introductory-第8章

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would　here　be　brought　to　light。　Unbending　the　rigid　folds　of　the

parchment　cover；　I　found　it　to　be　a　commission；　under　the　hand　and

seal　of　Governor　Shirley；　in　favour　of　one　Jonathan　Pue；　as　Surveyor

of　his　Majesty's　Customs　for　the　port　of　Salem；　in　the　Province　of

Massachusetts　Bay。　I　remembered　to　have　read　（probably　in　Felt's

Annals）　a　notice　of　the　decease　of　Mr。　Surveyor　Pue；　about　fourscore

years　ago；　and　likewise；　in　a　newspaper　of　recent　times；　an　account　of

the　digging　up　of　his　remains　in　the　little　graveyard　of　St。　Peter's

Church；　during　the　renewal　of　that　edifice。　Nothing；　if　I　rightly　call

to　mind；　was　left　of　my　respected　predecessor；　save　an　imperfect

skeleton；　and　some　fragments　of　apparel；　and　a　wig　of　majestic

frizzle；　which；　unlike　the　head　that　it　once　adorned；　was　in　very

satisfactory　preservation。　But；　on　examining　the　papers　which　the

parchment　commission　served　to　envelop；　I　found　more　traces　of　Mr。

Pue's　mental　part；　and　the　internal　operations　of　his　head；　than　the

frizzled　wig　had　contained　of　the　venerable　skull　itself。

　　They　were　documents；　in　short；　not　official；　but　of　a　private

nature；　or；　at　least；　written　in　his　private　capacity；　and

apparently　with　his　own　hand。　I　could　account　for　their　being　included

in　the　heap　of　Custom…House　lumber　only　by　the　fact；　that　Mr。　Pue's

death　had　happened　suddenly；　and　that　these　papers；　which　he

probably　kept　in　his　official　desk；　had　never　come　to　the　knowledge　of

his　heirs；　or　were　supposed　to　relate　to　the　business　of　the

revenue。　On　the　transfer　of　the　archives　to　Halifax；　this　package；

proving　to　be　of　no　public　concern；　was　left　behind；　and　had

remained　ever　since　unopened。

　　The　ancient　Surveyor…　being　little　molested；　I　suppose；　at　that

early　day；　with　business　pertaining　to　his　office…　seems　to　have

devoted　some　of　his　many　leisure　hours　to　researches　as　a　local

antiquarian；　and　other　inquisitions　of　a　similar　nature。　These

supplied　material　for　petty　activity　to　a　mind　that　would　otherwise

have　been　eaten　up　with　rust。　A　portion　of　his　facts；　by…the…bye；

did　me　good　service　in　the　preparation　of　the　article　entitled　〃MAIN

STREET；〃　included　in　the　present　volume。　The　remainder　may　perhaps

be　applied　to　purposes　equally　valuable；　hereafter；　or　not

impossibly　may　be　worked　up；　so　far　as　they　go；　into　a　regular　history

of　Salem；　should　my　veneration　for　the　natal　soil　ever　impel　me　to

so　pious　a　task。　Meanwhile；　they　shall　be　at　the　command　of　any

gentleman；　inclined；　and　competent；　to　take　the　unprofitable　labour

off　my　hands。　As　a　final　disposition；　I　contemplate　depositing　them

with　the　Essex　Historical　Society。

　　But　the　object　that　most　drew　my　attention；　in　the　mysterious

package；　was　a　certain　affair　of　fine　red　cloth；　much　worn　and

faded。　There　were　traces　about　it　of　gold　embroidery；　which；

however；　was　greatly　frayed　and　defaced；　so　that　none；　or　very　little；

of　the　glitter　was　left。　It　had　been　wrought；　as　was　easy　to　perceive；

with　wonderful　skill　of　needlework；　and　the　stitch　（as　I　am　assured　by

ladies　conversant　with　such　mysteries）…　gives　evidence　of　a　now

forgotten　art；　not　to　be　recovered　even　by　the　process　of　picking

out　the　threads。　This　rag　of　scarlet　cloth…　for　time；　and　wear；　and

a　sacrilegious　moth；　had　reduced　it　to　little　other　than　a　rag…　on

careful　examination；　assumed　the　shape　of　a　letter。　It　was　the　capital

letter　A。　By　an　accurate　measurement；　each　limb　proved　to　be　precisely

three　inches　and　a　quarter　in　length。　It　had　been　intended；　there

could　be　no　doubt；　as　an　ornamental　article　of　dress；　but　how　it　was

to　be　worn；　or　what　rank；　honour；　and　dignity；　in　by…past　times；

were　signified　by　it；　was　a　riddle　which　（so　evanescent　are　the

fashions　of　the　world　in　these　particulars）　I　saw　little　hope　of

solving。　And　yet　it　strangely　interested　me。　My　eyes　fastened

themselves　upon　the　old　scarlet　letter；　and　would　not　be　turned　aside。

Certainly；　there　was　some　deep　meaning　in　it；　most　worthy　of

interpretation；　and　which；　as　it　were；　streamed　forth　from　the

mystic　symbol；　subtly　communicating　itself　to　my　sensibilities；　but

evading　the　analysis　of　my　mind。

　　While　thus　perplexed…　and　cogitating；　among　other　hypotheses；

whether　the　letter　might　not　have　been　one　of　those　decorations

which　the　white　men　used　to　contrive；　in　order　to　take　the　eyes　of

Indians…　I　happened　to　place　it　on　my　breast。　It　seemed　to　me…　the

reader　may　smile；　but　must　not　doubt　my　word…　it　seemed　to　me；　then；

that　I　experienced　a　sensation　not　altogether　physical；　yet　almost　so；

as　of　burning　heat；　and　as　if　the　letter　were　not　of　red　cloth；　but

red…hot　iron。　I　shuddered；　and　involuntarily　let　it　fall　upon　the

floor。

　　In　the　absorbing　contemplation　of　the　scarlet　letter；　I　had　hitherto

neglected　to　examine　a　small　roll　of　dingy　paper；　around　which　it

had　been　twisted。　This　I　now　opened；　and　had　the　satisfaction　to　find；

recorded　by　the　old　Surveyor's　pen；　a　reasonably　complete

explanation　of　the　whole　affair。　There　were　several　foolscap　sheets；

containing　many　particulars　respecting　the　life　and　conversation　of

one　Hester　Prynne；　who　appeared　to　have　been　rather　a　noteworthy

personage　in　the　view　of　our　ancestors。　She　had　flourished　during

the　period　between　the　early　days　of　Massachusetts　and　the　close　of

the　seventeenth　century。　Aged　persons；　alive　in　the　time　of　Mr。

Surveyor　Pue；　and　from　whose　oral　testimony　he　had　made　up　his

narrative；　remembered　her；　in　their　youth；　as　a　very　old；　but　not

decrepit　woman；　of　a　stately　and　solemn　aspect。　It　had　been　her　habit；

from　an　almost　immemorial　date；　to　go　about　the　country　as　a　kind　of

voluntary　nurse；　and　doing　whatever　miscellaneous　good　she　might；

taking　upon　herself；　likewise；　to　give　advice　in　all　matters；

especially　those　of　the　heart；　by　which　means；　as　a　person　of　such

propensities　inevitably　must；　she　gained　from　many　people　the

reverence　due　to　an　angel；　but；　I　should　imagine；　was　looked　upon　by

others　as　an　intruder　and　a　nuisance。　Prying　further　into　the

manuscript；　I　found　the　record　of　other　doings　and　sufferings　of

this　singular　woman；　for　most　of　which　the　reader　is　referred　to　the

story　entitled　〃THE　SCARLET　LETTER〃；　and　it　should　be　borne

carefully　in　mind；　that　the　main　facts　of　that　story　are　authorised

and　authenticated　by　the　document　of　Mr　Surveyor　Pue。　The　original

papers；　together　with　the　scarlet　letter　itself…　a　most　curious　relic…

are　still　in　my　possession；　and　shall　be　freely　exhibited　to

whomsoever；　induced　by　the　great　interest　of　the　narrative；　may　desire

a　sight　of　them。　I　must　not　be　understood　as　affirming；　that；　in　the

dressing　up　of　the　tale；　and　imagining　the　motives　and　modes　of

passion　that　influenced　the　characters　who　figure　in　it；　I　have

invariably　confined　myself　within　the　limits　of　the　old　Surveyor's

half…a…dozen　sheets　of　foolscap。　On　the　contrary；　I　have　allowed

myself；　as　to　such　points；　nearly　or　altogether　as　much　license　as

if　the　facts　had　been　entirely　of　my　own　invention。　What　I　contend　for

is　the　authenticity　of　the　outline。

　　This　incident　recalled　my　mind；　in　some　degree；　to　its　old　track。

There　seemed　to　be　here　the　groundwork　of　a　tale。　It　impressed　me　as

if　the　ancient　Surveyor；　in　his　garb　of　a　hundred　years　gone　by；　and

wearing　his　immortal　wig…　which　was　buried　with　him；　but　did　not

perish　in　the　grave…　had　met　me　in　the　deserted　chamber　of　the

Custom…House。　In　his　port　was　the　dignity　of　one　who　had　borne　his

Majesty's　commission；　and　who　was　therefore　illuminated　by　a　ray　of

the　splendour　that　shone　so　dazzlingly　about　the　throne。　How　unlike；

alas！　the　hang…dog　look　of　a　republican　official；　who；　as　the

servant　of　the　people；　feels　himself　less　than　the　least；　and　below

the　lowest　of　his　masters。　With　his　own　ghostly　hand；　the　obscurely

seen　but　majestic　figure　had　imparted　to　me　the　scarlet　symbol；　and

the　little　roll　of　explanatory　manuscript。　With　his　own　ghostly　voice；

he　had　exhort