an old town by the sea-第1节

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An　Old　Town　By　The　Sea

by　Thomas　Bailey　Aldrich





PISCATAQUA　RIVER

Thou　singest　by　the　gleaming　isles；
By　woods；　and　fields　of　corn；
Thou　singest；　and　the　sunlight　smiles
Upon　my　birthday　morn。

But　I　within　a　city；　I；
So　full　of　vague　unrest；
Would　almost　give　my　life　to　lie
An　hour　upon　upon　thy　breast。

To　let　the　wherry　listless　go；
And；　wrapt　in　dreamy　joy；
Dip；　and　surge　idly　to　and　fro；
Like　the　red　harbor…buoy；

To　sit　in　happy　indolence；
To　rest　upon　the　oars；
And　catch　the　heavy　earthy　scents
That　blow　from　summer　shores；

To　see　the　rounded　sun　go　down；
And　with　its　parting　fires
Light　up　the　windows　of　the　town
And　burn　the　tapering　spires；

And　then　to　hear　the　muffled　tolls
From　steeples　slim　and　white；
And　watch；　among　the　Isles　of　Shoals；
The　Beacon's　orange　light。

O　River！　flowing　to　the　main
Through　woods；　and　fields　of　corn；
Hear　thou　my　longing　and　my　pain
This　sunny　birthday　morn；

And　take　this　song　which　fancy　shapes
To　music　like　thine　own；
And　sing　it　to　the　cliffs　and　capes
And　crags　where　I　am　known！




CONTENTS

I。　CAPTAIN　JOHN　SMITH
II。　ALONG　THE　WATER　SIDE
III。　A　STROLL　ABOUT　TOWN
IV。　A　STROLL　ABOUT　TOWN　（continued）
V。　OLD　STRAWBERRY　BANK
VI。　SOME　OLD　PORTSMOUTH　PROFILES
VII。　PERSONAL　REMINISCENCES

INDEX　OF　NAMES




AN　OLD　TOWN　BY　THE　SEA

I。
CAPTAIN　JOHN　SMITH
　I　CALL　it　an　old　town；　but　it　is　only　relatively　old。　　When　one　reflects　on　the　countless　centuries　that　have　gone　to　the　for…mation　of　this　crust　of　earth　on　which　we　temporarily　move；　the　most　ancient　cities　on　its　surface　seem　merely　things　of　the　week　before　last。　It　was　only　the　other　day；　thenthat　is　to　say；　in　the　month　of　June；　1603that　one　Martin　Pring；　in　the　ship　Speedwell；　an　enormous　ship　of　nearly　fifty　tons　burden；　from　Bristol；　England；　sailed　up　the　Piscataqua　River。　　The　Speedwell；　numbering　thirty　men；　officers　and　crew；　had　for　consort　the　Discoverer；　of　twenty…six　tons　and　thirteen　men。　After　following　the　windings　of　〃the　brave　river〃　for　twelve　miles　or　more；　the　two　vessels　turned　back　and　put　to　sea　again；　having　failed　in　the　chief　object　of　the　expedition；　which　was　to　obtain　a　cargo　of　the　medicinal　sassafras…tree；　from　the　bark　of　which；　as　well　known　to　our　ancestors；　could　be　distilled　the　Elixir　of　Life。

It　was　at　some　point　on　the　left　bank　of　the　Piscataqua；　three　or　four　miles　from　the　mouth　of　the　river；　that　worthy　Master　Pring　probably　effected　one　of　his　several　landings。　The　beautiful　stream　widens　suddenly　at　this　place；　and　the　green　banks；　then　covered　with　a　network　of　strawberry　vines；　and　sloping　invitingly　to　the　lip　of　the　crystal　water；　must　have　won　the　tired　mariners。

The　explorers　found　themselves　on　the　edge　of　a　vast　forest　of　oak；　hemlock；　maple；　and　pine；　but　they　saw　no　sassafras…trees　to　speak　of；　nor　did　they　encounterwhat　would　have　been　infinitely　less　to　their　tasteand　red…men。　　Here　and　there　were　discoverable　the　scattered　ashes　of　fires　where　the　Indians　had　encamped　earlier　in　the　spring；　they　were　absent　now；　at　the　silvery　falls；　higher　up　the　stream；　where　fish　abounded　at　that　season。　　The　soft　June　breeze；　laden　with　the　delicate　breath　of　wild…flowers　and　the　pungent　odors　of　spruce　and　pine；　ruffled　the　duplicate　sky　in　the　water；　the　new　leaves　lisped　pleasantly　in　the　tree　tops；　and　the　birds　were　singing　as　if　they　had　gone　mad。　　No　ruder　sound　or　movement　of　life　disturbed　the　primeval　solitude。　Master　Pring　would　scarcely　recognize　the　spot　were　he　to　land　there　to…day。

Eleven　years　afterwards　a　much　cleverer　man　than　the　commander　of　the　Speedwell　dropped　anchor　in　the　PiscataquaCaptain　John　Smith　of　famous　memory。　　After　slaying　Turks　in　hand…to…hand　combats；　and　doing　all　sorts　of　doughty　deeds　wherever　he　chanced　to　decorate　the　globe　with　his　presence；　he　had　come　with　two　vessels　to　the　fisheries　on　the　rocky　selvage　of　Maine；　when　curiosity；　or　perhaps　a　deeper　motive；　led　him　to　examine　the　neighboring　shore　lines。　　With　eight　of　his　men　in　a　small　boat；　a　ship's　yawl；　he　skirted　the　coast　from　Penobscot　Bay　to　Cape　Cod；　keeping　his　eye　open。　　This　keeping　his　eye　open　was　a　peculiarity　of　the　little　captain；　possibly　a　family　trait。　　It　was　Smith　who　really　discovered　the　Isles　of　Shoals；　exploring　in　person　those　masses　of　bleached　rockthose　〃isles　assez　hautes；〃　of　which　the　French　navigator　Pierre　de　Guast；　Sieur　de　Monts；　had　caught　a　bird's…eye　glimpse　through　the　twilight　in　1605。　Captain　Smith　christened　the　group　Smith's　Isles；　a　title　which　posterity；　with　singular　persistence　of　ingratitude；　has　ignored。　It　was　a　tardy　sense　of　justice　that　expressed　itself　a　few　years　ago　in　erecting　on　Star　Island　a　simple　marble　shaft　to　the　memory　of　JOHN　SMITHthe　multitudinous！　Perhaps　this　long　delay　is　explained　by　a　natural　hesitation　to　label　a　monument　so　ambiguously。

The　modern　Jason；　meanwhile；　was　not　without　honor　in　his　own　country；　whatever　may　have　happened　to　him　in　his　own　house；　for　the　poet　George　Wither　addressed　a　copy　of　pompous　verses　〃To　his　Friend　Captain　Smith；　upon　his　Description　of　New　England。〃〃Sir；〃　he　says

　　　　　　〃Sir：　your　Relations　I　haue　read：　which　shew　　　　　Ther's　reason　I　should　honor　them　and　you：　　　　　And　if　their　meaning　I　have　vnderstood；　　　　　I　dare　to　censure　thus：　Your　Project's　good；　　　　　And　may　（if　follow'd）　doubtlesse　quit　the　paine　　　　　With　honour；　pleasure　and　a　trebble　gaine；　　　　　Beside　the　benefit　that　shall　arise　　　　　To　make　more　happy　our　Posterities。〃

The　earliest　map　of　this　portion　of　our　seaboard　was　prepared　by　Smith　and　laid　before　Prince　Charles；　who　asked　to　give　the　country　a　name。　He　christened　it　New　England。　　In　that　remarkable　map　the　site　of　Portsmouth　is　call　Hull；　and　Kittery　and　York　are　known　as　Boston。

It　was　doubtless　owing　to　Captain　John　Smith's　representation　on　his　return　to　England　that　the　Laconia　Company　selected　the　banks　of　the　Piscataqua　for　their　plantation。　Smith　was　on　an　intimate　footing　with　Sir　Ferinand　Gorges；　who；　five　years　subsequently；　made　a　tour　of　inspection　along　the　New　England　coast；　in　company　with　John　Mason；　then　Governor　of　Newfoundland。　　One　of　the　results　of　this　summer　cruise　is　the　town　of　Portsmouth；　among　whose　leafy　ways；　and　into　some　of　whose　old…fashioned　houses；　I　purpose　to　take　the　reader；　if　he　have　an　idle　hour　on　his　hands。　Should　we　meet　the　flitting　ghost　of　some　old…time　worthy；　on　the　staircase　or　at　a　lonely　street　corner；　the　reader　must　be　prepared　for　it。

II。　ALONG　THE　WATER　SIDE

IT　is　not　supposable　that　the　early　settlers　selected　the　site　of　their　plantation　on　account　of　its　picturesqueness。　They　were　influenced　entirely　by　the　lay　of　the　land；　its　nearness　and　easy　access　to　the　sea；　and　the　secure　harbor　it　offered　to　their　fishing…vessels；　yet　they　could　not　have　chosen　a　more　beautiful　spot　had　beauty　been　the　sole　consideration。　The　first　settlement　was　made　at　Odiorne's　Pointthe　Pilgrims'　Rock　of　New　Hampshire；　there　the　Manor；　or　Mason's　Hall；　was　built　by　the　Laconia　Company　in　1623。　　It　was　not　until　1631　that　the　Great　House　was　erected　by　Humphrey　Chadborn　on　Strawberry　Bank。　　Mr。　Chadborn；　consciously　or　unconsciously；　sowed　a　seed　from　which　a　city　has　sprung。

The　town　of　Portsmouth　stretches　along　the　south　bank　of　the　Piscataqua；　about　two　miles　from　the　sea　as　the　crow　fliesthree　miles　following　the　serpentine　course　of　the　river。　　The　stream　broadens　suddenly　at　this　point；　and　at　flood　tide；　lying　without　a　ripple　in　a　basin　formed　by　the　interlocked　islands　and　the　mainland；　it　looks　more　like　an　island　lake　than　a　river。　To　the　unaccustomed　eye　there　is　no　visible　outlet。　Standing　on　one　of　the　wharves　at　the　foot　of　State　Street　or　Court　Street；　a　stranger　would　at　first　scarcely　suspect　the　contiguity　of　the　ocean。　A　little　observation；　however；　would　show　him　that　he　was　in　a　seaport。　　The　rich　red　rust　on　the　gables　and　roofs　of　ancient　buildings　looking　seaward　would　tell　him　that。　　There　is　a　fitful　saline　flavor　in　the　air；　and　if　while　he　gazed　a　dense　white　fog　should　come　rolling　in；　like　a　line　of　phantom　breakers；　he　would　no　longer　have　any　doubts。

It　is　of　course　the　oldest　part　of　the　town　that　skirts　the　river；　though　few　of　the　notable　houses　that　remain　are　to　be　found　there。　Like　all　New　England　settlements；　Portsmouth　was　built　of　wood；　and　has　been　subjected　to　extensive　conflagrations。　You　rarely　come　across　a　brick　building　that　is　not　shockingly　modern。　　The　first　house　of　the　kind　was　erected　by　Richard　Wibird　towards　the　close　of　the　seventeenth　century。

Though　many　of　the　old　landmarks　have　been　swept　away　by　the　fateful　hand　of　time　and　fire；　the　town　impresses　you　as　a　very　old　town；　especially　as　you　saunter　along　the　streets　down　by　the　river。　The　worm…eaten　wharves；　some　of　them　covered　by　a　sparse；　unhealthy　beard　of　grass；　and　the　weather…stained；　unoccupied　warehouses　are　sufficient　to　satisfy　a　moderate　appetite　for　antiquity。　　These　deserted　piers　and　these　long　rows　of　empty　barracks；　with　their　sarcastic　cranes　projecting　from　the　eaves；　rather　puzzle　the　stranger。　　Why　this　great　preparation　for　a　commercial　activity　that　does　not　exist；　and　evidently　had　not　for　y