the quaker colonies-第5章

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　coffeehouse。　This　institution　took　the　place　of　the　modern　stock　exchange；　clearing　house；　newspaper；　university；　club；　and　theater　all　under　one　roof；　with　plenty　to　eat　and　drink　besides。　Within　its　rooms　vessels　and　cargoes　were　sold；　before　its　door　negro　slaves　were　auctioned　off；　and　around　it　as　a　common　center　were　brought　together　all　sorts　of　business；　valuable　information；　gossip；　and　scandal。　It　must　have　been　a　brilliant　scene　in　the　evening；　with　the　candles　lighting　embroidered　red　and　yellow　waistcoats；　blue　and　scarlet　Coats；　green　and　black　velvet；　with　the　rich　drab　and　mouse　color　of　the　prosperous　Quakers　contrasting　with　the　uniforms　of　British　officers　come　to　fight　the　French　and　Indian　wars。　Sound；　as　well　as　color；　had　its　place　in　this　busy　and　happy　colonial　life。　Christ　Church；　a　brick　building　which　still　stands　the　perfection　of　colonial　architecture　had　been　established　by　the　Church　of　England　people　defiantly　in　the　midst　of　heretical　Quakerdom。　It　soon　possessed　a　chime　of　bells　sent　out　from　England。　Captain　Budden；　who　brought　them　in　his　ship　Myrtilla；　would　charge　no　freight　for　so　charitable　a　deed；　and　in　consequence　of　his　generosity　every　time　he　and　his　ship　appeared　in　the　harbor　the　bells　were　rung　in　his　honor。　They　were　rung　on　market　days　to　please　the　farmers　who　came　into　town　with　their　wagons　loaded　with　poultry　and　vegetables。　They　were　rung　muffled　in　times　of　public　disaster　and　were　kept　busy　in　that　way　in　the　French　and　Indian　wars。　They　were　also　rung　muffled　for　Franklin　when　it　was　learned　that　while　in　London　he　had　favored　the　Stamp　Acta　means　of　expressing　popular　opinion　which　the　newspapers　subsequently　put　out　of　date。

The　severe　Quaker　code　of　conduct　and　peaceful　contemplation　contains　no　prohibition　against　good　eating　and　drinking。　Quakers　have　been　known　to　have　the　gout。　The　opportunities　in　Philadelphia　to　enjoy　the　pleasures　of　the　table　were　soon　unlimited。　Farm；　garden；　and　dairy　products；　vegetables；　poultry；　beef；　and　mutton　were　soon　produced　in　immense　quantity　and　variety　and　of　excellent　quality。　John　Adams；　coming　from　the　〃plain　living　and　high　thinking〃　of　Boston　to　attend　the　first　meeting　of　the　Continental　Congress　in　Philadelphia；　was　invited　to　dine　with　Stephen　Collins；　a　typical　Quaker；　and　was　amazed　at　the　feast　set　before　him。　From　that　time　his　diary　records　one　after　another　of　these　〃sinful　feasts；〃　as　he　calls　them。　But　the　sin　at　which　he　thus　looks　askance　never　seems　to　have　withheld　him　from　a　generous　indulgence。　〃Drank　Madeira　at　a　great　rate；〃　he　says　on　one　occasion；　〃and　took　no　harm　from　it。〃　Madeira　obtained　in　the　trade　with　Spain　was　the　popular　drink　even　at　the　taverns。　Various　forms　of　punch　and　rum　were　common；　but　the　modern　light　wines　and　champagne　were　not　then　in　vogue。

Food　in　great　quantity　and　variety　seems　to　have　been　placed　on　the　table　at　the　same　time；　with　little　regard　to　formal　courses。　Beef；　poultry；　and　mutton　would　all　be　served　at　one　dinner。　Fruit　and　nuts　were　placed　on　the　table　in　profusion；　as　well　as　puddings　and　desserts　numerous　and　deadly。　Dinners　were　served　usually　in　the　afternoon。　The　splendid　banquet　which　Adams　describes　as　given　to　some　members　of　the　Continental　Congress　by　Chief　Justice　Chew　at　his　country　seat　was　held　at　four　in　the　afternoon。　The　dinner　hour　was　still　in　the　afternoon　long　after　the　Revolution　and　down　to　the　times　of　the　Civil　War。　Other　relics　of　this　old　love　of　good　living　lasted　into　modern　times。　It　was　not　so　very　long　ago　that　an　occasional　householder　of　wealth　and　distinction　in　Philadelphia　could　still　be　found　who　insisted　on　doing　his　own　marketing　in　the　old　way；　going　himself　the　first　thing　in　the　morning　on　certain　days　to　the　excellent　markets　and　purchasing　all　the　family　supplies。　Philadelphia　poultry　is　still　famous　the　country　over；　and　to　be　a　good　judge　of　poultry　was　in　the　old　days　as　much　a　point　of　merit　as　to　be　a　good　judge　of　Madeira。　A　typical　Philadelphian；　envious　New　Yorkers　say；　will　still　keep　a　line　of　depositors　waiting　at　a　bank　while　he　discourses　to　the　receiving　teller　on　what　a　splendid　purchase　of　poultry　he　had　made　that　morning。　Early　in　the　last　century　a　wealthy　leader　of　the　bar　is　said　to　have　continued　the　old　practice　of　going　to　market　followed　by　a　negro　with　a　wheelbarrow　to　bring　back　the　supplies。　Not　content　with　feasting　in　their　own　homes；　the　colonial　Philadelphians　were　continually　banqueting　at　the　numerous　taverns；　from　the　Coach　and　Horses；　opposite　the　State　House；　down　to　the　Penny　Pot　Inn　close　by　the　river。　At　the　Coach　and　Horses；　where　the　city　elections　were　usually　held；　the　discarded　oyster　shells　around　it　had　been　trampled　into　a　hard　white　and　smooth　floor　over　which　surged　the　excited　election　crowds。　In　those　taverns　the　old　fashion　prevailed　of　roasting　great　joints　of　meat　on　a　turnspit　before　an　open　fire；　and　to　keep　the　spit　turning　before　the　heat　little　dogs　were　trained　to　work　in　a　sort　of　treadmill　cage。

In　nothing　is　this　colonial　prosperity　better　revealed　than　in　the　quality　of　the　country　seats。　They　were　usually　built　of　stone　and　sometimes　of　brick　and　stone；　substantial；　beautifully　proportioned；　admirable　in　taste；　with　a　certain　simplicity；　yet　indicating　a　people　of　wealth；　leisure；　and　refinement；　who　believed　in　themselves　and　took　pleasure　in　adorning　their　lives。　Not　a　few　of　these　homes　on　the　outskirts　of　the　city　have　come　down　to　us　unharmed；　and　Cliveden；　Stenton；　and　Belmont　are　precious　relics　of　such　solid　structure　that　with　ordinary　care　they　will　still　last　for　centuries。　Many　were　destroyed　during　the　Revolution；　others；　such　as　Landsdowne；　the　seat　of　one　of　the　Penn　family；　built　in　the　Italian　style；　have　disappeared；　others　were　wiped　out　by　the　city's　growth。　All　of　them；　even　the　small　ones；　were　most　interesting　and　typical　of　the　life　of　the　times。　The　colonists　began　to　build　them　very　early。　A　family　would　have　a　solid；　brick　town　house　and；　only　a　mile　or　so　away；　a　country　house　which　was　equally　substantial。　Sometimes　they　built　at　a　greater　distance。　Governor　Keith；　for　example；　had　a　country　seat；　still　standing　though　built　in　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century；　some　twenty…five　miles　north　of　the　city　in　what　was　then　almost　a　wilderness。

Penn's　ideal　had　always　been　to　have　Philadelphia　what　he　called　〃a　green　country　town。〃　Probably　he　had　in　mind　the　beautiful　English　towns　of　abundant　foliage　and　open　spaces。　And　Penn　was　successful；　for　many　of　the　Philadelphia　houses　stood　by　themselves；　with　gardens　round　them。　The　present　Walnut　was　first　called　Pool　Street；　Chestnut　was　called　Winn　Street；　and　Market　was　called　High　Street。　If　he　could　have　foreseen　the　enormous　modern　growth　of　the　city；　he　might　not　have　made　his　streets　so　narrow　and　level。　But　the　fault　lies　perhaps　rather　with　the　people　for　adhering　so　rigidly　and　for　so　long　to　Penn's　scheme；　when　traffic　that　he　could　not　have　imagined　demanded　wider　streets。　If　he　could　have　lived　into　our　times　he　would　surely　have　sent　us　very　positive　directions　in　his　bluff　British　way　to　break　up　the　original　rectangular；　narrow　plan　which　was　becoming　dismally　monotonous　when　applied　to　a　widely　spread…out　modern　city。　He　was　a　theologian；　but　he　had　a　very　keen　eye　for　appearances　and　beauty　of　surroundings。



Chapter　IV。　Types　Of　The　Population

The　arrival　of　colonists　in　Pennsylvania　in　greater　numbers　than　in　Delaware　and　the　Jerseys　was　the　more　notable　because；　within　a　few　years　after　Pennsylvania　was　founded；　persecution　of　the　Quakers　ceased　in　England　and　one　prolific　cause　of　their　migration　was　no　more。　Thirteen　hundred　Quakers　were　released　from　prison　in　1686　by　James　II；　and　in　1689；　when　William　of　Orange　took　the　throne；　toleration　was　extended　to　the　Quakers　and　other　Protestant　dissenters。

The　success　of　the　first　Quakers　who　came　to　America　brought　others　even　after　persecution　ceased　in　England。　The　most　numerous　class　of　immigrants　for　the　first　fifteen　or　twenty　years　were　Welsh；　most　of　whom　were　Quakers　with　a　few　Baptists　and　Church　of　England　people。　They　may　have　come　not　so　much　from　a　desire　to　flee　from　persecution　as