The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. IX (of X) - America - I

Henry Cabot Lodge, Francis W. (Francis Whiting) Halsey

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• Publié par: cobaz
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 36
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. IX (of , by Various This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. IX (of X) - America - I Author: Various Editor: Henry Cabot Lodge Francis W. Halsey Release Date: May 1, 2009 [EBook #28653] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEST OF THE WORLD'S CLASSICS *** Produced by Joseph R. Hauser, Sankar Viswanathan, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net EMERSON, IRVING, COOPER, HAWTHORNE THE BEST of the WORLD'S CLASSICS RESTRICTED TO PROSE HENRY CABOT LODGE Editor-in-Chief FRANCIS W. HALSEY Associate Editor With an Introduction, Biographical and Explanatory Notes, etc. IN TEN VOLUMES Vol. IX AMERICA—I FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY NEW YORK AND LONDON COPYRIGHT , 1909, BY FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY The Best of the World's Classics VOL. IX AMERICA—I 1579-1891 CONTENTS VOL. IX—AMERICA—I Page JOHN SMITH—(BORN IN 1579, DIED IN 1631.) His Story of Pocahontas. (From the "General History of Virginia") WILLIAM BRADFORD—(BORN IN 1590, DIED IN 1657.) The Pilgrims Land and Meet the Indians. (From the "History of Plymouth") SAMUEL SEWALL—(BORN IN 1652, DIED IN 1730.) How He Courted Madam Winthrop. (From his "Diary") C OTTON MATHER—(BORN IN 1663, DIED IN 1728.) In Praise of John Eliot. (From the "Magnalia Christi Americana") WILLIAM BYRD—(BORN IN 1674, DIED IN 1744.) At the Home of Colonel Spotswood. (From "A Visit to the Mines") JONATHAN EDWARDS—(BORN IN 1703, DIED IN 1758.) Of Liberty and Moral Agencies. (From the "Freedom of the Will") BENJAMIN FRANKLIN—(BORN IN 1706, DIED IN 1790.) I His First Entry into Philadelphia. (From the "Autobiography") II Warnings Braddock Did Not Heed. (From the "Autobiography") III How to Draw Lightning from the Clouds. (From a letter to Peter Collinson) IV The Way to Wealth. (From "Poor Richard's Almanac") V Dialog with the Gout VI A Proposal to Madame Helvetius. (A letter to Madame Helvetius) GEORGE WASHINGTON—(BORN IN 1732, DIED IN 1799.) I To His Wife on Taking Command of the Army. (A letter written on June 18, 1775) II Of His Army in Cambridge. (A letter to Joseph Reed) III To the Marquis Chastellux on His Marriage. 81 79 76 59 61 68 55 51 44 38 33 19 11 3 (A letter of April 25, 1788) JOHN ADAMS—(BORN IN 1735, DIED IN 1826.) I 84 On His Nomination of Washington to Be Commanderin-Chief. (From his "Diary") 87 II An Estimate of Franklin. (From a letter to the Boston Patriot) 90 THOMAS PAINE—(BORN IN 1737, DIED IN 1809.) In Favor of the Separation of the Colonies from Great Britain. (From "Common Sense") THOMAS JEFFERSON—(BORN IN 1743, DIED IN 1826.) I When the Bastile Fell. (From his "Autobiography") II The Futility of Disputes. (From a letter to his nephew) III Of Blacks and Whites in the South. (From the "Notes on the State of Virginia") IV His Account of Logan's Famous Speech. (From the "Notes on Virginia") GOUVERNEUR MORRIS—(BORN IN 1752, DIED IN 1816.) I The Opening of the French States-General. (From a letter to Mrs. Morris) II Of the Execution of Louis XVI. (From a letter to Thomas Jefferson) ALEXANDER H AMILTON—(BORN IN 1757, DIED IN 1804.) I Of the Failure of Confederation. (From The Federalist) II His Reasons for not Declining Burr's Challenge. (From a statement written before the day of the duel) JOHN QUINCY ADAMS —(BORN IN 1767, DIED IN 1848.) I Of His Mother. (From the "Diary") II The Moral Taint Inherent in Slavery. (From the "Diary") WILLIAM E. C HANNING —(BORN IN 1780, DIED IN 1842.) Of Greatness in Napoleon. (From a review of Scott's "Life of Napoleon") JOHN JAMES AUDUBON—(BORN IN 1780, DIED IN 1857.) Where the Mocking Bird Dwells. (From the "Birds of America") WASHINGTON IRVING —(BORN IN 1783, DIED IN 1859.) I The Last of the Dutch Governors of New York. (From "Knickerbocker's History of New York") II The Awakening of Rip Van Winkle. (From the "Sketch Book") III At Abbotsford with Scott. 151 147 144 139 135 133 129 123 120 117 108 114 98 106 94 (From the "Crayon Miscellany") FENIMORE C OOPER—(BORN IN 1789, DIED IN 1851.) I His Father's Arrival at Otsego Lake. (From "The Pioneers") II Running the Gantlet. (From "The Last of the Mohicans") III Leather-Stocking's Farewell. (From "The Pioneers") WILLIAM C ULLEN BRYANT—(BORN IN 1794, DIED IN 1878.) An October Day in Florence. (From a letter) WILLIAM H. PRESCOTT—(BORN IN 1796, DIED IN 1859.) I The Fate of Egmont and Hoorne. (From "Philip II") II The Genesis of Don Quixote. (From the "Miscellanies") GEORGE BANCROFT—(BORN IN 1800, DIED IN 1891.) The Fate of Evangeline's Countrymen. (From the "History of the United States") R ALPH WALDO EMERSON—(BORN IN 1803, DIED IN 1882.) I Thoreau's Broken Task. (From the "Funeral Address") II The Intellectual Honesty of Montaigne. (From "Representative Men") III His Visit to Carlyle at Craigen-puttock. (From "English Traits") N ATHANIEL H AWTHORNE—(BORN IN 1804, DIED IN 1864.) I Occupants of an Old Manse. (From "Mosses from an Old Manse") II Arthur Dimmesdale on the Scaffold. (From "The Scarlet Letter") III Of Life at Brook Farm. (From "The Blithedale Romance") IV The Death of Judge Pyncheon. (From "The House of the Seven Gables") 161 170 178 185 194 198 209 217 223 229 231 235 242 248 252 AMERICA—I 1579-1891 JOHN SMITH Born in England in 1579, died in 1631; served against the Turks, captured, but escaped and returned to England in 1605; sailed for [3] Virginia in 1606, and helped to found Jamestown; captured by Indians and his life saved by Pocahontas the same year; explored the Chesapeake to its head; president of the Colony in 1608; returned to London in 1609; in 1614 explored the coast of New England; captured by the French in 1615 and escaped the same year; received the title of Admiral of New England in 1617; published his "True Relation" in 1608, "Map of Virginia" in 1612, "A Description of New England" in 1616, "New England's Trials" in 1620, and his "General History" in 1624. HIS STORY OF POCAHONTAS[1] Here more than two hundred of those grim Courtiers stood wondering at him [John Smith], as he had beene a monster; till Powhatan[2] and his train had put themselves in their greatest braveries. Before a fire upon a seat like a bedsted, he sat covered with a great robe, made of Rarowcun skinnes, and all the tayles hanging by. On either hand did sit a young wench of 16 or 18 years, and along on each side the house, two rowes of men, and behind them as many women, with all their heads and shoulders painted red; many of their heads bedecked with the white downe of Birds; but every one with something: and a great chain of white beads about their necks. At his entrance before the King, all the people gave a great shout. The Queene of Appamatuck was appointed to bring him water to wash his hands, and another brought him a bunch of feathers, instead of a towel to dry them. Having feasted him after their best barbarous manner they could, a long consultation was held, but the conclusion was, two great stones were brought before Powhatan: then as many as could laid hands on him, dragged him to them, and thereon laid his head, and being ready with their clubs, to beate out his braines, Pocahontas the King's dearest daughter, when no intreaty could prevaile, got his head in her armes, and laid her owne upon his to save him from death: whereat the Emperour was contented he should live to make him hatchets, and her bells, beads, and copper; for they thought him as well of all occupations as themselves. For the King himselfe will make his owne robes, shooes, bowes, arrowes, pots; plant, hunt, or doe any thing so well as the rest.... To conclude our peace, thus it happened. Captaine Argall [3] having entered into a great acquaintance with Japazaws, an old friend of Captaine Smith's, and so to all our Nation, ever since hee discovered the Countrie: hard by him there was Pocahontas, whom Captaine Smith's Relations intituleth the Numparell of Virginia, and tho she had beene many times a preserver of him and the whole Colonie, yet till this accident shee was never seene at James towne since his departure, being at Patawomeke, as it seemes, thinking her selfe unknown, was easily by her friend Japazaws perswaded to goe abroad with him and his wife to see the ship, for Captaine Argall had promised him a Copper Kettle to bring her but to him, promising no way to hurt her, but keepe her till they could conclude a peace with her father. The Salvage for this Copper Kettle would have done any thing, it seemed by the Relation; for tho she had seene and beene in many ships, yet he caused his wife to faine how desirous she was to see one, and that he offered to beat her for her importunitie, till she wept. But at last he told her, if Pocahontas would goe with her, he was content: and thus they betrayed the poore innocent Pocahontas aboord, where they were all kindly feasted in the cabin. Japazaws treading oft on the Captaine's foot, to remember he had done his part, the Captaine when he saw his time, [4] [5] perswaded Pocahontas to the gun-roome, faining to have some conference with Japazaws, which was only that she should not perceive he was any way guiltie of her captivitie: so sending for her againe, he told her before her friends, she must goe with him, and compound peace betwixt her Countrie and us, before she ever should see Powhatan, whereat the old Jew and his wife began to howle and crie as fast as Pocahontas, that upon the Captaine's fair perswasions, by degrees pacifying her selfe, and Japazaws and his wife, with the Kettle and other toys, went merrily on shore, and she to James towne. A messenger forthwith was sent to her father, that his daugh