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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

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