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William Priest - Travels in the United States of America
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"The quakers at first were banished; but this proving insufficient, a succession of sanguinary laws were
enacted against them; such as imprisonment, whipping, cutting off the ears, boreing the tongue with a
red-hot iron, and banishment on pain of death. In consequence of these laws, four quakers were put to
death at Boston only; when their friends in England procured an order from king Charles the Second,
which put a stop to capital executions."
And now, friend Joseph, what do you think of these primitive christians? When the real
Christian William Penn arrived in America, what was his retaliation? He called his
city Philadelphia, to perpetuate a memorial of the cords of peace and good will, which bound
him, and all his followers, not only to one another, but even to his enemies at Boston, were they inclined
to come and settle with them. - The following words of his proclamation ought to be written in letters of
gold: -
"Because no people can be happy, if abridged of the freedom of their consciences, as to their religious
professions and worship; I do grant and declare, that no person inhabiting this province, or territories,
who shall acknowledge one Almighty God, the Creator, Ruler, and Upholder of the world, and live
quietly under the civil government, shall in any case be molested, or prejudiced in his person or estate
because of his conscientious persuasion or practice."
But to return to New England; happily for these states, the revolution has done away great part of the
severity of their ancient laws; but the inhabitants still retain a taste for scriptural phrases and allusions in
their writings. As you are fond of poetry, I send you two specimens of this kind of writing; the
first is from a tomb-stone at Plymouth[Footnote: The oldest settlement north of Virginia.]. It was
written by one of the first settlers, and is in the true spirit of those times. -
EPITAPH UPON GENERAL ATHERTON.
"Here lies our captain, and major,
Of Suffolk was withal,
A godly magistrate was he,
And major general.
Two troops of horse came here,
(Such love his worth did crave;)
Ten companies of foot also,
Mourning, marched to his grave.
Let all that read be sure to keep
The faith, as he has done.
He lives now crowned with Christ;
His name was Humphrey Atherton."
In order to understand the second, I must inform you, it is usual for boys, who expect christmas boxes, to
present their masters' customers with a copy of verses, expressive of their good wishes, &c. The call-boy
of the theatre, (a mechanic's son of this town,) had the following verses written in the usual style
by the poet commonly employed on these occasions, and when printed, delivered one to each of
the performers. -
"THE CALL-BOY OF THE THEATRE, FEDERAL-STREET, NEW YEAR'S WISH, 1797.
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