of photography was known. the second is a theme that was written in latin, one of his later works. he followed his father's career as politician, making his first stump speech in favor of the victor of new orleans and against john quincy adams. he entered congress at the age of twenty-nine and quickly rose to high political favor; he was elected to the senate in 1837, being at that time its youngest member. during his term of office, he stood firm for his party against the opposing members, and yet so popular was he that when his hour of departure came, the senators crowded around him as though he were a personal friend, and no member of the senate ever retired with warmer friends. among his associates in congress were such men as calhoun, wentworth, and clay,--men who were helpful to him in his political life. he decided, however, that he had had enough of politics so he returned to his own state and took up his profession of attorney, devoting much of his time to caring for his invalid wife. his views, nevertheless, did not meet with the approbation of the people. soon the mexican war broke out, and he was forced to enter the fight, accepting the position of colonel of the ninth regiment. during all this time hawthorne and he remained intimates. across the road is a simple little farmhouse where pierce spent his early married life, and where hawthorne was a frequent guest. the life of hawthorne is connected with that of franklin pierce far more than is realized, unless one has delved deep into the unusual friendship of these two men. the one, standing at the front of the literary world, sad, morbid, and needing the helpful hand of a friend, was encouraged to work by the other, whom he loved. he shows his appreciation by his dedication of _our old home_ and _biographical sketches_. in the preface he tells of the love and appreciation of his work given to him by pierce, and the praise the latter considered his due. on the other hand stood franklin pierce, the lawyer, soldier, statesmen, friend, one who had battled with the world and whose term of office fell at a time when it was hardest to fill--when the slavery question was being weighed. these two men, strongly differing from each other in every trait, were peculiarly united by strong ties of mutual love and helpfulness. it was not to the hillsboro house alone that hawthorne came, but also to the colonial mansion where pierce spent his childhood days. there is still seen on the grounds an old tree where one can just decipher, cut on the bark, the names of hawthorne and franklin pierce. this old homestead in which franklin pierce's father lived, has on the drawing-room wall a wonderful old paper as fresh and bright as when placed there a century ago by the original owner. during the governor's lifetime, this mansion was on the direct route of the washington stage, which brought many a distinguished guest to enjoy the bounteous hospitality that was dispensed here. nearly all the leading men of new hampshire visited squire pierce's house, among them being judge woodbury, governor steele, and the mcneils. the grounds were not extensive, comprising a little more than an acre of land, but were for those days wonderfully laid out with walks, gardens, summer-house, and artificial pond, well stocked with trout. the garden was considered to be one of the show places of the time, and here from the summer-house the casual visitor fished for trout in the pond beneath. [illustration: plate liv.--the franklin pierce house, hillsboro, n. h.] the mansion, a colonial type, stands just back of the road. it was a pretentious house in the olden days, as revealed by the broad stairs and hand-carved balusters. the walls are lined with family portraits, representing three generations of this distinguished family. the great parlor at the left shows heavy cornices, massive hearthstones, and many historical relics. the wall-paper shows landscapes, tournaments, and festivals. in this house franklin pierce lived until he was married in 1834 to jane means, daughter of rev. dr. appleton. following this event, he purchased the farmhouse across the way, which remains in the family and which contains a wonderful collection of fine paintings, autograph letters, and historical relics. among the latter is a picture of william h. marcy, secretary of state under president pierce, who ordered the picture painted at a cost of one thousand dollars. near by is one of the best paintings of hawthorne extant, which was also painted at the same cost by order of the president. in addition to these paintings are many others of distinguished men, including one of pierce's father and many of himself. his wife's picture is not among the collection, but is owned by mrs. charles m. stark of dunbarton, new hampshire, who descended from the same ancestry. many mementoes connected with the life of franklin pierce are still treasured in the old house and include several swords, one of which was given by the ladies of hillsboro when pierce entered service in the mexican war. this, together with a letter that accompanied it, is shown to the visitor, as well as a second sword given him by the state of new hampshire at the close of the war. there can also be seen many interesting and historical canes. but the most important collection in the house is that of autograph letters representing correspondence with his old friend hawthorne, whose friendship was terminated only by death; of presidents jackson and polk, and many others of equal note. perhaps the most pathetic of this collection of letters, however, is a little one written in a childish hand by his son benjamin, who was killed in a railroad accident near andover. this letter is as follows: "andover, mass., "june 11, 1852. "dear mother: "i am having a pleasant time at aunt mary's and i should like to stay until next week. to-day is a rainy day. i don't go out much but stay in the house and play with jamie. edward has just brought the news from boston that father is a candidate for the presidency. i hope he won't be elected, for i should not like to live in washington, and i know you would not either. i am very well and so are the rest of the family. little fanny is quite well again and as bright as a bird. little mary can walk if somebody takes hold of her hands. aunt rebecca sends love to you. i hope you are much better than when you went away. i want you to excuse my bad writing. i have an extra bad pen. it is full of everything but ink. give my love to father. i will now end this letter, so good-bye. "your affectionate son, "benjamin." he had his wish gratified, for on the threshold of the presidency his father's heart was broken by the untimely death of his son. among the many treasured letters of hawthorne's is one written from the old manse. "concord, dec. 3, 1861. "dear pierce: "here is a letter from old sullivan, and as he wished a portion of it to be communicated to you, i think it best to send the whole. after reading it, please return it. you will be glad to see how confidently he writes respecting the success of his copper mines, but i shall hardly share his hopes at present. after knowing him for so many years and seeing him always on the verge of making a fortune and always disappointed, poor fellow, i am not sure that the fate he half anticipates would not be the best thing for him--to be shot or hung--but perhaps i am as usual too despondent as he is too sanguine. "we are all perfectly well and as happy as the times will permit anybody to be. "with kindest regard to mrs. pierce, "sincerely yours, "nathaniel hawthorne." there is another letter from hawthorne showing the close intimacy that existed between the two men. "i suppose your election to congress is absolutely certain. of course, however, there will be opposition and i wish you would send me papers laudatory and abusive of you. i shall read them with great interest, be what they may. it is a pity that i am not in a situation to use my pen in your behalf though you do not seem to need the assistance of newspaper scribblers. i do not feel very well and will close my letter here, especially as your many associations will not permit you to read a longer one. i shall be happy to hear from you as often as you find leisure and inclination to write. "i observe the paper styled you as hon. franklin pierce. have you already an official claim to that title? "your friend, "nathaniel hawthorne, alias hath." and again we find a letter written later. "dear general: "i deeply regret we are not to have our mountain excursion together, and especially grieved that the disappointment should be on account of mrs. pierce's ill health. as the greater part of my pleasure would have been your companionship i question whether i shall press the matter any farther, although i do not as yet decidedly give up the idea. "some spiteful abolitionist took trouble to send to me a compendium of abusive paragraphs from the newspapers in reference to you, and it seems to me that the best way of disappointing his malice was to lay them aside without reading one of them, which i accordingly did. "with best regard to mrs. pierce and most earnest wishes for a speedy recovery, "faithfully yours, "hath." in addition to the hawthorne letters are some written by jefferson davis, who was a close friend of president pierce, and who was appointed by the latter secretary of war during his administration. the friendship between jefferson davis and president pierce commenced during the time when pierce was a member of the senate. mr. davis thus writes concerning him to one of his personal friends. "mr. pierce, then a member of the senate, sustained every cardinal principle asserted by mr. calhoun, and there was not a member of the senate who more uniformly voted to sustain them. as an auditor i heard the debate, watched the votes, and then commenced the affectionate esteem and high appreciation of mr. pierce which grew and strengthened with every succeeding year of his life. the position he then assumed clearly indicated the views subsequently expressed in the extract you have incorporated in your article. "like many other practical statesmen, he was not disposed to disturb the 'missouri compromise,' but i have little doubt that at any period of his political career he would have said that it should have never been adopted. when he saw by the legislation of 1850, with which he was no more connected than that of 1820, the manifestation of a purpose to assert sound political principles and follow more closely the constitution as it was written, he could but rejoice in this triumph of the creed he had so bravely defended in 1837-8. "the situation made by you from his message of dec. 1885, and especially the closing words of the extract, 'existing or incipient states,' proved undoubtedly that his understanding was that institutions were to be ordained and established not by the first adventurers into a wilderness, but by organized, self-governing communities, such as the people of states, either of the union or about to enter it. "i send back one of the two copies received of the granite monthly and on the magazine you will find pencil marks opposite the passages on which i have ventured freely to comment. "truly yours, "jefferson davis." nathaniel hawthorne and jefferson davis were two of his most intimate friends, men entirely different in standards, political ideas, and life. the friendship between hawthorne and pierce lasted until the death of the former, may 19, 1864, pierce being with him much of the time during his last illness and was by his side when he passed away. hawthorne in his "life of pierce" tells us: "the administration of franklin pierce presents the only instance in our history of the continuance of a cabinet for four years without any change in personnel. when it will be remembered that there was much dissimilarity, if not incongruity, of character among the members of the cabinet, some idea may be formed of the power over men that was possessed by mr. pierce. chivalrous, generous, amiable, true to his friends and faith, frank and bold in the declaration of his opinions, he never deceived any one, and if treachery ever came near him, it would have stood abashed in the presence of his truth, his manliness, and his confiding simplicity." [illustration: plate lv.--library, franklin pierce house.] the old hillsboro house stands to-day unchanged. by its side is a small building formerly used by the ex-president as a library and it still contains a part of his books, many volumes of which have been transferred to the library of the main house. [illustration: plate lvi.--sword given by the state of new hampshire to president pierce; bowie knife used at barbecue given at hillsboro for pres. pierce and canes presented to him by notable personages; sword presented by ladies of concord, to president pierce.] this room is a perfect treasure trove, for on the walls hang pictures of historic value, many of them painted at the order of the late president. the most valuable collection of all, however, are the autograph letters, the most important of which are written by nathaniel hawthorne and jefferson davis, letters that form a connecting link between the history of the civil war and the life of men who made history. chapter xiv the savory house we turn to old houses as we turn to old books--for information--for inside old mansions is generally a wealth of furniture and china, the history of which has a never-dying charm to the collector and the lover of the antique. these houses are rapidly passing away, and it is only now and then that we come across one where furniture may be found that covers the periods between the chippendale and the empire. one of these old houses, in which there is an especially rich collection of antiques, is found at groveland, massachusetts, and is known as the savory house. let us step over its threshold, and wander through its rooms, studying the furniture and the periods which they represent. here we find many of the works of the great masters: the simple, dignified charm of chippendale gives way to the more elaborate and delicate pieces of hepplewhite and sheraton, leading us on to the adams period, and ending with the empire. examples of all these are seldom found under the same roof, and to the student of the antique, such a collection is far more instructive than pictured examples in books. much of this old furniture was brought from over the seas about 1800, at a time when colonial homes were in vogue. others came with the earliest settlers. these pieces, however, are rare, for the ships of that day had but limited capacity, fitted to bring only the bare necessities to furnish a home. many of them were rare and unusual bits, and connected with them are stories of the past, which carry us back to the early struggles for existence in an untried land. [illustration: plate lvii.--the savory house, groveland, mass.] the peter parker, or savory house was built early in the eighteenth century. it is situated just back from the street, surrounded by well-laid-out grounds and has preserved intact all its original characteristics. the keynote in its construction is a dignified solidity. it represents an example of careful thought that gives to it an air of quiet elegance which is rarely seen, even in houses of this same type. it is to be numbered among the really few genuine old dwellings which date back to pre-revolutionary days,--a veritable old home, combining in construction unusual architectural features. the house differs much from the square houses of colonial time. it has a wing-like projection at one side and was designed with two front doors. this is a departure from the old-time custom of a central porch and is not without significance, for each door has its own special use. [illustration: plate lviii.--porch and gateway, savory house.] the main porch is in the central part of the house. it is a very handsome entrance, well proportioned, showing a fan light over the entrance door. it has for ornamentation a knocker of the ring type. the second door in the ell was the family entrance. this opened upon a hall which led to the living-room. on the opposite side of the house is a small ell, showing domed windows and a handsomely carved entrance. at the rear is the orchard, where can still be seen some of the fruit trees that were planted when the house was built. the old-fashioned garden, with its box-borders and its wealth of old-time flowers so popular in colonial days, lies at the right of the orchard. this estate was purchased by one moses parker, the great-grandfather of the present owner, in 1777, for the consideration of one thousand pounds sterling. the house has sheltered since then five generations of that name. during its early life, it was the haunt of most of the prominent men of that time, for the owner was a chosen leader in all town affairs and was also considered one of the most prominent men of his day. there was a secret chamber in this house, shut off from the main part of the building. it is spoken of in the old records and letters that are still treasured in the family. this was reached from the outside only, through a secret door, all traces of which have long since disappeared. in this room were held the most important of the many masonic meetings of that day. the little group of men who formed this secret society, at the time of groveland's settlement, chose this meeting-place on account of the privacy of the chamber and the thickness of the walls enclosing it. there were curious neighbors even in those days, and secret meetings were a necessity. where could they better be held than in this secluded room, beyond the bounds of unwelcome intruders? [illustration: plate lix.--hallway, savory house; chamber, savory house.] the main hallway is reached from the family entrance,--the company door opening into the large room used in the olden times only on special occasions, such as a marriage, death, or ministerial calls. this hallway is unusual: it is panelled and painted white, showing at one side a quaintly designed staircase. the narrow stairs wind to the second-story floor by two turns, instead of one. at the foot of the stairs are two fine examples of the chippendale type. these are chairs which formed a part of the wedding furniture of the great-great-grandmother parker and were brought over from england by the emigrant ancestor. they are a rare type of chippendale, showing the splat, diamond pierced, and handsome carving. they were made about the middle of the eighteenth century, before chippendale began to lose favor or had any rivals in the field. on the first landing is a little light-stand, now so rarely seen, which was designed about 1765, and still holds the guest candles which were used in colonial days to light the family to bed. [illustration: plate lx.--china closet, savory house; china closet, savory house, where china of three generations of brides is kept.] [illustration: plate lxi.--parlor, savory house; living room, savory house.] the old-time parlor opens out of the hallway. it is now in common use, being converted into the family sitting-room. on one side of the room is rare and choice woodwork with panel effect, broken in the center by a deep and wide fireplace, a dominating feature of this homelike room. the cheery glow of the great oak logs, as they burn on the seventeenth-century, steeple-topped andirons, fills the imagination with pictures of the people who lived here many years ago. the furniture could no doubt unfold many an interesting story: the dutch table in the center of the room, for instance, was a part of great-grandmother parker's wedding furniture; and the hepplewhite card-table, designed in 1785, was a part of the first bride's furnishings. there are chippendale chairs, with carved rosettes, in low relief, vis-a-vis with a child's slat-back chair. the carpet, which has always been in this room, is one of the first ever laid in a groveland home. the well-lighted living-room shows many quaint windows with small paned glass and broad sills. these, during the winter time, are used as conservatories. large, built-in cupboards, with glass doors, are filled with the rarest sets of old-time china. a full set of old lowestoft, with the monogram of the bride, was imported from china, arriving just before the wedding. there is staffordshire ware of the choicest kind, and a wealth of english glass. not a piece has been broken since it was brought to the house, a century and a half ago. in this same room are many of the rarest bits of china to be found in all new england, while in the bookcases which line two sides of the room are many old books, some of which show the parker bookplate. between the living-room and the dining-room is the den, where, on the shelves of a built-in cupboard, are wonderful pieces of old pewter. these date back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a period when this metal was in vogue for household use. many of the pieces bear the excise stamp, a cross and a crown, showing that they are of early make. the rarest pieces, however, show three distinct stamps. fortunately, even though pewter went out of fashion, and was consequently melted, the family was one of the few who appreciated its worth, so that not even one piece has ever been destroyed. rarely are found even in new england houses such a wealth of closets as are seen here. they have been carefully built to conform with the general breadth of construction and low stud that emphasize the interior finish of this house. in each one is a collection such as would make a connoisseur envious, for in handing down through the generations, there has been no division, a fact which gives the collections additional historic value. the most interesting room is the dining-room. here the furnishing has never been changed. the sideboard is of the empire period, and on it is shown wonderful old family silver, including some communion pieces of rare make. the chairs are of the windsor type, painted white, with the exception of one, an old pulpit chair. this was originally used by an ancestor of the family, who was a pastor of the groveland church. at the time of remodelling, it was removed and brought to the parker home. a very rare set of canton ware is on the closet shelves. it differs from the usual canton, and is said to be the only set of its kind to be found in america. the blue is much deeper and richer, and the pattern is unusual. this set was brought over as a wedding gift in one of the old newburyport ships, during the height of commercial prosperity. there is a peculiar charm and mystery to a house like this, which endears itself even to a stranger who steps over its threshold for the first time. it is a revelation of colonial furnishing which is most interesting. the sturdy old house is both simple and dignified. it typifies in the best manner the construction of the early days; the staunchness of its build is evinced in its frame and walls, which are as sound as when first laid. to-day none of the rooms are unused. the partition in the secret chamber has been torn down, so that it now connects with the other rooms. an unusual feature of the house is its many windows, which give it abundant light and sunshine. cheeriness lies in its open fireplaces, one of which is found in every room of the house. there is no elaboration in wood-carving, this being perfectly plain, though varying in shape and design. the chambers are also furnished with ancestral furniture, and in a room facing the south is a fine example of an old sleigh-bed, finished in mahogany veneer. the chairs are of sheraton make, while the little low table was designed about the middle of the seventeenth century. in every chamber in the house four-posters are still seen, some of which are field beds, while others have testers. each room is kept as near as possible as it was when first occupied by the parker family. in the attic under the eaves is a veritable treasure house. innumerable hair trunks, studded with brass-headed nails, are filled with beautiful silken damask gowns, camel's-hair shawls, and rare laces, which were once worn by the brides. in one of them lies lady catherine, a most wonderful doll, dressed in the fashion of colonial days. her gown of fine white mull is yellowed by age, and, as you take her out, she holds in her hand a letter which tells her name and age. it is over a century ago since she came into existence, but she has been so carefully preserved that she is in perfect condition. the exact date of the erection of this house is not definitely known. it ante-dated the revolutionary war, and at the time of its purchase by mr. parker, in 1777, it was considered by the residents of the town as an old mansion. in build, it resembles the seventeenth century houses, while in design it is unique and, save for its colonial porches and fences, might have belonged to an earlier period. it stands to-day a landmark of the old town, and the touch of time has not marred it with the air of age. chapter xv the stark mansion there is no more fascinating study, both for historian and architect, than that of colonial houses: homes that represent an epoch-making period in our country's history. they are the dividing line between the early days and the period when we ceased to be colonists, the time when we secured a firm footing in the land we have made our country. [illustration: plate lxii.--the stark mansion, dunbarton, n. h.] one of these old houses stands not many miles from concord, new hampshire. this is the stark mansion at dunbarton, a colonial house which is of especial interest for the reason that under its roof are gathered the relics of five famous families: the starks, mcneils, wentworths, morrises, and pierces. this house is one of the few old landmarks which still remain in the possession of the descendants original patentees. more than almost any other house which has historic connections, this one has been made famous in american history through two of its owners,--general john stark and his son, major caleb stark. one leaves the little railroad station at east weir, new hampshire and drives along country roads to visit the historic place, which is situated about a mile from the heart of the country village. the grant itself comprises over one hundred acres, in the midst of a fertile country, and includes woodland and meadow, orchards and gardens, the latter in the immediate vicinity of the house. the home lot is in the very center of the estate, and here the old-time details have been most carefully preserved. the grounds are entered through a wide road, lined on either side by stately trees, whose branches, meeting overhead, form a shaded driveway. just before the boundary line is reached, one sees at the right-hand side of the road a small wooden structure. this is the little old schoolhouse, where in the days long gone by the neighbors received their early education. as a memento of those early days, it is still kept carefully preserved, but unoccupied. [illustration: plate lxiii.--old mill, stark homestead.] the fine country drive stretches on ahead, winding in and out under the leafy archway. at a sharp turn of the road, is seen at the left, ensconced among the trees, a picturesque old mill. this was erected in 1760 for the grinding of grain, being the fulfillment of one condition of the grant. here the farmers from far and near brought their loads of corn to be ground, and it ran uninterruptedly until 1889, when its voice was stilled. the stream which once ran merrily over the rocks, turning the great wheel, is now silent, while the mill is fast falling into decay. nature has done much to make this one of the most picturesque parts of the estate. keeping to the left, a sweep of the road takes us to the old cemetery, laid out, as was the custom of the early days, on every large estate. it is surrounded by an iron fence and is fringed with trees, among which is a staunch willow which was brought as a slip from the grave of napoleon i. it was fittingly planted here, and taking kindly to its new home, lends additional interest to the historic estate. inside the cemetery all of the stark family lie buried, with the exception of the emigrant ancestor, archibald stark. passing through the gates and up a flight of stone steps, a second enclosure is reached. here lies caleb stark, so famous in american history, and over his grave a monument is erected to his memory. leaving the cemetery and following the wide stretch of road which winds in and out, with stone walls on either side, we drive through the heart of a woodland in the direction of the house. the road was bounded by monarchs of the forest,--tall, lofty trees, many of which bear the mark of the broad arrow and were known as "king's trees," being marked in this manner in the early days, when they were set apart for use in the royal shipyard. fortunately the king was cut down by one greater than an earthly forester, and they still stand to-day in all their glory,--monuments of the past and ornaments of the present. in and out winds the wide avenue, between the drooping branches of these fine old trees, until it reaches the colonial mansion, which is a full half mile from the wooded entrance. the house is hidden from view, until the home plot is reached, by the dense foliage. it stands in the center of a large, open space showing fine lawns and old-fashioned gardens, bordered by more venerable trees, some of which are worth more than passing notice. for instance, a certain black walnut, which major stark transplanted from ohio to its new home, took root here and is now grown to be one of the finest trees on the estate. another, a beautiful elm, was set out by miss charlotte stark, the last owner of the grant. ancient button woods, veterans scarred and faithful, still stand as sentinels to guard the house, while mulberry trees shade the opposite side of the road. at the rear of the house is the garden, bright with old-fashioned flowers and fragrant with the odor of the blossoms our grandmothers loved. across the street are the barns. here is stored many an interesting relic, including a saddle with silver mountings that was used by president franklin pierce during his term of service in the mexican war. in the corner is the queer, old-fashioned, two-wheeled chaise used by madam stark for their annual drive to portsmouth. in the house is still preserved the old-fashioned green calash which was worn by miss harriet stark on this all-important trip. the house was erected in 1785 by major caleb stark and is known as the mansion house. it was modelled after the manor houses of england, combining stately grandeur and picturesque repose. it is built of wood, two stories and a half in height, showing dormer windows, a gambrel roof, and a large, two-storied ell. everywhere an old-time atmosphere prevails--from the time one enters the grounds until the front door is reached. this entrance door is a curious one, being three inches thick and bearing a handsome brass lock and knocker which were brought over from england by major stark. over the door is a row of old bull's-eyes, specimens of early american glass, green in coloring and rough inside where they were taken from the molding bar. [illustration: plate lxiv.--hallway, stark mansion; parlor, stark mansion.] the door swings open on large, wrought-iron strap hinges, which extend two feet each way, and one enters the long hallway. this apartment divides the house into two parts and ends in a duplicate door at the rear, which opens upon the old-fashioned garden. during the summer-time this door is left open, and here, in the cool recess of the hall, accompanied by the droning of bees and the sweet scents from the posy beds in the garden below, it is a favorite custom to serve tea in the long, warm, summer afternoons. flowers, books, old-fashioned furniture, and pictures of the choicest are everywhere. a fine portrait of general john stark, painted in 1830 by samuel f. b. morse, the inventor of the telegraph, is hung on the wall at the right. facing the door another beautiful portrait is seen. this is of miss charlotte stark and was done by jane stuart, the daughter of gilbert stuart. a third picture, which is a fitting companion for the others, is a portrait of the great american statesman, daniel webster, done by lawson. curious old prints, priceless in value, have their appropriate places on the wall, and beside them are queer old miniatures. hepplewhite tables and chairs are artistically arranged to form the furnishing of this old hall, while the crowning piece of furniture is the old roll-top desk, which has drawers underneath. this, as did many of the other ornaments and furnishings found in this old homestead, belonged originally to robert morris, the financier of the revolution. the hall opens at the right into an old-fashioned parlor, where hangs a portrait of the mother of president pierce. on the table is a baskerville bible, in two volumes, illustrated by valuable prints by old masters and also once owned by the "great financier." a set of dresden china, originally in the possession of the first french minister to america, and presented by him on his return to france to mr. morris, is kept here. a large mirror, once the property of robert morris, fine old paintings, including those of governor and mrs. pierce, and of lieutenant john and mrs. mcneil, painted over a century ago, a brace of flint-lock pistols carried by general stark at the battle of bennington, a magnificent, gold-headed cane with the inscription "robert morris, from his friend, john hancock" are among the relics shown in the interesting room. opening out from the parlor is the den of mr. charles morris stark, the present owner, who is of the sixth generation, his maternal grandfather being robert morris. this room is also an interesting apartment, exemplifying his life as a sportsman. opposite the parlor is the library, which is fitted with bookcases filled with queer and valuable old books, while cosy seats are placed in the windows. the hearth of stone, as originally made, is still shown in the fireplace. in this room is placed a cane given to major stark for valiant conduct in the defense of fort william, and another, made from the bone of a whale and headed with ivory, is also kept here. statuettes in bronze of napoleon bonaparte, brought from france and presented to major stark by lafayette, as well as general mcneil's mahogany desk, are other mementoes of the past. everywhere historic bits are displayed. especially noteworthy are a fine old mezzotint of the duke of wellington, and one of the morris mirrors. [illustration: plate lxv.--dining room, stark mansion.] the bright and sunny dining-room, which leads off the library, ends with a wide fireplace, over which are hung portraits, painted from life, of daniel webster and jackson. the house is filled with the most beautiful pieces of old colonial furniture, a rare old sideboard and grandfather's clock, which were the property of governor pierce, being found in the dining-room. both of these stood originally in the governor's house at hillsboro, new hampshire. opposite the sideboard is a wonderful old wine cooler which belonged to robert morris, while above it hangs a speaking likeness of the man himself, painted by gilbert stuart. this is indeed a rare and beautiful treasure, as is the framed letter below it, which is addressed to mrs. morris, bearing the date 1790, and signed by both george and martha washington. rare old china, a full set of tokio, together with cut glass presented to governor pierce when he was the chief magistrate of new hampshire, are among the treasures in this room. throughout this old house there is not a piece of furniture or a bit of china that is not rich in historic associations. every room has its large old fireplace, fitted with old brass and iron fenders and accessories, each of unusual shape. the hearths are filled with birch logs and pine cones. ascending the odd old staircase at the end of the entrance hall, which winds by low treads to the second-story floor, one finds, lining the walls, wonderful old ancestral portraits, not only of inestimable value, but of great public interest. there are several chambers in this upper story, one of which is of special note, since general lafayette slept here during his visit to major stark in 1824. all the furniture in this room, including the high four-poster, is the same that furnished the room when visited by the distinguished guest. it has been left unchanged, and is held to-day in great reverence by the survivors of the stark family. the house has always been in the family since its erection and was occupied by charlotte stark previous to its coming into the possession of the present owners. miss charlotte was one of major stark's favorite daughters. this house, more than most colonial houses, is of abounding interest. everywhere within its four walls are treasures which could not be found elsewhere. it was the home of the brave indian fighter, john stark, the friend of washington, and later on of major caleb stark, the friend of lafayette, who retired at the close of the revolution, at the age of twenty-four. few, if any colonial mansions are filled with such veritable treasures,--and there are still fewer houses where from five distinguished families have been gathered relics of such extraordinary interest, as in this home of long ago. chapter xvi the saltonstall house one of the most distinguished of haverhill families was and is the saltonstall family, who are first mentioned in the history of that town through nathaniel, who was born at ipswich and who came to haverhill and married elizabeth, the daughter of john ward, december 28, 1663; from this union are descended all the people of that name in america. saltonstall is spoken of by sewall in his diary, where he tells of "son saltonstall comforting me on account of his father-in-law's health;" and whittier, in a supposed journey of his heroine, tells of a visit to this man who later on lived in a fine house. saltonstall was in command of the militia in newbury and many adjoining towns and is mentioned as among the most popular and well principled military men. he was judge of the inferior court of pleas for essex until his death. samuel sewall, who gossiped about everybody, gives us a little glimpse of this noted man, who was appointed one of the judges for the trial of witches, but who would not sit upon the case, being very much dissatisfied with the proceedings. his grandson richard became a judge of the superior court in 1736, and it is of him that the celebrated samuel moody speaks. "lynde, dudley, remington and saltonstall with sewall meeting at the judgment hall, making a learned, wise and faithful set of godlike judges by god's counsel met." judge saltonstall had three sons: colonel richard, who lived at buttonwood, a loyalist and refugee; leverett, who died in the british army, and doctor nathaniel, who was descended through his mother from the patriotic cooke family in boston. it was he who built the house which is now situated on the border of lake saltonstall in haverhill, massachusetts. [illustration: plate lxvi.--the saltonstall house, haverhill, mass.] this mansion is one of the historic houses in massachusetts. it is a large, square dwelling, painted yellow with green blinds, showing at the front a porch ornamented with dentation. the house has never been out of the possession of the saltonstall family. he was a descendant of sir richard, who came to america with winthrop in the _arabella_ and helped to form the settlement at watertown, bringing with him cattle and servants, showing thereby that he was a man of property. nathaniel saltonstall, who built this house, was sent to harvard after his father's death and was graduated in 1766. he devoted himself to the study of medicine during the early revolutionary movements of the stamp act riot and the tea party. returning to haverhill against the wishes of his family, he began the practice of medicine in his native town. later, he enlisted as a volunteer in an artillery company, being the only one of the family who espoused the colonists' cause, but more interested in establishing a comfortable practice than in war, he soon resigned and continued his profession. in 1778 he married the daughter of samuel white. his father-in-law presented him with a lot of land on merrimack street, and here he built his residence, at a cost of three thousand dollars, which in that time gave him the handsomest house in the vicinity. this land abutted on the river, and was one hundred and fifty feet deep, laid out in terraced grassland and garden. on july 24, 1788, a contract was made between doctor saltonstall and marsh and carleton, joiners, to build the house, to be completed on or before the first of july of the following year. in the day book of the young physician, opened in 1774, we note that many of his patients worked out their indebtedness on the house. one enoch page gave work for nine days, and also helped out upon the doctor's flax. david bryant brought him five thousand bricks, and among the many others who paid in product was joseph whittier, the grandfather of the quaker poet, who brought a jug of hay, six pounds of butter, and one and a half bushels of oats, "in full payment of my bill, one pound, five shillings, and eleven pence." we also find an entry in the same note-book that in 1774 he received for services rendered in the town proper a shilling. if he had to cross the river to bradford, in 1800, it cost thirty-three cents, and in 1812 the charge was raised to fifty cents. the house was wonderfully furnished with fine old furniture, china, and glass, much of which has descended in the family, and is owned to-day by the present mistress, mrs. gurdon saltonstall howe. in 1806, doctor saltonstall's daughter married one john varnum, who was the leading lawyer of the town, and was given as her marriage portion a handsome outfit, a highly respectable sum of money, and one warming-pan, one silver teapot, one sugar pitcher, one cream pitcher, one jug, twelve silver spoons, and one brass kettle. many of these articles are still to be seen in the old home. sally saltonstall married her neighbor, isaac r. howe, who was said to be descended from the old-fashioned stock, with "beauty of conduct" which was, alas, even then a little old-fashioned. as years went by, haverhill became more thickly settled, and the estate grew so valuable that it was necessary to move the house. this was no easy matter in those days, and in order that it might be more conveniently accomplished, the structure was sawed in two, the separate parts being carefully boxed in and moved by oxen. the timbers, which were brought from england, were so strong that although moved for several miles, not a single part of the frame was started. as the oxen toiled up the long hill near the pentucket club, they became stalled, and more oxen had to be brought before the building could be finally landed in its present position. [illustration: plate lxvii.--two views of the hallway, saltonstall house.] it stands back from the road, facing lake saltonstall, in the midst of green fields, over which are scattered beautiful trees and flower gardens. entrance is at the front through a colonial porch, supported by dignified columns and showing dentation, which is repeated in the roof-line of the house. the entrance door, with its ponderous brass knocker, swings back on its long strap hinges, and reveals a wide hallway which extends entirely through the house to a second door, which leads to a garden beyond. this door shows plainly the mark of the saw where it was cut apart at the time of moving, and the scars of the joining are shown with great pride by the present owners as evidence of this achievement. at the right of the entrance is the staircase, showing the spiral newel post and carved balusters of the early period. the wainscoting is a feature of this central hall, as is the arch midway between the two entrance doors. a grandfather's clock ticks off the time, and beyond is a wonderful old dresser with a rare collection of pewter, showing many pieces that cannot be duplicated in this country. there is enough of this metal collected to set an entire dinner table, reminding us of the days when it was used extensively in this country, before the introduction of china and glass. opening out of this room at the right is the den, where a wonderful franklin stove is used for heating. all around the room are pieces of furniture which are not only historic but have much intrinsic value. opposite is the drawing-room, with its let-in window-seats and narrow, panelled, wooden shutters, locked at night and serving, if need be, instead of curtains. many of the chairs found in this room were covered with wonderful specimens of handiwork done by the wife of elisha cooke, one of doctor saltonstall's ancestors, while much of the furniture came over, as did the timbers, from the mother country, for the first occupant of the house. [illustration: plate lxviii.--two views of the dining room, saltonstall house.] the dining-room is, perhaps, one of the most attractive rooms in the house. it is well lighted by small-paned windows and contains hepplewhite chairs and side-table. at one side stands a sideboard which was originally in the possession of governor john leverett, who was governor of massachusetts bay colony at the time of king philip's war and who was a friend of cromwell's, and created baronet and knight by charles ii in 1676. governor leverett was an ancestor of the present owner. on this sideboard are many pieces of old family silver, including a tankard which was also owned by the governor. the fireplace is a true colonial one, showing blue and white tiles two deep, each illustrative of a bible story. the upper hall has undergone a change since it was built through the introduction of low, built-in bookcases. here the furniture includes chippendale chairs of a design that was very popular all through this period, being of beautiful proportions and showing fine workmanship. [illustration: plate lxix.--chambers in the saltonstall house.] chambers open off the hallway, each of which contains a great deal of rare furniture. there are the field beds with their drapings of white, some showing testers of 1800. modern wall-paper and frieze, as well as the draperies, have been introduced within the last few years, but are in harmony with the old-fashioned furniture, many pieces of which were inherited from the maternal side of the family, being the property, originally, of middleton cooke and also of mary cooke, third daughter of judge saltonstall and great-granddaughter of governor leverett. the cookes were a noted family and eminent politicians. elisha cooke, before mentioned, was an assistant under the old government, holding for forty years many positions of public trust; he was also a noted orator and politician, a member of the general court and of the council, and a leader of the public party. the saltonstalls also were a distinguished family, dudley being in command of the continental navy and captain of the _alfred_ in hopkin's fleet in february, 1776, while gurdon saltonstall, a governor of connecticut from 1707 until his death, was distinguished as an orator and statesman, and bequeathed to harvard university one thousand pounds to students studying for the ministry. singularly enough, since the first class graduated from harvard, there has always been a saltonstall connected with the college. this covers a period of over two hundred and fifty years, and during this time not one of these men has ever done anything to disgrace his alma mater. pieces of furniture associated with all three of these distinguished families are to be found in this house, many of them belonging to the old governor and handed down in direct line to the present owner. perhaps the most interesting piece of all is an old desk which was once owned by daniel webster, who at one time was a law partner of the late mr. gurdon howe's grandfather. it is filled with valuable papers, almost all bearing upon different business transactions in the great statesman's life. this was brought from boston at the time that mr. howe removed his law office from that city. one of these documents, a note characteristic of daniel webster, is still treasured. "united states senate, june 3d, ... "dear sir: "i arrived here last evening and found all well. one of the latter trials, as it happened, comes on this very day, or is expected to. this may delay me,--otherwise i expect to be at home on saturday. a note enclosed, as this falls due the 9th. please do the needful. "d. webster." the house has stood practically unchanged since the day of building, some slight changes having been made, but not enough to mar the colonial architecture. it is large and square, three stories in height, of simple, dignified proportions, and showing colonial details. the windows are the small-paned ones that were used in the long ago, with the exception of one of stained glass, which has been introduced over the entrance porch. the house is one which reflects the period,--a notable mansion filled with interesting colonial relics which formerly were owned by some of the most prominent men in our country. chapter xvii the dalton house because of the distinctive place that houses of the middle period hold in the present architectural world, architects from all over the country are now looking for specimens of these dwellings to which they may turn for copy. the master builders of that time knew well their art, and their work is characteristic of us as a nation. houses of that period, while comparatively similar in type to those of the old world, yet show enough variation to make them interesting, and stand in favorable comparison. there is the large, square house, three stories in height, which came into vogue early in the nineteenth century. then there is the double-decked house with its roof ornamentations, and the plain house of the purest colonial type, an illustration of the latter being the dalton house at newburyport, massachusetts. this house stands on the principal street in newburyport, a seaport city, where in the days of commercial prosperity ships lined the wharves, as they came and went in their traffic with foreign lands. those were the days when merchants made and lost fortunes, the days of golden prosperity and of flashes of romance. to these days we turn as a most interesting period of our country's architectural history. in fancy we see the newburyport of that day, situated on the banks of the merrimac river, a breezy old town propped up on a granite base. its principal street, three miles in length, overlooked the quays, where in the olden days vessels arrived from russia or antwerp or perhaps from the west indies, laden with rich furs, strange wooden shoes, guava jellies, wonderful old shawls, and many other exports that were piled high on the now silent wharves. [illustration: plate lxx.--the dalton house, newburyport, mass.] on this the principal street stands the dalton house, two and a half stories in height, with gambrel roof and a wide, inviting porch--a mansion that suggests the days when money was piled high in the coffers and when the prosperous men flaunted their wealth, spending it freely, not only in frequent entertainments but in equipages that were the envy of the less fortunate townsmen. there were no more beautiful or expensive carriages than those owned by tristram dalton, who succeeded his father, michael dalton, in the ownership of the house. when the mansion was first built, there was a spacious estate in keeping with the house instead of the limited grounds that we see to-day. at the rear, just back of the courtyard, were large, well-built stables, in which were sheltered fine horses. beyond, were gardens and grass lands, for, when the estate was first planned, it consisted of three acres of land bounded westerly on greenleafs lane, southerly on nathan hale's land, easterly on newman's land, and northeast or northerly on the land of james pierson. michael dalton, who built the house in 1720, was a great-grandson of philemon dalton, who came to new england in 1635. michael was very ambitious, and when quite young he left his father's home to engage in a seafaring life. he made many successful voyages and augmented his wealth to such a degree that he added greatly to the family possessions. later on he became a prominent merchant, and married in 1733 one mary little. his means continuing to increase, he became interested in agricultural pursuits and bought a country estate at pipestave hill at west newbury. just before his death, he deeded his house to his son tristram dalton, who became a prominent figure in american history. tristram dalton was graduated from harvard in 1755. there is still seen in the house a portrait supposed to have been painted at about that time. one of his closest intimates was a classmate, john adams, their friendship ending only with death. young dalton began studying law in salem but afterwards entered business with his father; in 1758 he married ruth hooper, the daughter of robert hooper, a rich merchant of marblehead, familiarly known as "king" hooper on account of his great wealth. until within the last few years there was a pane of glass in one of the windows, on which was written with a diamond the name of ruth hooper dalton. it is still preserved and from letters kept is shown to be a perfect facsimile of her handwriting. during his life, he became devoted to public interests and was a very prominent citizen of the town, the state, and nation. he served on numerous town committees, was a delegate to the provincial congress, a representative of the general court, a speaker of the house, a member of the state senate and a delegate to the constitutional convention of 1788, being a zealous advocate of the adoption of the constitution. he was ever active and energetic in his many efforts to reconcile political differences. so successful was his political life that after a long and sharply contested battle he was elected senator from 1789-1791. he came of irish descent and was considered one of the most learned, wealthy, and influential persons in the country. he was a near and confidential friend of president washington, who induced him to remove his household goods to the city of washington, foreseeing that it would eventually become one of the grandest cities in the country. there is a portrait of dalton painted by blackburn, that is still kept in the house, which shows him tall and well-formed, with fine, clear complexion and smooth, open brow. his dress was after the fashion of the time, with short clothes and knee breeches, coat with standing collar and broad deep lapels faced with silk, white satin waistcoat, ruffled shirt bosom, and deep lace cuffs. that he was fond of dress is shown from the picture, his hair was puffed on either side, giving him an appearance of dignity and age, and making it difficult to believe that the portrait is of one so young. he was a fine specimen of a gentleman of the old school and was well fitted to take a leading part in the best new england societies. the distinguishing traits of his personality continued all through his life, for even as late as 1816 we read of him as erect, firm, and showing a fine presence. he was a man of emotions rather than of ideas, the warmth and sincerity of his feelings lifting him above all personal considerations and giving him that elevation and nobility of character that appeals so strongly to one's affections. at that period the dalton house was noted for its hospitality, and many men of national and world-wide fame, whose portraits hang upon the walls to-day, were entertained therein. stately hospitality continually opened the door of this dwelling, to which had been brought from the treasure-laden ships embroidered shawls, sheer muslins, and bright silks for the ladies, as well as rich furniture for the house. during the daltons' life here, their house was a perfect treasure-house of wonderfully fine old furniture, now generally scattered among the descendants; but there are still kept in the mansion some wonderfully fine specimens of hepplewhite chairs, originally owned by the daltons. they were lavish entertainers, these daltons, and it was here that washington came during a visit to newburyport. he later writes that he partook of an early breakfast at the home of his friend, honorable tristram dalton, on state street. while he was being entertained at this meal, an imperative voice was heard in the hallway demanding entrance to the dining-room. washington recognized the voice of his old servitor, toffee, and requested that he be admitted. the most cordial greeting took place between the two, and the old commander gave to toffee a silver piece which the servant wore about his neck all the rest of his life. it must have been an early breakfast, for washington left town at eight o'clock in the morning, crossing the river at salisbury, two miles above. this was no uncommon deviation for the president, as we find that while visiting new england he was often entertained at the houses of private citizens and personal friends. in addition to george washington, president monroe, talleyrand, jefferson in 1784, lafayette in 1824, john quincy adams, and john hancock were also among the personages of note who accepted the hospitality of this house. on september 13, 1775, colonel benedict arnold, at the head of his troops, left cambridge, dining at mr. tristram dalton's on the monday following, before sailing from newburyport to aid in the capture of quebec. the fleet consisted of eleven sailing vessels, which carried eleven hundred men. in those days lavish wealth blazed in the town, and the owner of the dalton house made the people sigh as he drove into town or to his country-seat at pipestave hill in his white satin lined coach drawn by six prancing white horses, with four outriders in white livery. inside were such guests as talleyrand, george peabody, and even that eccentric personage, lord timothy dexter, who had the ambition to figure in genteel society and cultivated as much as possible the society of dalton. his coaches and open phaetons drawn by two or three spans of horses with the liveried outriders, after the style of the nobility of europe, were more magnificent than were those of any other citizen of the town. his sideboards were weighted with silver, and his chests filled with money, for the incoming ships brought back great bags of gold realized by the sale of cargoes in foreign lands, and large amounts of money were kept in the house by the merchant princes of that day. in addition to his large house in newburyport, and his country-seat at pipestave hill, mr. dalton had his fishing station, with boats and outfits, on the banks of the merrimac, while his hunting-lodge was in the upper woods of west newbury. all his surroundings were of a princely nature, befitting the fortune that he owned. many were the weddings that took place here, among them being that of mary, the eldest daughter of tristram dalton, who, upon her marriage to honorable leonard white of haverhill, "drove out" in the large white satin coach drawn by six prancing white horses with four white-liveried outriders. later on, her sister ruth married louis deblois, a prominent boston merchant, leaving her home in the same coach. the house itself is one of the best preserved buildings of that day. it has never deteriorated, always being occupied by people of wealth. with the growth of building in the town, the estate has become reduced, until there is now very little of the original tract left. the courtyard has disappeared, as have the expensive stables, for with the dwindling of wealth the need of them has vanished. the house, which was built in 1720, is of gambrel-roof type and a fine example of that period. the blinds are the same ones that were hung at the time when michael dalton built the house. its faã§ade, the lines of which are dignified, seems beaming with welcome. [illustration: plate lxxi.--porch, dalton house.] entrance to the house is through a colonial porch of ample dimensions, showing dentation, which is supported by corinthian columns; the hall is lighted by a fanlight and sidelights on either side the wide, hospitable door. the exterior is painted white, as it always has been. a feature of the house is the wide clapboards. the original small-paned windows have been kept, so that the exterior remains practically unchanged. who the carver was is unknown. it must be remembered that in those days ship carvers were employed to work upon the ornamentation of the ships, so that it was probably some one employed by the daltons on their vessels who designed and carried out the carving of the woodwork, both on the exterior and in the interior. [illustration: plate lxxii.--lower hall, dalton house; upper hall, dalton house.] the entrance door gives into a large hall with wonderfully fine panellings on either side. each of the three balusters has a different design. the stairs are box stairs leading by low treads to a wide landing, where a colonial window admits a flood of light to the hall. a second low flight of stairs leads to the second story, where the hall corresponds with the lower one. it is here the hepplewhite chairs are found and also a wonderful picture of the late tristram dalton, painted later in life than the one already mentioned. the woodwork in this house is considered the finest to be found in any house in newburyport. the hall is finished in panel effects, but the door-casings and the fireplaces in many instances show rich hand-carving. the house contains twenty-five rooms, sixty cupboards, and ample halls, and yet even then was scarcely large enough to accommodate the dalton family, their many guests, and their servants. many of the latter were slaves, who in those days were kept in the household. one of them was buried on burying hill in newburyport, and on a stone placed at the head of his grave is carved "faithful pompey." [illustration: plate lxxiii.--fireplaces, dalton house.] the living-room, or drawing-room as it was called in those days, is a large, square room that is at the left of the hallway. in this room are shown the pictures of many of the distinguished guests who in former years were visitors at the house and intimate friends of the owner. the fireplace is a large one, the woodwork hand-carved, and in the large panels above has been inserted the dalton coat of arms. the windows are recessed, showing window-seats; each one has the hinged shutter such as was used in the early days for security, being closed and barred every night. these are still used in this same way in this mansion to-day. a feature of this room is the fine wood-carving shown in the casing of the door. at one side, hanging on the wall, is a scrap of the old wall-paper that once adorned the wall. it is of seventeenth-century pattern, with garlands, and is finished in light colors and pink groundwork, a delicate and most unusual wall-paper. this is the only room in the house, so far as is known, which was covered with the old-time wall-paper. at the right are double parlors which may have been used for dining-room, or living-room and dining-room, combined. here are also found wonderful panellings, but very little of the elaborate hand-carving. all of the wood in this house, as in most of the houses of the same period, is of white pine, for this wood is considered one of the best wearing kinds that has ever grown. the timbers are of solid oak and are as staunch as they were in the days when the house was built. in these rooms have been entertained the dignitaries of the land, while in the parlor were celebrated the marriages of the daughters of the household. the mansion has an atmosphere of attraction and spaciousness rarely found in houses of this description. it is shown in the abundance of light and in the arrangement of the rooms, which have been planned for elaborate entertaining. at the rear of the house are the servants' quarters. the large, old-fashioned fireplace, where in former days the cooking for the dalton family was done, is now a thing of the past, modern appliances having replaced the spit and the large brick oven. the ell of the house, a part of which was removed, was originally nearly as large as the main portion. it was once used exclusively for servants' quarters, and even then was barely large enough for the enormous retinue that was needed to run the dalton household. up-stairs the rooms correspond to the large ones downstairs, with the exception that on the right-hand side a partition divides what was formerly a large room into two smaller ones. these rooms still show the same fine panelling, the old-time brass locks and hardware that were features of the house at the time of its building. they have never been replaced by modern fixtures. the third story was used for guests' rooms, the slope of the roof being eliminated by boarding the gambrel roof so as to make square chambers. the old chimneys, six feet square, have been taken down, and small ones have replaced them. the railing of this house, which was originally a two decker, has been removed and while not materially changing its appearance, still gives it a little different look. an iron fence has been substituted for the old paling fence which once enclosed the grounds, while new posts have replaced the old ones. the courtyard is grassed over, also the space between house and fence, and a wide, paved stone walk leads to the entrance porch. in 1796 this house was sold, together with dalton's other residences, after he had been defeated for re-election, a serious disappointment, although his letters written at the time do not show any signs of anger or ill-nature. the pipestave hill great farm residence was sold for thirty-seven hundred pounds, while his land on state street brought a much lower sum. the house was practically cleared of all the dalton furniture, the household goods being carefully packed and shipped on a sailing vessel bound to georgetown, district of columbia. during the voyage the vessel was wrecked, and a part of his household belongings were thus lost. since then the house has passed into various hands. fortunately the different owners venerated the old homestead and it has been carefully preserved, so that notwithstanding its many years of life, it is practically in perfect condition. chapter xviii the kittredge house among the most prominent delegates to the convention that was summoned by the legislature to meet in boston, in 1787, to take under consideration the perfecting of the national constitution, we find heading the list one doctor thomas kittredge of north andover, a prominent gentleman and one whose loyalty has never been questioned. north andover lies to the north of the town of that name and was originally known as the north parish. it was divided from the original town in 1709. previous to that it had been reserved for inland plantations, all persons who settled there having three years' immunity from taxation. during that period farms were cultivated, dwellings erected, and the church built, where doctrines most severe were meted out, those neglecting to attend meeting for three months being publicly whipped. the houses erected in this village, with the exception of a very few, were not distinguished for architectural beauty or for fine or costly furniture. of the better class only a few remain. prominent among these is the kittredge mansion, which is typical of the highest development of colonial architecture in the early part of the eighteenth century. the owner was not only one of the ablest surgeons of the revolutionary army, but a public-spirited citizen, a capable officer, and the ancestor of a line of surgeons and physicians who have done most important things in the community. [illustration: plate lxxiv.--the kittredge house, andover, mass.] the fine old house at andover is closely associated with the history of the family in this country. it is a large, square mansion, three stories in height, crowning the crest of a hill. it is situated far back from the main road, a terraced lawn reaching down to a colonial fence that surrounds the entire estate. entrance is through a picket gate that swings between dignified colonial posts and which gives into a path leading by terraces straight to the house, at the rear of which the grounds extend for many acres. on them are large barns, which provide ample space for cattle. the house has sheltered many generations of the same family. it was built in 1784 by the doctor, who was one of the third generation in america, a son of doctor john kittredge, who came to north andover from tewksbury about 1741. at the time of his settlement, this doctor john kittredge purchased large tracts of land, covering the entire site of the present village, and lived in an old farmhouse which has only recently been torn down. doctor thomas kittredge was one of three sons. he secured a portion of the holding from his father about 1745, and on it he erected what was considered to be the second finest house that had been built in that section of the country. it was so dignified and impressive that it was surpassed only by the residence of joshua phillips, whose mansion was situated in the so-called south parish of the town. in its construction skilled labor was employed, as was shown by the fine hand-carving around the fireplaces in many of the important rooms of the house. the site occupied originally many acres, including what was once known as the old training field. it was here, in the early period of our history and before the estate was used for private grounds, that the early militia were wont to gather on muster day, dressed in the picturesque old-time uniform. here they performed wonderful feats of skill that were viewed by the country folk for many miles around. on these same grounds was the first kittredge mansion, and not far away were the slave quarters, significant of the fact that the owner of the old homestead was a man of means and also that he owned many slaves, as was customary in those days among the wealthier class in massachusetts. to-day the old quarters have disappeared, and only tradition hands down the many stories connected with their past. the immediate surroundings of the present mansion are very much the same as when it was erected so many years ago. there have been some improvements, however, since the time when the great housewarming took place, an important event in those days and attended by friends and neighbors for miles around. the dignified house is well proportioned, fitting picturesquely into its surroundings. the main portion is square of build; in each corner a massive yet graceful pilaster shows hand-carving wonderfully fine in design. the windows have retained their small panes and show carved cornices. these, by their formal appearance, lend an additional dignity and carry out the scheme of simplicity evident in the handsome, well-proportioned porch, which is a feature of the home. the main approach is through the quaint gateway in the center of the colonial fence. this gives upon a narrow path leading between tree-dotted grass plots to the main entrance. this entrance is characterized by finely carved columns that prove an admirable foil to the door of dark, panelled wood, flanked on either side by narrow lights of glass and ornamented with a colonial knocker of the hammer type. from this porch one obtains a most extensive view of the surrounding country, for picturesque vistas are found on every side. the heavy door swings back on its strap hinges and the visitor finds himself in a wide, large hallway extending entirely through the house, dividing it in two. the interior remains unchanged, and the lofty ceilings, the great hallway, and broad staircases are in contrast to the small entry and narrow, winding stairs found in many colonial dwellings. [illustration: plate lxxv.--hallway, kittredge house.] as one steps into the great hall, with its handsome, panelled woodwork and old-fashioned furniture, he feels no jarring note. the deep cornice showing dentation affords a correct finish to the soft-toned hangings which divide it from the wainscot. to the left and right lead fine, large, square rooms filled with the rarest models of chippendale, hepplewhite, and sheraton. the colonial staircase with its fine, hand-carved newel-post and balusters is at the left of the hallway. the stairs are boxed, the risers low, and the treads wide. half-way up is a wide landing, lighted by a fine example of a colonial window, showing an arched top. through this the sunlight streams upon an old grandfather's clock, which has steadily ticked off the hours since placed there in the early days when the house was first furnished. a short flight of steps that turn at the right leads to the second-story hall, which corresponds in size and finish to the one below. it is finished with wonderful examples of the old masters' pieces shown in sheraton and chippendale design. no modern touch has been introduced to rob this home of its colonial atmosphere, and everywhere are found rich relics of a distinguished past. the house is divided into four large rooms on the entrance floor. here one discovers a perfect treasure trove of antiques, for in addition to wonderful furniture, there is some of the finest china to be found in the country. [illustration: plate lxxvi.--living room, kittredge house; parlor, kittredge house.] [illustration: plate lxxvii.--soapstone fire frame, kittredge house fireplace, kittredge house.] at the right is the living-room, where the woodwork shows wide panels, the fireplace having an old-time, soapstone fire-frame. every piece of furniture is of the colonial type, the sofas being of the empire period, and the chairs of sheraton, showing rush bottom and often known as fancy chairs. a wonderful old cabinet is filled with relics such as are rarely found, even in a colonial home. the parlor is on the opposite side of the hallway; the woodwork around the fireplace in this room is hand-carved, with baskets of flowers for the center ornamentation, and festoon effects on either side. it has a facing of tiles, on which are depicted biblical scenes. the woodwork shows well planned panelling, with a deep cornice above the quaint wall hangings. the recessed windows are fitted with built-in seats and the old-time shutters which were originally used as safeguard against the indians. every piece of furniture is a genuine antique, the hepplewhite with the favorite shield or heart-shaped back and straight legs, and the cozy arm-chair of sheraton design known in this country as "martha washington," owing to the fact that one of this design was included in the furnishings at mt. vernon, all being choice examples. equally as interesting as these fine bits is a quaint, old bronze lamp, 1820, with lusters and glass shades. the roundabout chippendale chair, and the center table, with its thin top, plain tripod, and ball feet, are typical of those designed about the first of the nineteenth century. in the dining-room, which opens from the rear of the hallway, the same dignified simplicity is a dominant feature. the furnishing of mahogany, the china cupboards, and the rare pieces of chippendale and sheraton are worthy of their attractive setting. the fireplace, with its exquisite carving, brings into relief the fine lines of the mantel above. rare old pewter, silver, and exquisite bits of sheffield plate are found in the deep closets in this room. the second story is in keeping with the good taste displayed on the lower floor. the furnishings here are antique also, including some of the best examples of four-posters to be found in new england. the fireplaces vary from the franklin stove, to the large, open fireplaces of our grand-dames' time, with broad spaces of panelled woodwork; the white finish, mellowed to ivory tones, affords a suitable background for the wonderful old pictures. the house as a whole typifies the highest ideals of a bygone period. no modern touch is allowed to mar the beauty of its simple dignity. never since its erection has it been out of the family. as before stated, the builder was one of three sons, all physicians. there was also a sister elizabeth, who inherited medical ability to such a marked degree that she took charge of her father's patients, and after her marriage and removal to londonderry, new hampshire, was frequently called upon to assist at surgical operations. there is a story extant relating to her visit to a patient during a dark night. while on her way she slipped and fell, breaking her leg. nothing daunted, she set the bone herself, and so well did she do it that she suffered no serious inconvenience from her mishap. doctor thomas kittredge commenced his practice in andover about 1775. at the commencement of the revolution, he enlisted in the continental army, rendering very valuable services as surgeon in colonel james fry's regiment. of him it has been well said that he had more natural skill than any man in the country. a dignified and commanding gentleman, he enjoyed unusual facilities for aiding the sick and the wounded, not only through his wealth, which allowed him to procure for them many delicacies, but through the services of his brother-in-law, major samuel osgood, who was in charge of the department of supplies. his father, while not taking an active part in the work, did much for the welfare of the soldiers who were sent home to recuperate. he frequently kept them in the old house for many months, or until they had fully recovered their health. at the close of the revolution, doctor thomas served a long term in the legislature, and his sterling character and fine intellect combined to make him one of the most valued members of this learned body of men. the last act of his life was in keeping with the kindly traits that had always distinguished him and had made him generally beloved. he encountered at the roadway a man coming from afar, with yet many miles to go before his destination was reached. noticing the worn-out condition of the horse he rode, the doctor commanded the animal to be installed in his own barn and offered the stranger the use of one of his horses that he might continue on his way. the next morning the borrowed animal was sent home, but the kindly master who had so graciously loaned him was not present to note his return, having passed quietly away in his sleep during the night. in his day slavery was countenanced in massachusetts, and the affairs of the colored servants, however trivial, were attended to by the good doctor and his wife, who were ever thoughtful of the interests of their slaves. the raising of the great house, known as the kittredge mansion, was a source of great rejoicing among those servitors, and one of the slaves, cã¦sar by name, held in his arms the baby of the family, doctor joseph kittredge, first, then nine months old, that he might be able to say, when he was a man grown, that he was at the raising. there were many incidents in which the slaves afforded the doctor great amusement, particularly one which occurred when cato was about to be married. the family and guests were gathered in the parlor, and doctor sims, the pastor of the church, was asked to officiate. cato had been presented for the occasion with a suit of small-clothes, and half a crown for a wedding fee. he was very much impressed with the responsibility of the money, but he could not determine when or where the fee was to come in. this led him to keep his ears and eyes wide open, watching the minister's every word and action. the ceremony concluded, doctor sims said in a solemn voice: "let us pray," stretching out his hand as he spoke. the nervous bridegroom understood it as "let us pay," and he thrust his hand hastily into his pocket and brought out the half-crown, placing it in the minister's hand before the voice of supplication showed him that the summons was to "pray" and not to "pay." doctor joseph kittredge succeeded to his father's practice in 1818. he married miss hannah hodges of salem, and two of their sons were educated for the medical profession,--doctor joseph kittredge, second, and doctor john kittredge. the first named succeeded his father in practice and was a highly respected and beloved physician of north andover until his death in 1878. two of his sons are doctors, doctor thomas kittredge of salem, and doctor joseph kittredge, third. the standard of hospitality established by the builder has been rigidly adhered to through all the passing years, and more especially during the summer season the old rooms re-echo with the merry chatter of gay young voices, much as they did in the olden days. chapter xix the royall house the types of mansions described in this book are found not only in new england but through the south. they show marked differences, which give to them picturesqueness and absence of monotony in build. in studying these homes, we must remember that master carpenters were steadily gaining opportunities to brighten their wits by books dealing with architecture, which were being imported into the colonies. we must also remember that increase of wealth had brought about more advantages, and that the nation was demanding better and more elaborate homes. with change in exterior came a corresponding one in the interior. transatlantic ideas were incorporated in the newer homes. there came a progress in the interior finish, showing artistic staircases, colonial windows, and hand-carving in mantel and cornice. thus was introduced a new and lasting development along architectural lines. with the larger houses many features of the original ones were discarded. there was no longer the wide central chimney around which the rooms clustered. we find no longer in the chimney-places bricks set in clay, and lathes split from logs, but better and more lasting work. the wood commonly used in these old houses was white pine, which is not so common to-day, although there is nothing more lasting. unfortunately, not many of these mansions have survived, many having fallen into decay and disappeared. there are, however, enough left to aid the growth of colonial ideas in twentieth century homes. one of these houses that deserves more than passing notice stands on main street in medford, massachusetts, "a house within a house," and is called the royall house. it is the only building standing on this land, which is known as "the ten hills farm." this estate, with additional grounds, was granted to governor winthrop in 1631, and as early as 1637 the homestead lot was set apart and walled in. not long afterward we find that tenants and employees of the governor were located here, the royall house being one of their places of abode. [illustration: plate lxxviii.--the royall house, medford, mass.] the original mansion, which was two and a half stories in height, was much plainer and smaller than is the present one. since its erection it has been raised one story, and the present house has been made to enclose the original structure. among the old houses that are still standing, few have the dignity and stateliness of this mansion, and its roof has sheltered some of the most important men and women connected with our country's history. the estate is situated on the western side of the main road of what was then known as mead's ford, from which the town of medford derived its name. it was owned by john winthrop between 1641 and 1645, becoming the property of his son, john winthrop, jr., after this period. it was purchased of the winthrops by mrs. elizabeth lidgett, who made it over to her son charles. he, however, being an adherent of andros, was ordered to leave the province, together with the unpopular governor. the house at that time was two and one half stories in height, with dormer windows in the attic. there were two rooms on each floor, and the dimensions over all were eighteen by forty-five feet, the west, north, and south walls being of brick. lieutenant-governor john usher, brother-in-law of colonel lidgett, came into possession of the house through the entanglement of its owner in lawsuits. during his possession he enlarged it by building a lean-to on the west side, leaving the original brick wall to form a partition between the eastern and western rooms. by careful inspection of this brick work on the south side of the building, one can follow the original outline of the gable end. there is a little window in the lean-to, differing in finish from the two others above it and yet not in line with them. this directs the attention to the second period in the evolution of this historic mansion. lieutenant-governor usher was councilor and treasurer of massachusetts under andros. he married the daughter of peter lidgett, and later on married for a second wife the daughter of george allen, who bought the new hampshire grants from the heirs of mason. this home on the mystic was a favorite resort of the tories but the last of the governor's life was surrounded by business troubles and lawsuits, in which he was most unsuccessful. in fact, before his death, he put his farm out of his own control, the deed to be returned to his widow at the time of his death. in 1732, nine years later, isaac royall, who owned a large plantation in antigua in the leeward islands, a man of considerable means, purchased the estate, and it has since borne his name. at the time of its purchase it embraced five hundred and four and three quarters acres and twenty-three rods of land, and the house and grounds were bought for â£10,230 10_s._ 9_d._ isaac royall was a wealthy man; he brought to the estate twenty-seven slaves, for whom he paid as head-tax, five pounds each, the slaves acting as his body servants and coachmen. immediately work was started on remodelling the whole building, and it took five years to complete it. the house was made three stories high throughout. barns were laid out; the slave quarters and summer-house were built, and a high wall enclosed the grounds from the highway. this was broken by a low wall and a fence that ran directly in front of the house. in those days an elm-shaded driveway led from the main road to a paved courtyard that was on the west side of the house, its picturesqueness enhanced by flower-bordered walks that reached from the mansion on the west to the summer-house, and on the east to the road. the house was clapboarded on the north side, panelled and embellished with hand-carving, on the garden side, while the street front was not greatly changed. it is to-day in fine repair and probably contains the only slave quarters to be found in massachusetts. there is still to be seen in the interior the original fireplace where the slaves did their cooking; the brick portion of this was built in 1732, while the wooden part is much older. an arch of masonry underneath the fireplace is one of the largest in existence and is used as a support for this portion of the building. at the west of the house is an extensive courtyard with a foundation of cobblestones. here, in olden days, royall's chariot, the only one north of boston, with four horses, would come rolling up to the side door to leave the guests. this led to the erroneous idea that the western side of the house was the front. the royalls were descended from william royall, who came to salem with governor craddock; during the time he lived here it was a rallying place for social life, no one of importance riding by without alighting. it was the scene of many a merrymaking and was the show place of the town. at the end of the garden was the summer-house that is still carefully treasured, being octagonal in shape, with carved pilasters, bell-shaped roof, and cupola surmounted by a winged mercury that swings with the breeze, and was used as a weather-vane. this figure is a fine piece of carving that stands nearly five feet high. the summer-house stood on an artificial mound, within which was a walled cellar which was entered by a trap-door, adding great mystery to the structure. tradition states that this was a prison for slaves, but it is more practical if less romantic to believe that it was used for storage purposes. this summer-house, with its arched windows and the tender sentiments scratched upon the woodwork, was a pleasant place in all weathers except the more severe. [illustration: plate lxxix.--doorway, royall house.] the architecture of the house is interesting. the doorway on the east is the true entrance door, showing corinthian columns, while the georgian porch at the west, supporting ionic columns, is also considered a fine bit of architecture. there can be but little doubt that a house showing the dignity of exterior of the royall house must have equally good interior woodwork. one realizes before opening the colonial door that he will see inside a fine old staircase, richly carved newel-post and balusters. the carving in this house as well as others of its type is not confined to the capitals that adorn its architraves. [illustration: plate lxxx.--hallway from the rear, royall house.] the long hallway extends the entire length of the house, with doors at either end. the stairway is on the eastern side facing the entrance, and is approached through an arch showing fine hand-carving. the balusters are carved in three different designs, while the newel-post is a combination of the three, one carved within the other. the staircase leads by low treads to the second-story floor. it is made under the old stair-builders' rule: "twice the rise plus the tread equals twenty-five, then cut on the string." there is no stucco work either in the hallway or in any other part of the house, and the wood throughout is pine. at the right of the hallway are double parlors, the western one being finished in wood which shows wonderful hand-carving done in 1732, and is lighted by arched windows. the outside shutters remain just as they were all through the lower part of the house when remodelled. the fireplace is finished in old mulberry dutch tiles and contains hessian andirons, which differ from those generally seen in that they face each other. these andirons came into vogue just after the revolution and were used to support backlogs. the eastern parlor is reached through folding-doors, which mask the original walls of the winthrop house. these rooms, during the royalls' reign, were used for many social events. the old wing arm-chair with dutch legs came in about 1750. the silk-embroidered, chippendale fire-screen shows beautiful, mythological pictures, while the old, steeple-topped brass andirons display to advantage the mulberry tiles of 1847 and also the quaint old fireback. on the wall hangs a picture of isaac royall, who gave money to harvard college to found the royall professorship of law which was the foundation of the harvard law school. [illustration: plate lxxxi.--spinning room, royall house.] during the life history of the house, nineteen marriages have taken place in these rooms, one of them being that of the oldest daughter, elizabeth royall, to sir william (sparhawk) pepperrell. here also penelope royall married henry vassall of cambridge, uncle of the builder of the longfellow house and of christ church. vassall and his wife are the only ones buried under the church. it was during their life here that agnes surriage, according to abigail adams' diary, came to the house frequently with henry frankland. the dining-room which is opposite the double parlors is at the present time being restored to the royall period and will include much of the rare old panelling and fine hand-carving that are shown all through the house, as well as quaint closets. [illustration: plate lxxxii.--kitchen fireplace, royall house.] the kitchen contains many old relics. among them is the porter sign which was used in medford square in 1769, on the royall oak tavern. the new hampshire soldiers had such an intense feeling against the english sign that before the battle of bunker hill they fired against it in anger, the bullet marks being still plainly seen. in this kitchen, also, is kept the first fork in the colony, brought over by governor winthrop, also candle-dips made over one hundred and twenty-five years ago by the old process of taking wicks of twine and dipping them in fat in a cold room. [illustration: plate lxxxiii.--chambers in the royall house.] the chambers are, many of them, most interesting. several of them show quaint tiles. one of them, the northeast chamber, has a wonderful old fireplace with sixty ancient bible tiles, many of them original. these depict different scenes in bible stories, such as cain slaying his brother with his left hand, the whale and jonah, mary and joseph fleeing into egypt. the southeast chamber shows a great deal of the old winthrop panelling. this was transferred when royall reconstructed the building. here, as in the northeast chamber, are wonderful old tiles, the royall house boasting more of the best specimens of that early period than any other. everywhere through the house we find indications of the luxury introduced by the wealthy royalists. all of the rooms are large, with high ceilings and wide windows showing inside shutters. the hand-carving is especially noticeable, being beautifully done and most original in design. in the guest room, or marble chamber as it is generally known, cornices or moldings are exquisitely carved. there is one panelling over the fireplace that is three feet wide and five feet long, while the thickness of the walls is shown by the width of the window-seats. each window is enclosed in an alcove, and some of them retain the original glass. it is said of isaac royall, second, that his love of display and his liking for good things were known throughout the town. he was one of the most hospitable citizens, giving the finest of dinners to his friends, the vassalls, who occupied the craigie house, the olivers, and other citizens of tory row, besides dignitaries of church and state. his wines were the best, his horses and carriages the most stylish, and it was said of him that he was one of the most eccentric men in the colony. he kept a journal describing minutely every incident and every visitor, even going so far as to tell what slippers he wore. his ambitions were political, but he was never very prominent. at the outbreak of the revolution, isaac royall left the house, and his estate was taken under the confiscation act. finding that the place was deserted by a hated tory, it was made a lawful retreat for the continental army, and used by colonel john stark for headquarters. he lived there with his officers, and his regiment was quartered near by. in the old summer-house were held many councils of war, and from here the troops went forth to fight at the battle of bunker hill. during the time that general stark and his wife lived here, which was over a year, they entertained a great deal. molly was a most loyal wife. at the time of the evacuation of boston, it was said that she went to the top of the stairs leading to the roof above the attic after her husband had marched to dorchester heights, and watched to see whether the british ships in the harbor landed troops on the north side of the mystic. in such an event, she had orders to alarm the people. lee and sullivan were quartered here for a short time. the fine old wines left by colonel royall did service for the officers. the cellar was ransacked in search of goodies; the soldiers, in oddly designed uniforms, passed up and down, stacking their guns in the wide hall, while their flag of thirteen stars fluttered over the entrance. after the government took possession of the property, it was returned to the royall heirs in 1790, and they in turn sold it to a syndicate. in 1810 jacob tidd came into possession of the estate, his wife living there for fifty-one years. she was ruth dawes, sister of william dawes, who took the midnight ride to concord, april 18, 1775. her bedchamber, in which hangs a picture of william dawes, has been restored by her descendants. the house has been acquired by the royall house association, being used to-day for patriotic and educational purposes. in a closet of one of the rooms is shown a tea-chest, the only one left from the memorable boston tea party. few houses in colonial history possess the interest of this one, and the royall house stands unique and distinctive among the many colonial houses of the period. chapter xx the longfellow house with the exception of mount vernon, there is perhaps no house better known in america than the henry wadsworth longfellow house at cambridge, massachusetts, its reputation having been gained from the fact that it was the home of the late distinguished and beloved poet. here have come most illustrious guests from all over the world, and under the roof-tree was given to longfellow the theme for his famous poem of evangeline, during a visit of horace conelly and of nathaniel hawthorne. there are few mansions of more stately dignity than this large, colonial house, standing back from the main road, surrounded by smooth, velvety lawns dotted here and there with mighty elms. it was built in 1760 by john vassall, of a family prominent in the history of our country, whose name had been traced back to the year 1500, and many members of which have married into distinguished families. john vassall was the son of "colonel" john vassall, who married elizabeth phipps, daughter of lieutenant-governor phipps. his uncle, henry vassall, married penelope royall of medford. these two brothers were sons of "major" leonard vassall, who was twice married and had eighteen children. john vassall, like his father, was graduated from harvard. on january 12, 1761, he married elizabeth oliver, daughter of lieutenant-governor oliver. his sister elizabeth had previously been married to lieutenant-governor oliver, who lived near by at elmwood. when john vassall built the longfellow house, the estate was not so contracted as it is to-day, but embraced large grounds of more than a hundred acres. concerning his life here, there is little known, save that the family were very hospitable and were numbered among the royalists, who in those days formed a small colony of their own, later known as "old tory row." this included many wealthy people of boston who had not as yet embraced the cause of the colonists. in 1775, at the commencement of the revolutionary troubles, this group of men were naturally out of favor and eventually it ceased to exist. about this time vassall left to take up his residence in boston, and soon afterward, failing to agree with the colonists' ideas, he removed with his family to england. in accordance with the custom of that period, the estate was confiscated in 1778, shortly after its desertion by its original owner. this was some years after the encampment of continental troops in cambridge, when this mansion, like many others, was used for officers' headquarters. on the grounds were encamped the regiment from marblehead under the command of colonel glover. this seems to have been a favorite rendezvous for the colonial troops, for later on general washington made this his headquarters, remaining for a long period. while he was here, madam washington joined him, and tradition tells of much gaiety and many banquets given at the residence by the general and his wife. there are still in existence notes from his account book which deal with this house, as for instance: "july 15, 1775, paid for cleaning the house which was provided for my quarters, and which had been occupied by the marblehead regiment, â£2 10_s._ 9_d._" it is probable that this house was used for a longer period than any other during the war for headquarters of washington, as it was not until march of the following year after the evacuation of boston by the british that it was again left empty. in this dwelling the generals met often to hold secret discussions. representatives from the legislature, then convened at watertown, held here many long conferences concerning the advisability of different schemes to defeat the british, and many people of note from all over the world came here to meet washington on both social and political affairs. we are told that a "twelfth night" party was given in the drawing-room opposite the longfellow study, where many entertainments took place, and that the oldest inhabitants were invited to this party. down the stairs, where now stands the old grandfather's clock made famous by longfellow's poems, the stately colonial dames of revolutionary times came slowly, dressed in their silks and satins, with powdered hair and patches, to take part in the festivities within. longfellow's study, which is at the right of the house, and which to-day fronts the long conservatory occupying the entire side of the house, was used by washington as his dining-room. above it was his private office, where councils of war were held. it was a very convenient room for this purpose, being off from the main house, quiet and retired. when longfellow first purchased the house, he also used this room for a study, afterwards converting it into a chamber. it is said that washington never permitted his affairs to destroy his sense of humor. during the time of his occupancy here, an elderly woman was brought before general putnam. she was believed to be a spy, although she stoutly denied it. it is said that the general, familiarly known as "put," regarded the case of sufficient importance to be brought to the attention of his commander and insisted that she come with him to headquarters. she was an obstinate woman, and having no fear of capture, resented his treatment, absolutely refusing to enter the gate to the grounds. in vain was she reasoned with until at last, in desperation, the valiant general slung her on his back and brought her up to the house. as washington witnessed his most courageous officer entering his house in this manner, he could not refrain from laughter, which only incensed the woman all the more. during conferences at headquarters, great care had to be taken lest they be surprised by the british. while one of these conferences was being held, word was sent out that the british were on their way. without a moment's delay each officer hurried for his necessary adjuncts to meet the emergency. in the midst of the confusion, however, general greene lost his head and could be heard above the din, calling loudly: "my wig, my wig; where is my wig?" his demand was so emphatic that the attention of the little group was instantly seized. general lee was the first to regain his composure and with ready wit called out in an equally loud voice: "behind the looking-glass, general." greene, passing the mirror, found to his consternation that the wig was on his head. overjoyed that he was not to go into battle wigless, he joined in the general laugh that followed. the report of the british approach proved false, however, and the officers returned to their consultation. after the estate had been confiscated, it was purchased by one nathaniel tracy, an intimate of washington, whose principal home was in newburyport, massachusetts. tracy was a very wealthy merchant, indeed one of the most brilliant financiers in the country, and his spectacular ventures had given him a prominent name in local history. tracy was a large landowner, having estates practically all over the country, and while he owned the vassall house, he rarely lived there, using it simply as a place where he could spend week-ends if he so desired. andrew craigie was the next prominent owner of the house, purchasing it on january 1, 1793. at that time the grounds had been enlarged until they comprised one hundred and fifty acres, a part of which is now used for the harvard observatory. this craigie was an "apothecary-general" or, as he would be known now, a commissary, for the continental army. he was a most eccentric man but clever enough to acquire a large estate. this house appealed to him, both from the fact that it had been washington's headquarters and from its own beauty both of exterior and interior. he married a miss shaw of nantucket, who had been in love with a young sailor of limited means. the wealth of craigie dazzled her, and while she never forgot her early lover, treasuring his love letters until just before her death, she made a charming mistress for the mansion. craigie, like other wealthy men of his time, was pretentious and spent money lavishly. while it is believed that he built the service department on the western wing of the house, yet this is not definitely known. during his occupancy, the large, square, eastern room was enlarged and adorned with many columns to afford more space for his frequent entertainments. prominent merchants of boston and many noted people accepted his hospitality. an amusing instance is told of a visit of talleyrand, who conversed entirely in french with mrs. craigie, the host not understanding a word that was spoken. it is currently reported that the duke of kent, queen victoria's father, who for a long time was stationed at halifax, paid a visit here; impressed with the honor, craigie afterwards purchased the coach and horses the duke had used in boston. craigie built the bridge from boston to east cambridge which bears his name and engaged in many investments. he speculated once too often, however, and lost nearly all of his money. he died soon after, but his widow remained in the same house, yet under such reduced circumstances that she was obliged to let rooms to college students. two of these were edward everett and jared sparks, who afterwards brought their brides here. later on, when henry wadsworth longfellow left bowdoin college to take a position as professor in harvard university, and desired extensive apartments, he appealed to her. she at first refused him, having tired of the care of students and not wishing to let rooms any longer. he was an attractive and agreeable young man, and when mrs. craigie learned that he was a professor, she invited him to visit the different rooms, telling him of washington's connection with the house, but informing him that he could not have the use of any of the apartments. at length, however, after a long controversy, she agreed to let him take the southeast chamber, to which was afterwards added the west front chamber for his dining-room. at that time the back part of the house was given over to a farmer and his wife, the latter caring for longfellow's rooms and supplying his meals. during a part of the time that longfellow had rooms here, worcester, who wrote the dictionary, was another occupant. to this house came cornelius g. felton, charles sumner, and many others to visit longfellow, who in 1842 entertained charles dickens here. in 1843 longfellow bought the house of mrs. craigie. he was the last occupant, and every room in the house is connected with him. in one of the upper chambers _hyperion_ was written, as were many other poems, including _the courtship of miles standish_ and _hiawatha_. to this mansion one pleasant day in june came hawthorne to dine with longfellow, bringing with him his friend, horace conelly. on reaching the house, to hawthorne's surprise and chagrin, he found two other visitors, george s. hillard and professor felton of harvard college. hawthorne had hoped in this visit to review with longfellow old times in brunswick and the history of some of his class of whom he had lost sight since leaving college. after the departure of the other guests, longfellow, hawthorne, and conelly held an animated conversation on their literary work. at this time the story of the french acadian girl, just married, exiled and separated from her husband, was told. hawthorne had never been interested, but longfellow saw in it a popular theme and with permission wrote the poem that has been considered one of his best works. [illustration: plate lxxxiv.--the longfellow house, cambridge, mass.] [illustration: plate lxxxv.--library, longfellow house.] the longfellow house faces the main road, a large, square mansion with entrance porch. the grounds are now reduced to a small area surrounding the house and are pleasantly laid out in gardens and lawns. the main door bears a ponderous knocker, and one enters a wide, dignified hallway. on the first landing of the staircase stands the old grandfather's clock so familiar to all readers of longfellow's poems. the principal room open to the public is the library, which leads from the right of the hall, a square room finished in brown and containing many mementoes that were there during longfellow's lifetime. this room has been left practically unchanged. over the fireplace is a beautiful girandole, with convex glass and gilt frame and ebony rim inside. this is said to have been made in 1800--an heirloom. there are many fine old pieces of furniture, each one of which bespeaks some event connected with the poet's life. the furniture is not old-fashioned and no attempt has been made to keep it up to any period. it is simply left as a memorial in the room where longfellow sat and wrote and received his friends. the grounds cover scarcely half an acre, but the mansion with a few modern improvements remains as it was in the early days when it was first built by john vassall. chapter xxi the quincy mansion long years ago before our country was thickly settled, and when our forefathers extracted from the soil a scanty living, the houses were simple little ones, often built with only four rooms. it was in such a house as this that william coddington made his early home. it was delightfully situated, close to the bank of black brook, and surrounded by overhanging trees. [illustration: plate lxxxvi.--the quincy mansion, quincy, mass.] in 1635 william coddington and his fellow associates received a grant of five hundred acres at braintree, now quincy, massachusetts, extending from the old dorchester line at squantum to howe's neck, and about a mile inland. this was a goodly tract of land, with level meadows that promised good plowing. the next year, in the heart of the grant, mr. coddington built a house that consisted of a large kitchen, a living-room, and two chambers. near him was a small colony of settlers, including reverend john wheelwright, anne hutchinson, and sir harry vane. they composed a congenial group of free thinkers, who met often in the coddington kitchen to sit around the large open fireplace, while they discussed religious views much more liberal than the puritan's way of thinking. many of them, for holding these views, were banished to rhode island. coddington did not live long after the house-building, and was succeeded by edmund quincy, the first of the name to live in what is now known as the quincy homestead. he was a man of considerable wealth and importance, coming here from boston and bringing with him six servants, which was considered a most pretentious establishment in those days. his wife, named judith, was a woman of great ability, and after the death of her husband, managed the estate with good judgment. her daughter, also named judith, married john hull, the mint-master, and became the mother of hannah hull. hannah became the wife of judge samuel sewall, and as the story runs, received for her dowry her weight in pine-tree shillings. the second of the name of quincy to occupy this house was also named edmund and afterwards received the title of colonel. he was a man of dignified personality and forceful character and had held at various times most of the important offices in the town. his death in 1698 was followed by that of his wife, two years later, and the reins of government fell into the hands of edmund third, then a youth of twenty. the responsibility made the latter a very thoughtful man. he became more distinguished than either his father or his grandfather, passing nearly his whole life in public service. it was this edmund who, in his twenty-first year, married dorothy flynt, the first dorothy q. of history, and ancestress of all the other dorothy q's. in 1706, as the house had become too small for the family, quincy built additions at the front of the old mansion, giving it its present appearance. the rooms added were the present dining-room, the parlor, and the chambers above these rooms. with the raising of the new part, little attempt was made to have the dimensions match, so that the rooms of the older building showed a different floor level from those at the front. later on, a two-story ell was added near the brook, consisting of a study and bedroom. these were occupied by dorothy's brother, henry flynt, who was the famous tutor flynt of harvard. of the children born to edmund, third, and dorothy q., two are well known in history. edmund, the fourth, who married elizabeth wendell and became the father of the dorothy q. who married john hancock, and the dorothy q., "my dorothy," as dr. oliver wendell holmes called her, who married edward jackson, and was the great-grandmother of the poet. after the death of judge quincy, the house was not used as a permanent residence by the family, for edmund, who inherited it, had a fine home in boston. it was kept open, however, and used at frequent intervals as a summer place. we read of large parties coming down by coach and horseback from boston, to be entertained at the quincy mansion. many a pretty bit of romance has been enacted within these walls, and many a famous traveler has found shelter in this house. when the wedding of dorothy q. to john hancock was planned, preparations suitable for the important event were made, and a wall-paper was ordered from paris to be hung upon the walls of the parlor. this room was destined not to be used, however, for the purpose intended. the revolution broke out and hancock was forced to flee for safety to lexington. here he was joined by his aunt, madam hancock, and dorothy, on the memorable "18th of april, '75." dorothy, fearing the approach of the redcoats, desired to return to boston, to seek refuge in her father's house, but her lover knew only too well the hatred of the tory for the quincy family that had been shown when a british soldier thrust his rapier through the portrait of dorothy q., the niece of this dorothy, and he forbade the attempted journey. wishing to assert her independence and also to have her own way, dorothy insisted, and a lovers' quarrel ensued. hancock and samuel adams were forced to make their escape to woburn, with madam hancock and dorothy, who continued on to fairfield, connecticut, taking up their abode in the family of thaddeus burr. in consequence, the quincy mansion did not see them again for a long time. the patriot troops were stationed at fairfield, and aaron burr, meeting dorothy, fell in love with her. he paid her such serious attention that madam hancock became alarmed for the consequences and sent to her nephew, explaining the situation. john hancock was a wise lover and wrote dorothy immediately, asking her if she had made him the hair chain promised and reproaching her for her unfaithfulness, sending with the letter a box of silk stockings. dorothy, with little liking for his interference, continued her flirtation with lieutenant burr; again madam hancock wrote to her nephew in such a peremptory manner that during a recess of congress he came to fairfield. once there, he swept away all resentment, and dorothy became his wife on august 28. sir harry frankland, previous to this, came to the quincy mansion bringing with him agnes surriage, and a merry house party spent part of the time catching trout from the little black brook and cooking them in the old kitchen fireplace. benjamin franklin was also a visitor at this house, accepting the hospitality shown him by mr. quincy, and sending in return a stove, still shown in one of the chambers. a flemish grape-vine was also sent by him to the family; this took root and until a few years ago was in thriving condition. many other men of note came as visitors to this noted mansion, including lafayette, who was entertained here when he returned to america after the revolution. [illustration: plate lxxxvii.--the porch, quincy mansion.] during the revolutionary period, the house passed out of the hands of the quincy family. it has been recently restored by the colonial dames of massachusetts, who have brought back as far as possible its old-time dignity. in the restoration, great care has been taken with the furnishing. the central hall is entered through the colonial porch. it is long and wide, wainscotted and showing above this an odd, colonial paper, representing an english hunting scene. the baluster and newel-post are hand carved and fine examples of the early work of that period. [illustration: plate lxxxviii.--dining room, quincy mansion, showing the old chinese wallpaper.] at the right of the hall is the dining-room, hung with a quaint chinese paper. this room shows high wainscot, wooden shutters, and the original beams cased in. the furniture is all of that period, including simple dutch chairs, about 1770, with rush bottoms. the sideboard, too, is of the seventeenth century, and on this is a knife box of the latter quarter of this century. the corner buffet is about 1740, and unlike the majority of these cupboards, is movable, instead of being fastened to the walls. the table is a beautiful old empire piece and a china closet at one side containing several rare pieces, shows the shell pattern at the top. the fireplace is tiled in blue and white delft, dating back to about 1750. [illustration: plate lxxxix.--kitchen, quincy mansion; parlor, quincy mansion.] on the opposite side of the house is the parlor, which still shows the old wall-paper intended to grace the wedding of john hancock to dorothy quincy. here are venuses and cupids in vivid blue, with garlands of red flowers, all as fresh as when first hung. the panel front of the chimney-piece was recently removed, and the original fireplace, fifteen feet wide, discovered. the back of this chimney is curiously bricked in herring-bone pattern. many interesting relics are kept in one of the cupboards. there is a parasol which once belonged to mrs. hancock, a shoe of a little son who died in childhood, a pipe filler which belonged to john hancock, edmund quincy third's baptismal robe and cap, and a piece of the dress worn by abigail adams when she was presented at the court of st. james. on the wall hangs her portrait showing the same gown. [illustration: plate xc.--paper hung for wedding of dorothy quincy, quincy mansion.] the chairs in this room are rare examples of chippendale, 1791, and sheraton, the latter being one of the best examples of the master's make, and showing the fan back design, which is more usually found in the south, rather than in the north. here, as in the dining-room, are narrow shutters with hinged panels, which could be bolted and barred against attacks of the indians. back of the dining-room, and one step lower, is the old kitchen, built in 1636, the most interesting room in the house, containing a great many household articles of early colonial days. the broad, hand-hewn beams bear the marks of the axe, and the great fireplace is flanked on one side by larger brick ovens and on the other by a secret passage. back of the chimney is a ladder which leads to the secret closet above, also a little dumbwaiter shaft, through which food and water could be sent to the people in hiding. in previous years, an underground passage led out of the kitchen to the brook. through this contraband goods were smuggled. the entrance to this passage has now disappeared, so that the exact locality is not definitely known. the window glass was made at the first glass factory in america. this was erected by a guild of hollanders who had established themselves in quincy. the worthies of quincy objected to the large families of the emigrants, and they were driven out and moved to maine. the first iron foundry in this country was built beside this brook, which was sometimes known as furnace brook. [illustration: plate xci.--chambers in the quincy mansion.] above the kitchen is the coddington chamber, named for the original builder of the house and fittingly furnished with rare pieces of the colonial period. above this is a very low attic, lighted from the upper panes of the chamber windows and reached by the secret passage behind the chimney. at the further end of this attic is a trap-door connecting with a second attic, through which one could escape by galleries below the dormer windows, and thence reach the ground. across the hall is a smaller room known as the nursery. tradition has it that john hancock concealed himself from the british in this apartment, making use of the secret passageway. on one of the window-panes is scratched with a diamond the initials, "j. h." and again in handwriting similar to his: "you i love and you alone." in this room are preserved the breakfast-table of john hancock; a linen chest which belonged to the wife of william penn; various articles of clothing that at one time were used by the quincy family; a bed spread hand-embroidered on homespun linen quilted by madam burr and used in her guest chamber when dorothy quincy was staying at her house. over the dining-room is the quincy room, so named from the fact that many of the quincy children, including the two dorothys, were born here. by a curious trick of fate, there still remains here a nail-studded chest which once belonged to george iii of england, bearing the date 1790. one wonders, if the old chest could speak, whether it would pour vituperations upon the heads of those who brought the possessions of the tyrant to the colonies, to be stored in the quincy mansion. across the hall is the guest chamber with its canopied field bed, and the little trundle-bed underneath, used in the olden times for the children of the family. the franklin stove, presented by the inventor, is also in this room. opening from it, and approached by a second staircase, we find the chamber of tutor flynt, here the recessed bed is an interesting feature. the room is furnished with fine pieces of the olden times. every room in this house contains mementoes of the days of long ago. the house was one of the first to be built on american soil, and has sheltered some of our most important citizens. to-day it reminds us of the past, carrying us back to the earliest days of our country's history. chapter xxii "hey bonnie hall" as a nation americans have grown to feel a deep reverence for the homes of their ancestors, those stately colonial houses that were erected during the period of commercial prosperity. these mansions were built from about the middle of the sixteenth to the early part of the seventeenth century. recently a wave of sentiment has swept through the country, awakening a desire to save the old mansions, many of which were fast falling into decay. prominent among those which have been preserved is "hey bonnie hall," a quaint house built in the maryland manor-house style of architecture, with long, projecting ells, a type prevailing throughout the south. "hey bonnie hall" is situated on papoosesquaw neck in bristol, rhode island. it was built in 1808 by honorable william dewolf, great-grandfather of the present occupant. these middletons and the family into which they married have been makers of history. they date back to the time of charles v, of france, being among his followers. the name was originally st. etienne, but for valiant services it was changed to dewolf. the middletons have played an important part both in english and american history, and the english branch of the family still occupies its ancient middleton hall. the american line starts with the immigrant ancestor, henry middleton, who settled in carolina and became a considerable landowner at a time when there were only three states in the union--new england, virginia, and the carolinas. this is shown in the old atlas inherited from the immigrant ancestor and still treasured at "hey bonnie hall." henry middleton became a politician and was an important agitator before the revolution. for his distinguished services he was made president of the continental congress. he was not the only member of the family whose name has been handed down in history. his son arthur was also very prominent and was one of the signers of the declaration of independence. the name "hey bonnie hall," given to their country-seat in the carolinas and transferred to the rhode island mansion, grew out of a pretty custom of mrs. middleton, who used to sing a little scotch song called _hey bonnie hall_ over and over again to please her grandfather. the house stands back from the road, being approached through a broad, colonial gateway flanked on either side by beds of old-fashioned flowers. the semicircular drive is shaded by magnificent trees, which hide the mansion from the main road so effectively that it is not until one is half-way up the avenue that a glimpse of the house is obtained. [illustration: plate xcii.--porch of the middleton house, bristol, r. i.] the mansion itself is about one hundred and forty feet long, showing the most perfect type of southern architecture. there is about it a dignity that is impressive and at the same time an air of comfort. the eastern portico is formed by two dignified corinthian pillars, which rise to the very roof. the smaller columns at either side of the entrance door support a balcony protected by the porch roof. verandas have been planned on either side of the house, facing north and south. the southern one overlooks the blue water of the harbor with the picturesque old town of bristol in the background. [illustration: plate xciii.--hallway, middleton house; fireplace, middleton house.] old-fashioned flower-beds are scattered here and there over the smooth lawn, making a landscape picture that is most alluring. the entrance door opens into a spacious hallway that is about twenty feet in width. the staircase at the left is five feet in width, an unusual breadth, even for one of that period. it has treads of solid mahogany, with simple but substantial balusters on either side, topped with mahogany rails. this hall is used for a living-room and a hall combined and is well lighted by doors on either side showing well-proportioned fan and sidelights. like many halls of the colonial period, there is a groined arch. this was specially designed by one of the middletons who married henry dewolf. this is supported at the corners by slender white columns, the woodwork being white pine. in every room are found examples of the most impressive pieces of furniture designed by the old masters. many were originally in the southern home and brought over by their immigrant ancestor. among them are some most artistic pieces, including hepplewhite, sheraton, and chippendale. two chairs of the latter make show shell pattern, one of the most popular of chippendale's designs. upon the chippendale sideboard are specimens of thirteenth century silver, including some tiny spoons that date back to the tudor period, and saltcellars engraved with the mcgregor crest. in the china closet are rare specimens of lowestoft, chelsea, and sevres, while on the wall are hung original stuarts, and paintings by benjamin west. in many colonial mansions of that period we find the well-designed windows opening off the broad landing, a feature which has been cleverly introduced into the middleton mansion. the type and characteristics of this entrance hall are more in keeping with southern architecture than are most houses of new england. there is little ornamental woodwork, but a great dignity and charm. two large, square rooms open on either side of the hallway, and the arrangement of the interior is on the exact lines followed in southern manor-houses, a wing being introduced on either side of the main building. one of these is used for kitchen and servants' quarters; the opposite wing, connected with the house proper by a covered passageway, is used as a carriage-house and harness-room. this gives the house interesting and unusual proportions. [illustration: plate xciv.--living room, middleton house.] in the main building are two rooms, one on either side of the hall. at the right is the large living-room, and back of it the dining-room, both of which are filled with treasures,--wonderful old pieces that have been in the family since its earliest days, each having its individual story. on the left are the double drawing-rooms and showing an elliptical arch that has a frieze motif with dentation ornamentation and reeded pilasters. the dividing arch is gracefully ended in the cornice. this is a feature in many colonial homes and is generally echoed in other rooms of the house. there are no carved wooden fire-frames in the lower story, but we find some of foreign marble that were set at the time the house was built. this is an unusual feature in houses of that date, where wooden mantels and elaborate hand-carving were the prevailing style. many pieces of furniture are historic. some belonged to president adams, an intimate friend of the dewolfs, who were frequent visitors at the adams house in quincy, massachusetts. over the fireplace is a charming portrait, the work of a master, showing a child in an early eighteenth-century gown. it pictures mrs. nathaniel russell middleton, when only six years of age. about the time of this painting she was visiting her uncle, and was present at the reconciliation of lafayette and president adams, which occurred during lafayette's second visit to america. she was at that time a very beautiful child and attracted the attention of the general, who finding she was of french descent, took her in his arms and kissed her. every piece of furniture here is of the old-time type. the hepplewhite chairs have been handed down from generation to generation, as has a great deal of the furniture that is used in this room, including the chair in which president adams died. the long, or east room leads out of the parlor and is filled with rare furniture. the most important piece being the french piano, one of the earlier makes. this was imported by henry dewolf for his daughter alicia. it was considered of such fine quality that it attracted the attention of celebrated musicians all over the country. pianos in those days were rarely seen, for the old-time harpsichord and spinet had scarcely gone out of style. even to-day it would be considered a wonderful piece of work, with its ornamentations of gold showing scroll patterns and musical designs. directly above the piano is hung the most famous picture in the house, a madonna supposedly by the hand of the italian master mazzuoli, better known as parmigiana. this madonna was originally known as one of the world's lost art treasures, since its whereabouts were unknown for several years. there exists abundan