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township throughout the country is furnished with men capable of conducting the affairs of their town with judgment and difcretion. These men are the channels of political information to the lower class of people; if fuch a clafs may be faid to exift in New England, where every man thinks himself at least as good as his neighbour, and believes that all mankind are, or ought to be, equal. The people from their childhood form habits of canvaffing public affairs, and commence politicians. This naturally leads them to be very inquifitive. It is with knowlege as with riches, the more a man has, the more he wishes to cbtain; his defire has no bound. This defire after knowledge, in a greater or lefs degree, prevails throughout all claffes of people in New-England: and from their various modes of expreffing it, fome of which are blunt and familiar, bordering on impertinence, ftrangers have been induced to mention impertinent inquifitiveness as a diftinguishing characteristic of New-England people. But this is true only with regard to that clafs of people who have confined themfelves to domeftic life, and have not had opportunity of mingling with the world; and fuch people are not peculiar to New-England-they compofe a great part of the citizens of every ftate. This clafs, it is true, is large in New-England, where agriculture is the principal employment. But will not a candid and ingenuous mind afcribe this inquifitiveness in these honeft and well-meaning people to a ludable rather than to a cenfurable difpofition?

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very confiderable of the people have either too little or too much learning to make peaceable fubjects. They know enough, however, to think they know a great deal, when in fact they know but little. A little learning is a dangerous thing." Each man has his independent fyftem of politics; and each affumes a dictatorial office. Hence originates that reflefs, litigious, complaining fpirit, which forms a dark fhade in the character of New-Englandmen

This litigious temper is the genuine fruit of republicanifm-but it denotes a corruption of virtue, which is one of its effential principles. Where a people have a great fhare of freedom, an equal fhare of virtue is neceffary to the peaceable enjoyment of it. Freedom, without virtue or honour, is licentioufnefs."

Before the late war, which introduced into New England a flood of corruptions, with many improvements, the fabbath was obferved with great ftrictnefs; no unneceffary travelling, no fecular bufinefs, no vifiting, no diverfions were permitted on that facred day. They confidered it as confecrated to divine worship, and were generally punctual and ferious in their attendance upon it. Their laws were ftrict in guarding the fabbath against every innovation. The fuppofed feverity with which thefe laws were compofed and executed, together with fome other traits in their religious character, have acquired, for the New-Englanders, the name of a fuperftitious, bigotted people. But fuperftition and bigotry are fo indefinite in their fignifications, and fo varioufly applied by perfons of different principles and educations, that it is not easy to determine whether they ever deferved that character. Leaving every perfon to enjoy his own opinion in regard to this matter, we will only obferve, that, fince the war, a catholic, tolerant fpirit, occafioned by a more enlarged intercourfe with mankind, has greatly increafed, and is becoming univerfal; and if they do not break

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the proper bound, and liberalize away all true religion, of which there is much danger, they will counteract that strong propenfity in human nature, which leads men to vibrate from one extreme to its oppofite.

There is one diftinguishing characteristic in the religious character of this people, which we must not omit to mention; and that is, the custom of annually celebrating Fafts and Thanksgivings. In the fpring, the feveral governors iffue their proclamations, appointing a day to be religiously obferved in fafting, humiliation, and prayer, throughout their respective ftates, in which the predominating vices, that particularly call for humiliation, are enumerated. In autumn, after harvelt, that gladfome æra in the hufbandman's life, the governors again iffue their proclamations, appointing a day of public thankfgiving, enumerating the public bleilings received in the course of the foregoing year.

This pious cuftom originated with their venerable ancestors, the first fettlers in New-England; and has been handed down as facred, through the fucceffive generations of their pofterity. A cuftom fo rational, and fo happily calculated to cherish in the minds of the people a fenfe of their dependence on the GREAT BENEFACTOR of the world for all their bleffings, it is hoped will ever be facredly preferved.

There is a clafs of people in New England of the bafer fort, who, averse to honeft industry, have recourfe to knavery for fubfiftence. Skilled in all the arts of dishonesty, with the affumed face and frankness of integrity, they go about, like wolves in fheeps' clothing, with a design to defraud. Thefe people, enterprizing from neceflity, have not confined their knavish tricks to New-England. Other ftates have felt the effects of their villany. Hence they have characterifed the New-Englanders as a knavish, artful, and dishonest people. But that conduct which diftınguishes only a small clafs of people in any nation or ftate, ought not to be indifcriminately afcribed to all, or be fuffered to ftamp their national character. In New-England there is as great a proportion of honest and induftrious citizens as in any of the United States.

The people of New-England generally obtain their eftates by hard and prefevering labour: They of confequence know their value, and spend with frugality. Yet in no country do the indigent and unfortunate fare better. Their laws oblige every town to provide a competent maintenance for their poor, and the neceflitous ftranger is protected, and relieved from their humane inftitutions. It may in truth be faid, that in no part of the world are the people happier, better furnished with the neceffaries and conveniencies of life, or more independent than the farmers in New-England. As the great body of the people are hardy, independent freeholders, their manners are, as they ought to be, congenial to their employment, plain, fimple, and unpolished. Strangers are received and entertained among them with a great deal of artlefs fincerity, friendly, and unformal hofpitality. Their children, thofe imitative creatures, to whofe education particular attention is paid, early imbibe the manners and habits of those around them; and the ftranger, with pleasure, notices the honeft and decent refpect that is paid him by the children as he paffes through the country.

As the people, by representation, make their own laws and appoint their own officers, they cannot be oppreffed; and living under governments,

which have few lucrative places, they have few motives to bribery, corrupt canvaffings, or intrigue. Real abilities and a moral character unblemished, are the qualifications requifite in the view of most people for officers of public trust. The expreffion of a wish to be promoted, is the direct way to be difappointed.

The inhabitants of New-England are generally fond of the arts, and have cultivated them with great fuccefs. Their colleges have flourished beyond any others in the United States. The illuftrious characters they have produced, who have diftinguished themselves in politics, law, divinity, the mathematics and philofophy, natural and civil hiftory, and in the fine arts, particularly in poetry, evince the truth of thefe obfervations.

Many of the women in New-England are hand fome. They generally have fair, fresh and healthful countenances, mingled with much female foftness and delicacy. Those who have had the advantages of a good education (and they are confiderably numerous) are genteel, easy, and agreeable in their manners, and are fprightly and fenfible in converfation. They are early taught to manage domeftic concerns with neatness and есопоту. Ladies of the first rank and fortune make it a part of their daily bufinefs to fuperintend the affairs of the family. Employment at the needle, in cookery, and at the fpinning-wheel, with them is honourable. Idlenefs, even in thofe of independent fortunes, is univerfally dif reputable. The women in the country manufacture the greatest part of the clothing of their families. Their linen and woollen cloths are strong and decent Their butter and cheese is not inferior to any in the

world.

Dancing is the principal and favourite amufement in New-England; and of this the young people of both fexes are extremely fond. Gaming is practised by none but those who cannot, or rather will not find a reputable employment. The gamefter, the horse-jockey, and the knave, are equally defpifed, and their company is avoided by all who would sustain fair and irreproachable characters. The odious and inhuman practices of duelling, gouging, cock-fighting and horfe-racing, are scarcely known here.

The athletic and healthy diverfions of cricket, foot-ball, quoits, wreftling, jumping, hopping, foot races and prifon-bafs, are univerfally practifed in the country, and fome of them in the most populous places, and by people of almost all ranks. Squirrel-hunting is a Loted diverfion in country places, where this kind of game is plenty. Some divert themfelves with fox-hunting, and others with the more profitable sports of fishing and duck-hunting and in the frontier fettlements, where deer and fur game abound, the inhabitants make a lucrative sport of hunting them.

In the winter feason, while the ground is covered with fnow, which is commonly two or three months, fleighing is the general diverfion. A great part of the families throughout the country are furnished with horfes and eighs. The young people collect in parties, and with a great deal of fociability, refort to a place of rendezvous, where they regale themselves for a few hours with dancing and a focial fupper, and then retire. Thefe diverfions, as well as all others, are many times carried to excefs. To thefe exceffes, and a fudden exposure to extreme cold after the exercise of

dancing,

dancing, physicians have afcribed the confumptions, which are so frequent among the young people in New-England.

Trade.] New-England has no one staple commodity. The ocean and the forefts afford the two principal articles of export. Cod-fith, mackarel, fhad, falmon, and other fish-whale oil and whale-bone-nafts, boards, fcantling, ftaves, hoops, and fhingles, have been, and are till exported in large quantities. The annual amount of cod and other fish, for foreign exportation, including the profits arifing from the whale-fifhery, is eftimated at upwards of half a million.

Befides the articles enumerated, they export from the various parts of New-England, fhips built for fale, horfes, mules, live flock-pickled beef and pork, pot-afh, pearl-afh, flax-feed, butter and cheefe-New-England diftilled rum, and other articles which will be mentioned in their proper places. The balance of trade, as far as imperfect calculations will enable us to judge, has generally been againft New-England; not from any unavoidable neceffity, but from her extravagant importations. From a view of the annual imports into New-England, it appears that the greatest part of them confifts of the luxuries, or at beft the difpenfable conveniencies of life; the country affords the neceffaries in great abundance.

The paffions, for the gratification of which thefe articles of luxury are confumed, have raged fince the peace of 1783, and have brought a heavy debt upon the confumers. Neceffity, that irrefiftible governess of mankind, has of late in a happy degree checked the influence of thefe paffions, and the people begin to confine themfelves more to the neceffaries of life. It is wished that the principles of industry and frugality may gain fuch ftrength as to make those wants, which at firft may be painful, become fo familiar as to be no longer felt.

Hiftory] New-England owes its first fettlement to religious perfecution." Soon after the commencement of the reformation* in England, which was not until the year 1534, the Proteftants were divided into two parties, one the followers of Luther, and the other of Calvin. The former had chofen gradually, and almost imperceptibly, to recede from the church of Rome; while the latter, more zealous, and convinced of the importance of a tho

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*The reformation was begun by Martin Luther, a native of Saxony, born in the year 1483. He was educated in the Roman Catholic religion, and was an Auguftin friar, when, in 1517, having written ninety five Thefes against the Pope's indulgencies, he exhibited them to public view on the church door at Wirtenburgh, in Saxony, and thus began the reformation in Germany. In 1528, the reformed religion was introduced into Switzerland by Zuinglius, Oecolampadius, and others.

The year following, the Diet of the German Empire assembled at Spire, and iffued a decree against the reformation. Againft this decree, the Elector of Saxony, George, Marquis of Brandenburgh, Erneft and Francis, Duke of Lunenburg, the Landgrave of Heffe, and the Count of Anhalt, who were joined by feveral of the cities, publicly read their PROTEST, and in this way acquired for themfelves and their fucceffors down to the prefent time, the name of PROTESTANTS,

CALVIN

rough reformation, and at the fame time poffeffing much firmnefs and high notions of religious liberty, were for effecting a thorough change at once. Their confequent endeavours to expunge from the church all the inventions which had been brought into it fince the days of the Apoftles, and to introduce the Scripture purity,' derived for them the name of PURITANS. From these the inhabitants of New-England defcended.

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During the fucceflive reigns of Henry VIII. Mary, Elizabeth, and James the First, the Proteftants, and efpecially the Puritans, were the objects of bloody perfecution; and thousands of them were either inhumanly burnt, or left more cruelly to perish in prisons and dungeons.

In 1602, a number of religious people in the north of England, finding their minifters urged with subscription, or filenced, and themfelves greatly oppreffed with the commiffary courts and otherwife, entered into a folemn covenant with each other to walk with God and one another, in the enjoyment of the ordinances of God according to the primitive pattern,' whatever it might coft them.

Among the minifters who entered into this affociation, was Mr. Robinfon, a man of eminent piety and learning, and the Father of NewEngland.

In 1608, Mr. Robinfon's church removed to Amfterdam, in Holland and the next year to Leyden, where they lived in great friendship and harmony among themselves and their neighbours, until they removed to New-England.

As early as 1617, Mr. Robinson and his church meditated a removal to America. Their motives for this were, to preferve the morals of their youth to prevent them, through want of employment, from leaving their parents, and engaging in bufinefs unfriendly to religion to avoid the inconveniences of incorporating with the Dutch, and to lay a foundation for propagating the gospel in remote parts of the world: Such were the true reafons of their removal.

These reafons having been propofed and maturely confidered by the church, after seeking divine direction by humiliation and prayer, they agreed to remove to America, and fettle in a diftinct body, under the general government of Virginia; they alfo agreed that their pastor, Mr. Robinfon, should remain with the greateft part of the church, whether they chofe to tarry at Leyden, or to come over to America.

In confequence of this agreement, they fent Meffrs. R. Cufhman and J. Carver, to treat with the Virginia Company upon the fubject of fettling

CALVIN, another celebrated reformer, was born at Noyon, in France, in the year 1509. He improved upon Luther's plan-expunged many of the Romi/h ceremonies which he had indulged entertained different ideas concerning fome of the great doctrines of Chriflianity, and fet the Proteftant at a greater remove from the Roman Catholic religion. The followers of Luther have been diftinguifbed by the name of LUTHERANS; and the followers of Cal vin by the name of CALVINISTS

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Such was the rapid growth of the Proteftant intereft, that in 1563, only 46 years after the commencement of the reformation by Luther, there were in 2150 affemblies of Protefiants.

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