Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-01-20
1)oetrp.
From the Boston Courier.
THE PURITAN.

Read at he Dinner Of the Nep-ngidnd Society Of eo Fork,
Dc. -, ls47.
BY ALLEN C. sPooNER OF BOSTON.
Tho old Puritan was II solemn man,
Sombrc aud sad were his features,
And he talked through his and he plain clothes
And he seemed the forlornest of creatures.
Did no happen 10 grin, he believed it sin,
And took it to heart quite severely,
But should Satan provoke him TO laugh at Joke.
Nc rePeuted it very sincerely.
Anusements, he thought were with mschels full faught,
Songs aud dances were nothng but ovil
While cads dice and plays, and all Church holidays,
Were snaros set ( or souls by the Devil
All ornaments too did he strictly eschew,
They but filled him with horror and dread,
His natural hair he would not spare,
But wore it cropt short round his head.
Deprived of all games, his boys had odd namos
His first might be "lsrael increases p
His second perchance might be "Buckler and Lanco'-
And another, " Hew Agag in pieces"
with powers of the ali, and ghosts foul aud fair,
lie had daily to combat and wrestle--
Yet 'potter's cay' in the Lords hand he lay,
so he spoke of himself as u ''yesse."
On Sundays his home siill as
The highways were almost quiet;
Tho churcwarden stout, caught tue boy who out,
Aud gave him the stocks and low diet.
When lads up in insudted their mdrms,
They were put par with blasphemers
10 DO pelled with till the flesh lett their bone
Was the law Tor such wicked young screamers.
The youth who would we'd u coy Puritan maid,
Before the old folks hud to court her,
And quite sure was he 10 mud huge flea
In his eur If he failed to support her.
The duty Of life, then, for and for wife,
Was TO labor six days of seven;
On the seventh, in the best oftheir toggery drest,
To work murder to get into heaven.
Foul weather fair, they constant in prayer,
But to ihrift all the time kept squn,,
And in matters oil trade, when hargain they made,
Their faces were set like a flint.
lnnovation5 in faith they opposed unto death;
AT the carts tail they dragged the poo, Quaker
With dorson and ieers they cropped heretics' curs,
And felt they were serving their Maker.
The Puntans walk, conversation aud talk,
Was the very reverse of ungodly
And scriptura texts, the slightest pretexts,
Rolled out OF their mouths rather oddly.
But loud though hc prayed, let foeman invade,
All danger you d find him delyng
Like tiger he'd fight in defence OF his right
And the last thing he thought of was flying.
! uch an cdd sort of mun was the old Puritan,
Whom to honor tonight assemble
Should only come here and set down to cheer,
Where's the mun who could 500 and not uemble
His vsago severe, his manner austere,
Would freeze ali the without trouble
Conversation would stop, not u cork would dare pop,
Nor gluss Of the rosy dare bubble.
Bu, yet after all, since the date OF our FALL
For most that is noble in man,
Tho you searched world over wer hard TO discover
The Peer Of the old Puritan
No danger could shake, no diversity brcuk
The idith-lounded force of his will;
Expressions stern power, even iamine's gaun, hour
Could not change him, although they might kill.
In the of the Cross all his wealth but doss
Freely LEFT was his dear native land
Mid the oceun's fierce war, tho wild savage shore
lie walked calm with his life IN his hand
Midst teHors Internal and spendors supsrnal,
Lay his pathway to glory or wrath
In the feat Of his God, straight onward he trod,
WITH tho Bible g lamp to his path"
Then honored be he the strong and free,
Whom love of the truth banished hither;
To immortal ronown he his name handed down.
Wreathed with lauiels that never shall wither,
And honored for aye be this festival day
Through the land be its influence felt,
Till creation expire, and the last fatal FIRE
The old Rock Of Plymouth shall melt