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Monday, October the second,
1704. - About three
o'clock afternoon, I began my journey from Boston to
New Haven, being about two hundred mile. My kinsman,
Captain Robert Luist, waited on me as far as Dedham,
where I was to meet the western post.
I visited the Rev. Mr. Belcher,
the minister of the town, and tarried there till evening,
in hopes the post would come along. But he not coming,
I resolved to go to Billings's where he used to lodge,
being twelve miles further. But being ignorant of the
way, Madam Belcher, seeing no persuasions of her good
spouse's or hers could prevail with me to lodge there
that night, very kindly went with me to the tavern,
where I hoped to get my guide, and desired the hostess
to inquire of her guests whether any of them would go
with me. But they being tied by the lips to a pewter
engine, scarcely allowed themselves time to say what
clownish. . . . [Here half a page of the MS. is gone.]
Pieces of eight, I told her no, I would not be accessory
to such extortion.
"Then John shan't go,"
says she. "No, indeed, shan't he;" and held
forth at that rate a long time, that I began to fear
I was got among the quaking tribe, believing not a limber-tongued
sister among them could outdo Madam Hostess.
Upon this, to my no small surprise,
son John arose, and gravely demanded what I would give
him to go with me? "Give you?" says I, "are
you John?" "Yes," says he, "for
want of a better;" and behold! this John looked
as old as my host, and perhaps had been a man in the
last century. "Well, Mr. John," says I, "make
your demands." "Why, half a piece of eight
and a dram," says John. I agreed, and gave him
a dram (now) in hand to bind the bargain.
My hostess catechised John for
going so cheap, saying his poor wife would break her
heart. . . . [Here half a page of the MS. is gone.]
His shade on his horse resembled
a globe on a gate post. His habit, horse and furniture,
its looks and goings incomparably answered the rest.
Thus jogging on with an easy
pace, my guide telling me it was dangerous to ride hard
in the night (which his horse had the sense to avoid),
he entertained me with the adventures he had passed
by late riding, and imminent dangers he had escaped,
so that, remembering the heroes in "Parismus"
and the "Knight of the Oracle," I didn't know
but I had met with a prince disguised.
When we had rid about an hour,
we came into a thick swamp, which by reason of a great
fog, very much startled me, it being now very dark.
But nothing dismayed John: he had encountered a thousand
and a thousand such swamps, having a universal knowledge
in the woods; and readily answered all my inquiries
which were not a few.
In about an hour, or something
more, after we left the swamp, we came to Billings's,
where I was to lodge. My guide dismounted and very complacently
helped me down and showed the door, signing to me with
his hand to go in; which I gladly did - but had not
gone many steps into the room, ere I was interrogated
by a young lady I understood afterwards was the eldest
daughter of the family, with these, or words to this
purpose; viz., "Law for me! - what in the world
brings you here at this time of night? I never see a
woman on the road so dreadful late in all the days of
my versal life. Who are you? Where are you going? I'm
scared out of my wits!" - with much more of the
same kind. I stood aghast, preparing to reply, when
in comes my guide - to him madam turned, roaring out:
"Lawful heart, John, is it you? - how de do! Where
in the world are you going with this woman? Who is she?"
John made no answer, but sat down in the corner, fumbled
out his black junk, and saluted that instead of Deb;
she then turned again to me and fell anew into her silly
questions, without asking me to sit down.
I told her she treated me very
rudely, and I did not think it my duty to answer her
unmannerly questions. But to get rid of them, I told
her I came there to have the post's company with me
tomorrow on my journey, etc. Miss stared awhile, drew
a chair, bade me sit, and then ran up stairs and put
on two or three rings (or else I had not seen them before),
and returning, set herself just before me, showing the
way to Reding, that I might see her ornaments, perhaps
to gain the more respect. But her granam's new rung
sow, had it appeared, would have affected me as much.
I paid honest John with money and dram according to
contract, and dismissed him, and prayed Miss to show
me where I must lodge. She conducted me to a parlor
in a little back lean-to, which was almost filled with
the bedstead, which was so high that I was forced to
climb on a chair to get up to the wretched bed that
lay on it; on which having stretched my tired limbs,
and laid my head on a sad-colored pillow, I began to
think on the transactions of the past day.
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