introductory-第7节

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traced；　from　the　petty　and　obscure　beginnings　of　their　traffic；　at

periods　generally　much　posterior　to　the　Revolution；　upward　to　what

their　children　look　upon　as　long…established　rank。

　　Prior　to　the　Revolution；　there　is　a　dearth　of　records；　the　earlier

documents　and　archives　of　the　Custom…House　having；　probably；　been

carried　off　to　Halifax；　when　all　the　King's　officials　accompanied

the　British　army　in　its　flight　from　Boston。　It　has　often　been　a　matter

of　regret　with　me；　for；　going　back；　perhaps；　to　the　days　of　the

Protectorate；　those　papers　must　have　contained　many　references　to

forgotten　or　remembered　men；　and　to　antique　customs；　which　would

have　affected　me　with　the　same　pleasure　as　when　I　used　to　pick　up

Indian　arrow…heads　in　the　field　near　the　Old　Manse。

　　But；　one　idle　and　rainy　day；　it　was　my　fortune　to　make　a　discovery

of　some　little　interest。　Poking　and　burrowing　into　the　heaped…up

rubbish　in　the　corner；　unfolding　one　and　another　document；　and　reading

the　names　of　vessels　that　had　long　ago　foundered　at　sea　or　rotted　at

the　wharves；　and　those　of　merchants；　never　heard　of　now　on　'Change；

nor　very　readily　decipherable　on　their　mossy　tombstones；　glancing　at

such　matters　with　the　saddened；　weary；　half…reluctant　interest　which

we　bestow　on　the　corpse　of　dead　activity…　and　exerting　my　fancy；

sluggish　with　little　use；　to　raise　up　from　these　dry　bones　an　image　of

the　old　town's　brighter　aspect；　when　India　was　a　new　region；　and

only　Salem　knew　the　way　thither…　I　chanced　to　lay　my　hand　on　a　small

package；　carefully　done　up　in　a　piece　of　ancient　yellow　parchment。

This　envelope　had　the　air　of　an　official　record　of　some　period　long

past；　when　clerks　engrossed　their　stiff　and　formal　chirography　on　more

substantial　materials　than　at　present。　There　was　something　about　it

that　quickened　an　instinctive　curiosity；　and　made　me　undo　the　faded

red　tape；　that　tied　up　the　package；　with　the　sense　that　a　treasure

would　here　be　brought　to　light。　Unbending　the　rigid　folds　of　the

parchment　cover；　I　found　it　to　be　a　commission；　under　the　hand　and

seal　of　Governor　Shirley；　in　favour　of　one　Jonathan　Pue；　as　Surveyor

of　his　Majesty's　Customs　for　the　port　of　Salem；　in　the　Province　of

Massachusetts　Bay。　I　remembered　to　have　read　（probably　in　Felt's

Annals）　a　notice　of　the　decease　of　Mr。　Surveyor　Pue；　about　fourscore

years　ago；　and　likewise；　in　a　newspaper　of　recent　times；　an　account　of

the　digging　up　of　his　remains　in　the　little　graveyard　of　St。　Peter's

Church；　during　the　renewal　of　that　edifice。　Nothing；　if　I　rightly　call

to　mind；　was　left　of　my　respected　predecessor；　save　an　imperfect

skeleton；　and　some　fragments　of　apparel；　and　a　wig　of　majestic

frizzle；　which；　unlike　the　head　that　it　once　adorned；　was　in　very

satisfactory　preservation。　But；　on　examining　the　papers　which　the

parchment　commission　served　to　envelop；　I　found　more　traces　of　Mr。

Pue's　mental　part；　and　the　internal　operations　of　his　head；　than　the

frizzled　wig　had　contained　of　the　venerable　skull　itself。

　　They　were　documents；　in　short；　not　official；　but　of　a　private

nature；　or；　at　least；　written　in　his　private　capacity；　and

apparently　with　his　own　hand。　I　could　account　for　their　being　included

in　the　heap　of　Custom…House　lumber　only　by　the　fact；　that　Mr。　Pue's

death　had　happened　suddenly；　and　that　these　papers；　which　he

probably　kept　in　his　official　desk；　had　never　come　to　the　knowledge　of

his　heirs；　or　were　supposed　to　relate　to　the　business　of　the

revenue。　On　the　transfer　of　the　archives　to　Halifax；　this　package；

proving　to　be　of　no　public　concern；　was　left　behind；　and　had

remained　ever　since　unopened。

　　The　ancient　Surveyor…　being　little　molested；　I　suppose；　at　that

early　day；　with　business　pertaining　to　his　office…　seems　to　have

devoted　some　of　his　many　leisure　hours　to　researches　as　a　local

antiquarian；　and　other　inquisitions　of　a　similar　nature。　These

supplied　material　for　petty　activity　to　a　mind　that　would　otherwise

have　been　eaten　up　with　rust。　A　portion　of　his　facts；　by…the…bye；

did　me　good　service　in　the　preparation　of　the　article　entitled　〃MAIN

STREET；〃　included　in　the　present　volume。　The　remainder　may　perhaps

be　applied　to　purposes　equally　valuable；　hereafter；　or　not

impossibly　may　be　worked　up；　so　far　as　they　go；　into　a　regular　history

of　Salem；　should　my　veneration　for　the　natal　soil　ever　impel　me　to

so　pious　a　task。　Meanwhile；　they　shall　be　at　the　command　of　any

gentleman；　inclined；　and　competent；　to　take　the　unprofitable　labour

off　my　hands。　As　a　final　disposition；　I　contemplate　depositing　them

with　the　Essex　Historical　Society。

　　But　the　object　that　most　drew　my　attention；　in　the　mysterious

package；　was　a　certain　affair　of　fine　red　cloth；　much　worn　and

faded。　There　were　traces　about　it　of　gold　embroidery；　which；

however；　was　greatly　frayed　and　defaced；　so　that　none；　or　very　little；

of　the　glitter　was　left。　It　had　been　wrought；　as　was　easy　to　perceive；

with　wonderful　skill　of　needlework；　and　the　stitch　（as　I　am　assured　by

ladies　conversant　with　such　mysteries）…　gives　evidence　of　a　now

forgotten　art；　not　to　be　recovered　even　by　the　process　of　picking

out　the　threads。　This　rag　of　scarlet　cloth…　for　time；　and　wear；　and

a　sacrilegious　moth；　had　reduced　it　to　little　other　than　a　rag…　on

careful　examination；　assumed　the　shape　of　a　letter。　It　was　the　capital

letter　A。　By　an　accurate　measurement；　each　limb　proved　to　be　precisely

three　inches　and　a　quarter　in　length。　It　had　been　intended；　there

could　be　no　doubt；　as　an　ornamental　article　of　dress；　but　how　it　was

to　be　worn；　or　what　rank；　honour；　and　dignity；　in　by…past　times；

were　signified　by　it；　was　a　riddle　which　（so　evanescent　are　the

fashions　of　the　world　in　these　particulars）　I　saw　little　hope　of

solving。　And　yet　it　strangely　interested　me。　My　eyes　fastened

themselves　upon　the　old　scarlet　letter；　and　would　not　be　turned　aside。

Certainly；　there　was　some　deep　meaning　in　it；　most　worthy　of

interpretation；　and　which；　as　it　were；　streamed　forth　from　the

mystic　symbol；　subtly　communicating　itself　to　my　sensibilities；　but

evading　the　analysis　of　my　mind。

　　While　thus　perplexed…　and　cogitating；　among　other　hypotheses；

whether　the　letter　might　not　have　been　one　of　those　decorations

which　the　white　men　used　to　contrive；　in　order　to　take　the　eyes　of

Indians…　I　happened　to　place　it　on　my　breast。　It　seemed　to　me…　the

reader　may　smile；　but　must　not　doubt　my　word…　it　seemed　to　me；　then；

that　I　experienced　a　sensation　not　altogether　physical；　yet　almost　so；

as　of　burning　heat；　and　as　if　the　letter　were　not　of　red　cloth；　but

red…hot　iron。　I　shuddered；　and　involuntarily　let　it　fall　upon　the

floor。

　　In　the　absorbing　contemplation　of　the　scarlet　letter；　I　had　hitherto

neglected　to　examine　a　small　roll　of　dingy　paper；　around　which　it

had　been　twisted。　This　I　now　opened；　and　had　the　satisfaction　to　find；

recorded　by　the　old　Surveyor's　pen；　a　reasonably　complete

explanation　of　the　whole　affair。　There　were　several　foolscap　sheets；

containing　many　particulars　respecting　the　life　and　conversation　of

one　Hester　Prynne；　who　appeared　to　have　been　rather　a　noteworthy

personage　in　the　view　of　our　ancestors。　She　had　flourished　during

the　period　between　the　early　days　of　Massachusetts　and　the　close　of

the　seventeenth　century。　Aged　persons；　alive　in　the　time　of　Mr。

Surveyor　Pue；　and　from　whose　oral　testimony　he　had　made　up　his

narrative；　remembered　her；　in　their　youth；　as　a　very　old；　but　not

decrepit　woman；　of　a　stately　and　solemn　aspect。　It　had　been　her　habit；

from　an　almost　immemorial　date；　to　go　about　the　country　as　a　kind　of

voluntary　nurse；　and　doing　whatever　miscellaneous　good　she　might；

taking　upon　herself；　likewise；　to　give　advice　in　all　matters；

especially　those　of　the　heart；　by　which　means；　as　a　person　of　such

propensities　inevitably　must；　she　gained　from　many　people　the

reverence　due　to　an　angel；　but；　I　should　imagine；　was　looked　upon　by

others　as　an　intruder　and　a　nuisance。　Prying　further　into　the

manuscript；　I　found　the　record　of　other　doings　and　sufferings　of

this　singular　woman；　for　most　of　which　the　reader　is　referred　to　the

story　entitled　〃THE　SCARLET　LETTER〃；　and　it　should　be　borne

carefully　in　mind；　that　the　main　facts　of　that　story　are　authorised

and　authenticated　by　the　document　of　Mr　Surveyor　Pue。　The　original

papers；　together　with　the　scarlet　letter　itself…　a　most　curious　relic…

are　still　in　my　possession；　and　shall　be　freely　exhibited　to

whomsoever；　induced　by　the　great　interest　of　the　narrative；　may　desire

a　sight　of　them。　I　must　not　be　understood　as　affirming；　that；　in　the

dressing　up　of　the　tale；　and　imagining　the　motives　and　modes　of

passion　that　influenced　the　characters　who　figure　in　it；　I　have

invariably　confined　myself　within　the　limits　of　the　old　Surveyor's

half…a…dozen　sheets　of　foolscap。　On　the　contrary；　I　have　allowed

myself；　as　to　such　points；　nearly　or　altogether　as　much　license　as

if　the　facts　had　been　entirely　of　my　own　inventi