Litchfield enquirer., 1850-05-02
Trumbull's Celonial Records.

One Of the most valuable works Of the
past month. 10 Mr.. Trumbull's colonial
Records Of Connecticut" published b.
Brown d Parsons of Hartford. This
volume was soms time since, announced
40 forthcoming. and the reputation Of the
editor rs an accurate historian and anti.
quafian. and his known ability as scho.
lar, caused very high expectations TO be
formed Of the value and interest Of the
book, which we are glad TO say are not
a. oil disappointed.
The volume i literal transcript ofthe
records Of the colony. which are preser-
we'd In the Secretary Of States Office.
The Grabbed hand and forgotten alpha
bet which the Secretaries used are shown
in facsimile plates Of each successive sec.
retary's writing, and the labor Of decy-
phering them must have occupied
months. Indeed, from our personal in.
spection Of these records, we are ready
- doabt whether any other man can be
found in the State who can read them,
or would have the necessary ability and
patience combined 70 interpret them. -
The editor has inserted notes in q brief
and explicit style. which amply explain
all those portions that may appear unin.
telligible 70 the ordinary reader, and at.
ford aid TO the antiquarian and historian.
The work presents the history Of the
Colony, struggling slowly into existence
from the year 1880. exhibiting in the We.
ry sayings and doings Of those brave
men, all their unexampled hardihood,
their majestic determination, their stern
principle and pure morality. Here are
the famed Blue Laws of Connecticut,
which. upon examination. will be found
to contain little bigotry which has been
asclibed to them, and much that would
DO honor TO any code. In the reports Of
the sessions Of the General Court, are a
thousand amusing and interesting passa-
ges. Scarcely . day can be found that
docs not contain some incident worthy Of
. careful perusal, and calculated to excite
deeper interest in the concerns Of those
stern old days.
Perhaps the most interesting portion
of the volume 10 the curious reader, il
that which contains the record of the lasl
wills Of the puritan settlers or Connect.
icut. Some Of these are in the calm and
digni6ed strain which characterized such
men o. Hooker and Willis others in The
vein Of religious fcrvor which we expect
TO find in the men who first penetrated
the wilds Of New England. One directs
his daughters 10 follow the advice or their
mother rs TO marriage: another permits
bis son to 90 TO England for wife, but
forbids him TO remain thare while a
third. preparing for . long journey, and
fearing longer, carefully bestows his
properly on bis family, and makes the
church his executor. The inventories
which accompany each win. are not q liz.
tie curious, for 10 them Is set out fully,
each and every article composing the
household furniture Of the hardy puri-
tans. down to the iron pot in which he
boiled his corn. Those W re verify brave
days. Men were mex then. and IL they
we're little given 70 their own notions
on religious matters, 80 are people now:
| We commend this volume to the careful
perusal Of men Of modern ideas. Il viii
carry them back 20 times when living
was business, and che age was practical,
at least ON this side Of the Atlantic. Mr.
TrumbulI's work will BE- accepted as IN
Invaluable addition 10 the literatu,e and
history of our country.
". p. Jour. Of Com.