large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb_42
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb
English
8677
At the time the wharf was suggested, the idea that the rock was the actual landing place of the first colonists had gained such momentum that a party was formed in its defense. AT THE TIME THE WHARF WAS SUGGESTED THE IDEA THAT THE ROCK WAS THE ACTUAL LANDING PLACE OF THE FIRST COLONISTS HAD GAINED SUCH MOMENTUM THAT A PARTY WAS FORMED IN ITS DEFENSE
en, in the brusque fashion characteristic of historians--have pooh-poohed the whole story, arguing that the rock was altogether too far away from the land to be a logical stepping-place, and referring to the only authentic record of that first landing, which merely reads: "They sounded y^e harbor & founde it fitt for shipping, and marched into y^e land & found diverse cornfeilds & little running brooks, a place fitt for situation: at least it was y^e best they could find." The Pilgrims, then, were quite oblivious of the rock, the historians are entirely skeptical concerning it, and the following generation so indifferent to the tradition which was gradually formulating, that in the course of events it was half-covered with a wharf, and used as a doorstep to a warehouse. This was an ignominious position for a magnificent free boulder which had been a part of the untrammeled sea and land for centuries, but this lowly occupation was infinitely less trying than the fate which was awaiting. ILTON AND JOHN ALDEN IN THE BRUSQUE FASHION CHARACTERISTIC OF HISTORIANS HAVE POOH POOED THE WHOLE STORY ARGUING THAT THE ROCK WAS ALTOGETHER TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE LAND TO BE A LOGICAL STEPPING PLACE AND REFERRING TO THE ONLY AUTHENTIC RECORD OF THAT FIRST LANDING WHICH MERELY READS THEY SURROUNDED YE HARBOR AND FOUND IT FIT FOR SHIPPING AND MARCHED INTO YE LAND AND FOUND DIVERSE CORNFIELDS AND LITTLE RUNNING BROOKS A PLACE FIT FOR SITUATION AT LEAST IT WAS YE BEST THEY COULD FIND THE PILGRIMS THEN WERE QUITE OBLIVIOUS OF THAT ROCK THE HISTORIANS ARE ENTIRELY SKEPTICAL CONCERNING IT AND THE FOLLOWING GENERATION SO INDIFFERENT TO THE TRADITION WHICH WAS GRADUALLY FORMULATING THAT IN THE COURSE OF EVENTS IT WAS HALF COVERED WITH A WHARF AND USED AS A DOORSTEP TO A WAREHOUSE THIS WAS AN IGNOMINIOUS POSITION FOR A MAGNIFICENT FREE BOULDER WHICH HAD BEEN A PART OF THE UNTRAMMELED SEA AND LAND FOR CENTURIES BUT THIS LOWLY OCCUPATION WAS INFINITELY LESS TRYING THAN THE FATE WHICH WAS AWAITING
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb.flac