north america-1-第8节

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ar　sea　from　off　a　rock；　and　I　love　to　be　hampered　by　no　outward　impediments　as　I　do　so。　　For　ordinary　bathers；　for　all　ladies；　and　for　men　less　savage　in　their　instincts　than　I　am；　the　bathing　at　Newport　is　very　good。　The　private　housesvilla　residences　as　they　would　be　termed　by　an　auctioneer　in　Englandare　excellent。　　Many　of　them　are；　in　fact；　large　mansions；　and　are　surrounded　with　grounds　which；　as　the　shrubs　grow　up；　will　be　very　beautiful。　　Some　have　large；　well…kept　lawns；　stretching　down　to　the　rocks；　and　these；　to　my　taste；　give　the　charm　to　Newport。　　They　extend　about　two　miles　along　the　coast。　Should　my　lot　have　made　me　a　citizen　of　the　United　States；　I　should　have　had　no　objection　to　become　the　possessor　of　one　of　these　〃villa　residences；〃　but　I　do　not　think　that　I　should　have　〃gone　in〃　for　hotel　life　at　Newport。　We　hired　saddle…horses；　and　rode　out　nearly　the　length　of　the　island。　　It　was　all　very　well；　but　there　was　little　in　it　remarkable　either　as　regards　cultivation　or　scenery。　　We　found　nothing　that　it　would　be　possible　either　to　describe　or　remember。　The　Americans　of　the　United　States　have　had　time　to　build　and　populate　vast　cities；　but　they　have　not　yet　had　time　to　surround　themselves　with　pretty　scenery。　　Outlying　grand　scenery　is　given　by　nature；　but　the　prettiness　of　home　scenery　is　a　work　of　art。　　It　comes　from　the　thorough　draining　of　land；　from　the　planting　and　subsequent　thinning　of　trees；　from　the　controlling　of　waters；　and　constant　use　of　minute　patches　of　broken　land。　　In　another　hundred　years　or　so；　Rhode　Island　may　be；　perhaps；　as　pretty　as　the　Isle　of　Wight。　　The　horses　which　we　got　were　not　good。　　They　were　unhandy　and　badly　mouthed；　and　that　which　my　wife　rode　was　altogether　ignorant　of　the　art　of　walking。　　We　hired　them　from　an　Englishman　who　had　established　himself　at　New　York　as　a　riding…master　for　ladies；　and　who　had　come　to　Newport　for　the　season　on　the　same　business。　　He　complained　to　me　with　much　bitterness　of　the　saddle…　horses　which　came　in　his　wayof　course　thinking　that　it　was　the　special　business　of　a　country　to　produce　saddle…horses；　as　I　think　it　the　special　business　of　a　country　to　produce　pens；　ink；　and　paper　of　good　quality。　　According　to　him；　riding　has　not　yet　become　an　American　art；　and　hence　the　awkwardness　of　American　horses。　〃Lord　bless　you；　sir！　they　don't　give　an　animal　a　chance　of　a　mouth。〃　　In　this　he　alluded　only；　I　presume；　to　saddle…horses。　　I　know　nothing　of　the　trotting　horses；　but　I　should　imagine　that　a　fine　mouth　must　be　an　essential　requisite　for　a　trotting　match　in　harness。　　As　regards　riding　at　Newport；　we　were　not　tempted　to　repeat　the　experiment。　　The　number　of　carriages　which　we　saw　there　remembering　as　I　did　that　the　place　was　comparatively　emptyand　their　general　smartness；　surprised　me　very　much。　　It　seemed　that　every　lady；　with　a　house　of　her　own；　had　also　her　own　carriage。　These　carriages　were　always　open；　and　the　law　of　the　land　imperatively　demands　that　the　occupants　shall　cover　their　knees　with　a　worked　worsted　apron　of　brilliant　colors。　　These　aprons　at　first　I　confess　seemed　tawdry；　but　the　eye　soon　becomes　used　to　bright　colors；　in　carriage　aprons　as　well　as　in　architecture；　and　I　soon　learned　to　like　them。　Rhode　Island；　as　the　State　is　usually　called；　is　the　smallest　State　in　the　Union。　　I　may　perhaps　best　show　its　disparity　to　other　States　by　saying　that　New　York　extends　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　from　north　to　south；　and　the　same　distance　from　east　to　west；　whereas　the　State　called　Rhode　Island　is　about　forty　miles　long　by　twenty　broad；　independently　of　certain　small　islands。　　It　would；　in　fact；　not　form　a　considerable　addition　if　added　on　to　many　of　the　other　States。　　Nevertheless；　it　has　all　the　same　powers　of　self…　government　as　are　possessed　by　such　nationalities　as　the　States　of　New　York　and　Pennsylvania；　and　sends　two　Senators　to　the　Senate　at　Washington；　as　do　those　enormous　States。　　Small　as　the　State　is；　Rhode　Island　itself　forms　but　a　small　portion　of　it。　　The　authorized　and　proper　name　of　the　State　is　Providence　Plantation　and　Rhode　Island。　　Roger　Williams　was　the　first　founder　of　the　colony；　and　he　established　himself　on　the　mainland　at　a　spot　which　he　called　Providence。　　Here　now　stands　the　City　of　Providence；　the　chief　town　of　the　State；　and　a　thriving；　comfortable　town　it　seems　to　be；　full　of　banks；　fed　by　railways　and　steamers；　and　going　ahead　quite　as　quickly　as　Roger　Williams　could　in　his　fondest　hopes　have　desired。　Rhode　Island；　as　I　have　said；　has　all　the　attributes　of　government　in　common　with　her　stouter　and　more　famous　sisters。　　She　has　a　governor；　and　an　upper　house　and　a　lower　house　of　legislature；　and　she　is　somewhat　fantastic　in　the　use　of　these　constitutional　powers；　for　she　calls　on　them　to　sit　now　in　one　town　and　now　in　another。　　Providence　is　the　capital　of　the　State；　but　the　Rhode　Island　parliament　sits　sometimes　at　Providence　and　sometimes　at　Newport。　　At　stated　times　also　it　has　to　collect　itself　at　Bristol；　and　at　other　stated　times　at　Kingston；　and　at　others　at　East　Greenwich。　　Of　all　legislative　assemblies　it　is　the　most　peripatetic。　　Universal　suffrage　does　not　absolutely　prevail　in　this　State；　a　certain　property　qualification　being　necessary　to　confer　a　right　to　vote　even　for　the　State　representatives。　　I　should　think　it　would　be　well　for　all　parties　if　the　whole　State　could　be　swallowed　up　by　Massachusetts　or　by　Connecticut；　either　of　which　lie　conveniently　for　the　feat；　but　I　presume　that　any　suggestion　of　such　a　nature　would　be　regarded　as　treason　by　the　men　of　Providence　Plantation。　We　returned　back　to　Boston　by　Attleborough；　a　town　at　which；　in　ordinary　times；　the　whole　population　is　supported　by　the　jewelers'　trade。　　It　is　a　place　with　a　specialty；　upon　which　specialty　it　has　thriven　well　and　become　a　town。　　But　the　specialty　is　one　ill　adapted　for　times　of　war　and　we　were　assured　that　the　trade　was　for　the　present　at　an　end。　　What　man　could　now…a…days　buy　jewels；　or　even　what　woman；　seeing　that　everything　would　be　required　for　the　war？　　I　do　not　say　that　such　abstinence　from　luxury　has　been　begotten　altogether　by　a　feeling　of　patriotism。　　The　direct　taxes　which　all　Americans　will　now　be　called　on　to　pay；　have　had　and　will　have　much　to　do　with　such　abstinence。　　In　the　mean　time　the　poor　jewelers　of　Attleborough　have　gone　altogether　to　the　wall。

CHAPTER　III。　MAINE；　NEW　HAMPSHIRE；　AND　VERMONT。

Perhaps　I　ought　to　assume　that　all　the　world　in　England　knows　that　that　portion　of　the　United　States　called　New　England　consists　of　the　six　States　of　Maine；　New　Hampshire；　Vermont；　Massachusetts；　Connecticut；　and　Rhode　Island。　　This　is　especially　the　land　of　Yankees；　and　none　can　properly　be　called　Yankees　but　those　who　belong　to　New　England。　　I　have　named　the　States　as　nearly　as　may　be　in　order　from　the　north　downward。　　Of　Rhode　Island；　the　smallest　State　in　the　Union；　I　have　already　said　what　little　I　have　to　say。　Of　these　six　States　Boston　may　be　called　the　capital。　　Not　that　it　is　so　in　any　civil　or　political　sense；　it　is　simply　the　capital　of　Massachusetts。　　But　as　it　is　the　Athens　of　the　Western　world；　as　it　was　the　cradle　of　American　freedom；　as　everybody　of　course　knows　that　into　Boston　harbor　was　thrown　the　tea　which　George　III。　would　tax；　and　that　at　Boston；　on　account　of　that　and　similar　taxes；　sprang　up　the　new　revolution；　and　as　it　has　grown　in　wealth；　and　fame；　and　size　beyond　other　towns　in　New　England；　it　may　be　allowed　to　us　to　regard　it　as　the　capital　of　these　six　Northern　States；　without　guilt　of　lese　majeste　toward　the　other　five。　　To　me；　I　confess　this　Northern　division　of　our　once…unruly　colonies　is；　and　always　has　been；　the　dearest。　　I　am　no　Puritan　myself；　and　fancy　that；　had　I　lived　in　the　days　of　the　Puritans；　I　should　have　been　anti…Puritan　to　the　full　extent　of　my　capabilities。　　But　I　should　have　been　so　through　ignorance　and　prejudice；　and　actuated　by　that　love　of　existing　rights　and　wrongs　which　men　call　loyalty。　　If　the　Canadas　were　to　rebel　now；　I　should　be　for　putting　down　the　Canadians　with　a　strong　hand；　but　not　the　less　have　I　an　idea　that　it　will　become　the　Canadas　to　rebel　and　assert　their　independence　at　some　future　period；　unless　it　be　conceded　to　them　without　such　rebellion。　　Who；　on　looking　back；　can　now　refuse　to　admire　the　political　aspirations　of　the　English　Puritans；　or　decline　to　acknowledge　the　beauty　and　fitness　of　what　they　did？　　It　was　by　them　that　these　States　of　New　England　were　colonized。　　They　came　hither；　stating　themselves　to　be　pilgrims；　and　as　such　they　first　placed　their　feet　on　that　hallowed　rock　at　Plymouth；　on　the　shore　of　Massachusetts。　　They　came　here　driven　by　no　thirst　of　conquest；　by　no　greed　for　gold；　dreaming　of　no　Western　empire　such　as　Cortez　had　achieved　and　Raleigh　had　meditated。　　They　desired　to　earn　their　bread　in　the　sweat　of　their　brow；　worshiping　God　according　to　their　own　lights；　living　in　harmony　under　their　own　laws；　and　feeling　that　no　master　could　claim　a　right　to　put　a　heel　upon　their　necks。　And　be　it　remembered　that　here　in　England；　in　those　days；　earthly　masters　were　still　apt　to　put　their　heels　on　the　necks　of　men。　　The　Star　Chamber　was　gone；　but　Jeffreys　had　not　yet　reigned。　　What　earthly　aspirations　were　ever　higher　than