The Indianapolis journal., 1886-02-20

IL nusL DG aumllLeQ the regulations Oh SoClSof
We're very strict in those old colonies. Inc
games and customs Of the old country were very
debasing, and the Puritans were determined
there should be. no such things allowed. One
great purpose Of the Puritans in Heelng from
England waa to remove their children away from
the corrupting vices and customs of the times.
The Puritans believed life was not holiday,
that men were in this world for grand pur-
pose. The morals of the court of England were
corrupt King James was vulgar tyrant;
lie Claimed TO be the head or
the church, but he gave permission to the people
to wrestle, run races, play ball and throw bars
on Sunday. On week days cock fights, bear
beating, worrying bulls with dogs and all brutal
sports were encouraged The King himself had
a cock pit near the palace and took great delight
In seeing the cocks pick each other to pieces.
!. The King was especially fond of the theaters,
though they were foul places. Many of the
plays were indecent. The King and Queen and
ladies and gentlemen of. the court sat in boxes.
but a dirty. vulgar crowd occupied the pit sit
ting on benches that had no backs Between
the acts they guzzled beer, which was drawn from
barrel IN the center of the pit. The language
of the plays was interlarded with oaths and vul
garity. Tha indecent scenes wers witnessed by
the court ladies and gents without blushing.
Ben johnson, play writer. tells how vile the
theaters were in James's time. The actors ridi-
culed the Bible, and many ladies thought pro-
fame language an accomplishment LIE any dis
approved these things they were ridiculed as
Puritans. story is told of play acted in the
palace in honor of the King of Dem
mark the father of. Jamess wife. The
ladies who took part were so intoxicated
that they were guilty of most disgraceful actions
Gambling was another vice of the times very
offensive to the Puritans. Such being the state
of things in England it is not strange that these
refugees. for religions sake were determined to
keep these customs out of their colonies And
1t Is not surprising that they went to an extreme
in some things But in those days over rigid
rules of conduct were fault that leaned to vir-
tues side. Dissipation was not tolerated, either
by public sentiment or by the laws
the Sabbath was kept very strictly;
all labor was forbidden; the children
began on Saturday night at sunset 1t is said
the constable of Boston visited the hotels to see
that guests did not drink TO excess. Profane
swearing fined T2d for every offense, or
punished by exposure in the stocks for three
hours. One man was fined 20s for taking
from the mill on Sunday and the miller los for
permitting it to be carried away. No tricks in
trade were allowed. Thomas Clark was com
for los, for which he paid but los. He was fined
los. Another was punished for selling rye at 5s
which cost only 4s. Stephen Hopkins was com
planned of for selling beer at I'd quart which was
worth only Id Drinking tobacco" in the high
way was fined. Until lately it has been forbid
den in the streets and parks of Boston.
Here | ought to allude to John Aldens expert
ence in getting wife. He was living at the
time with Captain Standish, and acting as his as
sistant The Captain had lost his beautiful wife,
Rose Standsh, in that fatal first win
ter He was disconsolate and lonely,
and in due time began to think about choosing
another companion. His eyes fell on the beauti
full Priscilla Mullins. She was the belle of the
colony, left an orphan by the winters mortality.
But the Captain had misgivings about the sue
cess of his suit for her hand. He was man of
war, like David He had killed his man in the
Spanish wars in Flanders; he knew he was a
match for any savage in the new world.
He said to himself:
I'm not afraid of bullets nor shot from the mouth of
But Of laundering no, point blank from the mouth
Q of woman,
That confess am afraid Of nor am I ashamed to
confess it,"
am equal to the cares of state and can plan
battle, but l can't attack the heart of that
Puritan maiden / can frame no fine phrases
to whisper into her ear. Then / am DID, and
Here is the young, handsome John Alden. He
knows how to make the pretty phrases that
maidens love to hear, and he ls my true friend.
He will not betray me. | will send him with my
proposal of marriage The plan is made known
to Alden; it stunned him and strng him like
poisoned arrow, for his own heart is secretly set
on the same beautiful maiden. But there is
nothing mean or dishonorabe about him. He
goes on his mission, finds Priscilla at her spin
ning-wheel, appears to be cheerful; with
an effort he delivers his message, But the fine
phrases fail him. How could be act the part of
lover for another. Priscilla knows why he is
so awkward in delivering his message Looking
up archly from her spinning, she says: 'Prithie
John, why not speak for yourselfp This was
blow that struck him dumb. His sense of honor
forbade him to betray his friend. ST. Paul says
he had a war in his heart So John Alden was
in terrible conflict. For days a war between
his honor and love ragged. He saw how it would
end if he stayed in the land. He resolves to
leave Plymouth and his idol forever The May
flower is about to sail on its return
passage. He has one foot in the boat
that is to take him to the ship,
but sight of Priscilla conquered his desperate
resolution. 1t is sufficient to say, in due time
wedding took place. The wrath of the Captain
subsided, and he came at last to bless the bridal
pair.
The moral of this story is, if You have any
business of this sort that you want done we'll,
do it yourself and not trust it to another.
But my description of the young man of the
old colonial days would be very imperfect if
did not speak of his education. To understand
this matter We must go back to England, for the
first generation received their education there:
and some of these first settlers were highly edu-
Gated. John Milton was Puritan and in his
life we get An idea of the kind of education af-
forded to boys in those days. He was sent to
ST. Pauls School, in London: There was an
These schools were rivals The st. Anthony
boys called the boys in the other school
''St Pauls pigeons because a great number of
pigeons were always about st. Paul's Cathedral
The boys in Millions school retorted by calling
their rivals .'St. Antnonys pigs" because in the
pictures of that Saint the pig is represented as
following st. Anthony.
School discipline in those days was very rigid.
The rod or birch switch had place on the teach
ers desk. DR.. johnson, who lived after Milton,
said what Latin he learned was beaten into him
In every window of ST. Paul's these words wereset
in colored glass "Aut doce, aut disco, autdiscede"
either teach, or learn or leave the place.
All the studies in those days were chiefly
Latin and Greek and the Catechsm-the latter
alone in English Millions studies in the univer-
sity of Cambridge were Latin. Greek, Hebrew,
some mathematics, philosophy and logic in such
authors Aristotle and Plato. BOYS then
studied almost no sciences--no botany, no min
eralogy, no geology. physics, no biology and
no chemistry. These sciences have all come up
since Except in hours of relaxation the bows