large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_04_edwards_64kb_66
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_04_edwards_64kb
English
4813
And then began the pranks which shook the Colony to its foundations. Picture to yourself a band of sworn triflers, dedicated to the wildest philosophy of pleasure, teaching bears to dance, playing blind man's buff, holding juggling and boxing matches, and dancing. AND THEN HE BEGAN THE PRANKS WHICH SHOOK THE COLONY TO ITS FOUNDATION PICTURE TO YOURSELF A BAND OF SWORN TRIFLERS DEDICATED TO THE WILDEST PHILOSOPHY OF PLEASURE TEACHING BEARS TO DANCE PLAYING BLIND MAN'S BLUFF HOLDING JUGGLING AND BOXING MATCHES AND DANCING
ses of y^e madd Bachanalians." The charge of atheism in this case seems based on the fact that Morton used the Book of Common Prayer, but as for the rest, there is no question that this band of silken merry-makers imported many of the carnival customs and hereditary pastimes of Old England to the stern young New England; that they fraternized with the Indians, shared their strong waters with them, and taught them the use of firearms; and that Merrymount became indeed a scene of wildest revelry. The site of Merrymount had originally been selected by Captain Wollaston for a trading post. Imbued with the same mercenary motive which had proved fatal in the case of Weston and Gorges, Captain Wollaston, whose name is perpetuated in Mount Wollaston, brought with him in 1625 a gang of indented white servants. Finding his system of industry ill suited to the climate, he carried his men to Virginia, where he sold them. When he left, Morton took possession of the place and dubbed it "Ma-re-mount.  OR THE BEASTLY PRACTICES OF YE MAD BACCHANALIANS THE CHARGE OF ATHEISM IN THIS CASE SEEMED BASED ON THE FACT THAT MORTON USED THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER BUT AS FOR THE REST THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THIS BAND OF SILKEN MERRY MAKERS IMPORTED MANY OF THE CARNIVAL CUSTOMS AND HEREDITARY PASTIMES OF OLD ENGLAND TO THE STERN YOUNG NEW ENGLAND THAT THEY FRATERNIZED WITH THE INDIANS SHARED THEIR STRONG WATERS WITH THEM AND TAUGHT THEM THE USE OF FIREARMS AND THAT MERRY MOUNT BECAME INDEED A SCENE OF WILDEST REVELRY THE SITE OF MERRY MOUNT HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN SELECTED BY CAPTAIN WALLACEAN FOR A TRADING POST IMBUED WITH THE SAME MERCENARY MOTIVE WHICH HAD PROVED FATAL IN THE CASE OF WESTON AND GORGUS WHOSE NAME IS PERPETUATED AND MOUNT WALLASTON BROUGHT WITH HIM IN SIXTEEN TWENTY FIVE A GANG OF INDENTED WHITE SERVANTS FINDING HIS SYSTEM OF INDUSTRY ILL SUITED TO THE CLIMATE HE CARRIED HIS MEN TO VIRGINIA WHERE HE SOLD THEM WHEN HE LEFT MORTON TOOK POSSESSION OF THE PLACE AND DUBBED IT MARAMOUNT
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