large/4813/nonfiction025_librivox_64kb_mp3/snf025_forewardboston_edwards_sm_64kb_80
large/4813/nonfiction025_librivox_64kb_mp3/snf025_forewardboston_edwards_sm_64kb
English
4813
It was here that John Hancock's cattle grazed  he who lived in such magnificence on the hill, and in whose side yard the State House was built  and once, when preparations for an official banquet were halted by shortage of milk, tradition has it that he ordered his servants to hasten out on the Common and milk every cow there, regardless of ownership. IT WAS HERE THAT JOHN HANCOCK'S CATTLE GRAZED HE WHO LIVED IN SUCH MAGNIFICENCE ON THE HILL AND IN WHOSE SIDE YARD THE STATE HOUSE WAS BUILT AND ONCE WHEN PREPARATIONS FOR AN OFFICIAL BANQUET WERE HALTED BY SHORTAGE OF MILK TRADITION HAS IT THAT HE ORDERED HIS SERVANTS TO HASTEN OUT TO THE COMMON AND MILK EVERY COW THERE REGARDLESS OF OWNERSHIP
has aptly been called not a city, but a "state of mind." It is as impossible for the casual sojourner to grasp the significance of the multifarious historical and literary events which have transpired here as for a few pages to outline them. Wherever one stands in Boston suggests the church of San Clemente in Rome, where, you remember, there are three churches built one upon the other. However, those who would take the lovely journey from Boston to Plymouth needs must make some survey, no matter how superficial, of their starting-place. And perhaps the best spot from which to begin is the Common. This pleasantly rolling expanse, which was set aside as long ago as 1640, with the decree that "there shall be no land granted either for houseplott or garden out of y^e open land or common field," has been unbrokenly maintained ever since, and as far as acreage goes (it approximates fifty acres) could still fulfill its original use of pasturing cows, a practice which was continued until 1830. HAS BEEN APTLY CALLED NOT A CITY BUT A STATE OF MIND IT IS AS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CASUAL SOJOURNER TO GRASP THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MULTIFARIOUS HISTORICAL AND LITERARY EVENTS WHICH HAVE TRANSPIRED HERE AS FOR A FEW PAGES TO OUTLINE THEM WHEREVER ONE STANDS IN BOSTON SUGGESTS THE CHURCH OF SAINT CLAMENTE IN ROME WHERE YOU REMEMBER THERE ARE THREE CHURCHES BUILT ONE UPON THE OTHER HOWEVER THOSE WHO WOULD TAKE THEIR LOVELY JOURNEY FROM BOSTON TO PLYMOUTH NEEDS MUST MAKE SOME SURVEY NO MATTER HOW SUPERFICIAL OF THEIR STARTING PLACE AND PERHAPS THE BEST SPOT FROM WHICH TO BEGIN IS THE COMMON THIS PLEASANTLY ROLLING EXPANSE WHICH WAS SET ASIDE AS LONG AGO AS SIXTEEN FORTY WITH THE DECREE THAT THERE SHALL BE NO LAND GRANTED EITHER FOR HOUSE PLOT OR GARDEN OUT OF YE OPEN LAND OR COMMON FIELD HAS BEEN UNBROKENLY MAINTAINED EVER SINCE AND AS FAR AS ACREAGE GOES IT APPROXIMATES FIFTY ACRES COULD STILL FULFIL ITS ORIGINAL USE OF PASTURE AND COWS A PRACTICE WHICH WAS CONTINUED UNTIL EIGHTEEN THIRTY
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