of the world; that it had but little wealth or other spoils to reward the trouble of assailing it, and that it had nothing to expect from running wantonly into war, save an exceeding good beating.-On ponder ing these things, I say, one would utterly despair of finding in its history either battles or bloodshed, or any other of those calamities which give importance to a nation, and entertainment to the reader. But, on the contrary, we find, so valiant is this province, that it has already drawn upon itself a host of enemies; has had as many buffetings as would gratify the ambition of the most warlike nation; and is, in sober sadness, a very forlorn, distressed, and woe-begone little province !—all which was, no doubt, kindly ordered by Providence, to give interest and sublimity to this pathetic history.

her appearance in not more than half-a-dozen petticoats, and these too of most alarming shortness. An universal whisper ran through the assembly, the old ladies all felt shocked in the extreme, the young ladies blushed, and felt excessively for the " poor thing," and even the governor himself was observed to be a little troubled in mind. To complete the astonishment of the good folks, she undertook, in the course of a jig, to describe some astonishing figures in algebra, which she had learned from a dancing-master at Rotterdam. Whether she was too animated in flourishing her feet, or whether some vagabond zephyr took the liberty of obtruding his services, certain it is that in the course of a grand evolution, which would not have disgraced a modern ball-room, she made a most unexpected display-whereat the whole assembly was thrown into great admiration, But I forbear to enter into a detail of the pitiful several grave country members were not a little maraudings and harassments, that, for a long while moved, and the good Peter himself, who was a man | after the victory on the Delaware, continued to insult of unparalleled modesty, felt himself grievously scan- the dignity, and disturb the repose, of the Nederdalized. landers. Suffice it in brevity to say, that the implacable hostility of the people of the east, which had so miraculously been prevented from breaking out, as my readers must remember, by the sudden prevalence of witchcraft, and the dissensions in the coun. cil of Amphyctions, now again displayed itself in a thousand grievous and bitter scourings upon the borders.

The shortness of the female dresses, which had continued in fashion ever since the days of William Kieft, had long offended his eye, and though extremely averse to meddling with the petticoats of the ladies, yet he immediately recommended that every one should be furnished with a flounce to the bottom. He likewise ordered that the ladies, and indeed the gentlemen, should use no other step in dancing, than shuffle-and-turn, and double-trouble; and forbade, under pain of his high displeasure, any young lady thenceforth to attempt what was termed exhibiting the graces."

These were the only restrictions he ever imposed upon the sex, and these were considered by them as tyrannical oppressions, and resisted with that becoming spirit, always manifested by the gentle sex, whenever their privileges are invaded.-In fact, Peter Stuyvesant plainly perceived, that if he attempted to push the matter any farther, there was danger of their leaving off petticoats altogether; so like a wise man, experienced in the ways of women, he held his peace, and suffered them ever after to wear their petticoats and cut their capers as high as they pleased.

CHAPTER II.

HOW PETER STUYVESANT WAS MUCH MOLESTED
BY THE MOSSTROOPERS OF THE EAST, AND
THE GIANTS OF MERRYLAND-AND HOW A

DARK AND HORRID CONSPIRACY WAS CAR-
RIED ON IN THE BRITISH CABINET AGAINST

THE PROSPERITY OF THE MANHATTOES.

WE are now approaching towards the crisis of our work, and if I be not mistaken in my forebodings, we shall have a world of business to despatch in the ensuing chapters.

Scarcely a month passed but what the Dutch settlements on the frontiers were alarmed by the sudder. appearance of an invading army from Connecticut. This would advance resolutely through the country like a puissant caravan of the deserts, the women and children mounted in carts loaded with pots and kettles, as though they meant to boil the honest Dutchmen alive, and devour them like so many lobsters. At the tails of these carts would stalk a crew of long-limbed, lank-sided varlets, with axes on their shoulders and packs on their backs, resolutely bent upon improving the country in despite of its proprietors. These, settling themselves down, would in a short time completely dislodge the unfortunate Nederlanders; elbowing them out of those rich bottoms and fertile valleys, in which our Dutch yeomanry are so famous for nestling themselves. For it is notorious, that wherever these shrewd men of the east get a footing, the honest Dutchmen do gradually disappear, retiring slowly, like the Indians before the whites; being totally discomfited by the talking, chaffering, swapping, bargaining disposition of their new neighbours.

All these audacious infringements on the territories of their High Mightinesses were accompanied, as has before been hinted, by a world of rascally brawls, ribroastings, and bundlings, which would doubtless have incensed the valiant Peter to wreak immediate chastisement, had he not at the very same time been perplexed by distressing accounts from Mynheer Beckman, who commanded the territories at South river.

It is with some communities, as it is with certain The restless Swedes, who had so graciously been meddlesome individuals, they have a wonderful fa- suffered to remain about the Delaware, already be cility at getting into scrapes; and I have always re-gan to show signs of mutiny and disaffection. But marked, that those are most liable to get in, who have the least talent at getting out again. This is, doubtless, owing to the excessive valour of those states; for I have likewise noticed that this rampant and ungovernable quality is always most unruly where most confined; which accounts for its vapouring so amazingly in little states, little men, and ugly little women especially.

Thus, when one reflects, that the province of the Manhattoes, though of prodigious importance in the eyes of its inhabitants and its historian, was really of no very great consequence in the eyes of the rest

what was worse, a peremptory claim was laid to the whole territory, as the rightful property of Lord Baltimore, by Fendal, a chieftain who ruled over the colony of Maryland, or Merry-land, as it was anciently called, because that the inhabitants, not having the fear of the Lord before their eyes, were notoriously prone to get fuddled and make merry with mint-julep and apple-toddy. Nay, so host..e was this bully Fendal, that he threatened, unless his claim was instantly complied with, to march incontinently at the head of a potent force of the roar. ing boys of Merry-land, together with a great and

At the time of receiving the alarming despatches from South river, the great Peter was busily employ-by laying his own paw upon the spoil. For we are ed in quelling certain Indian troubles that had broken out about Esopus, and was moreover meditating how to relieve his eastern borders on the Connecticut. He, however, sent word to Mynheer Beckman to be of good heart, to maintain incessant vigilance, and to let him know if matters wore a more threatening appearance; in which case he would incontinently repair with his warriors of the Hudson, to spoil the merriment of these Merry-landers; for he coveted exceedingly to have a bout, hand to hand, with some half a score of these giants-having never encountered a giant in his whole life, unless we may so call the stout Risingh, and he was but a little one.

CHAPTER III.

OF PETER STUYVESANT'S EXPEDITION INTO THE
EAST COUNTRY, SHOWING THAT THOUGH AN

OLD BIRD, HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND TRAP.

On declaring this resolution in his privy council, the venerable members were seized with vast astonishment; for once in their lives they ventured to remonstrate, setting forth the rashness of exposing his sacred person in the midst of a strange and barbarous people, with sundry other weighty remonstrancesall which had about as much influence upon the determination of the headstrong Peter as though you were to endeavour to turn a rusty weathercock with a broken-winded bellows.

Summoning, therefore, to his presence his trusty follower, Antony Van Corlear, he commanded him to hold himself in readiness to accompany him the following morning on this his hazardous enterprise. Now Antony the trumpeter was a little stricken in years, yet by dint of keeping up a good heart, and having never known care or sorrow, (having never been married,) he was still a hearty, jocund, rubicund, gamesome wag, and of great capacity in the doublet. This last was ascribed to his living a jolly life on those domains at the Hook, which Peter Stuyvesant had granted to him for his gallantry at Fort Casimir.

GREAT nations resemble great men in this particular, that their greatness is seldom known until they get in trouble; adversity, therefore, has been wisely denominated the ordeal of true greatness, which, like gold, can never receive its real estimation, until it has passed through the furnace. In proportion, therefore, as a nation, a community, or an individual (possessing the inherent quality of greatness) is involved in perils and misfortunes, in proportion does it rise in grandeur-and even when sinking under calamity, makes, like a house on fire, a more glorious display than ever it did in the fairest period of its prosperity. The vast empire of China, though teeming with population and imbibing and concentrating the wealth of nations, has vegetated through a succession of drowsy ages; and were it not for its internal revolution, and the subversion of its ancient government by the Tartars, might have presented nothing but an Be this as it may, there was nothing that more deuninteresting detail of dull, monotonous prosperity.lighted Antony than this command of the great Pompeii and Herculaneum might have passed into Peter, for he could have followed the stout-hearted oblivion, with a herd of their contemporaries, if they old governor to the world's end with love and loyalty had not been fortunately overwhelmed by a volcano.and he moreover still remembered the frolicking, The renowned city of Troy has acquired celebrity and dancing, and bundling, and other disports of only from its ten years' distress, and final conflagra- the east country, and entertained dainty recollection tion-Paris rises in importance by the plots and mas- of numerous kind and buxom lasses, whom he longed sacres which have ended in the exaltation of the il- exceedingly again to encounter. lustrious Napoleon-and even the mighty London itself has skulked through the records of time, celebrated for nothing of moment, excepting the plague, the great fire, and Guy Faux's gunpowder plot! Thus cities and empires seem to creep along, enlarging in silent obscurity under the pen of the historian, until at length they burst forth in some tremendous calamity--and snatch, as it were, immortality from the explosion!

The above principle being admitted, my reader will plainly perceive that the city of New-Amsterdam, and its dependent province, are on the high road to greatness. Dangers and hostilities threaten from every side, and it is really a matter of astonishment to me, how so small a state has been able, in so short a time, to entangle itself in so many difficulties. Ever since the province was first taken by the nose, at the Fort of Good Hope, in the tranquil days of Wouter Van Twiller, has it been gradually increasing in historic importance; and never could it have had a more appropriate chieftain to conduct it to the pinnacle of grandeur, than Peter Stuyvesant. In the fiery heart of this iron-headed old warrior sat enthroned all those five kinds of courage described by Aristotle, and had the philosopher mentioned five hundred more to the back of them, I verily believe he would have been found master of them all. The only misfortune was, that he was deficient in the better part of valour, called discretion, a coldblooded virtue which could not exist in the tropical climate of his mighty soul. Hence it was, he was continually hurrying into those unheard-of enterprises that give an air of chivalric romance to all his history, and hence it was that he now conceived a project worthy of the hero of La Mancha himself.

This was no other than to repair in person to the great council of the Amphyctions, bearing the sword in one hand and the olive-branch in the other-to require immediate reparation for the innumerable violations of that treaty which in an evil hour he had formed to put a stop to those repeated maraudings on the eastern borders-or else to throw his gauntlet and appeal to arms for satisfaction.

Thus, then, did this mirror of hardihood set forth, with no other attendant but his trumpeter, upon one of the most perilous enterprises ever recorded in the annals of knight-errantry. For a single warrior to venture openly among a whole nation of foes; but above all, for a plain downright Dutchman to think of negotiating with the whole council of NewEngland-never was there known a more desperate undertaking!-Ever since I have entered upon the chronicles of this peerless, but hitherto uncelebrated, chieftain, has he kept me in a state of incessant action and anxiety with the toils and dangers he is constantly encountering.-Oh! for a chapter of the tranquil reign of Wouter Van Twiller, that I might repose on it as on a feather bed!

Is it not enough, Peter Stuyvesant, that I have once already rescued thee from the machinations of these terrible Amphyctions, by bringing the whole powers of witchcraft to thine aid? Is it not enough that I have followed thee undaunted, like a guardian spirit, into the midst of the horrid battle of Fort Christina ?—That I have been put incessantly to my trumps to keep thee safe and sound-now warding off with my single pen the shower of dastard blows that fell upon thy rear-now narrowly shielding thee from a deadly thrust, by a mere tobacco-box-now casing thy dauntless skull with adamant, when even thy stubborn ram-beaver failed to resist the sword of the stout Risingh-and now, not merely bringing thee off alive, but triumphant, from the clutches of the gigantic Swede, by the desperate means of a paltry stone pottle? Is not all this enough, but must thou still be plunging into new difficulties, and jeopardizing in headlong enterprises, thyself, thy trumpeter, and thy historian?

And now the ruddy-faced Aurora, like a buxom chamber-maid, draws aside the sable curtains of the night, and out bounces from his bed the jolly redhaired Phoebus, startled at being caught so late in the embraces of Dame Thetis. With many a sable oath, he harnesses his brazen-footed steeds, and whips and lashes, and splashes up the firmament, like a loitering post-boy, half an hour behind his

time. And now behold that imp of fame and prow-echoing with the busy hum of commerce, and now ess, the headstrong Peter, bestriding a raw-boned, with the cheerful song of the peasant. switch-tailed charger, gallantly arrayed in full regimentals, and bracing on his thigh that trusty brasshilted sword, which had wrought such fearful deeds on the banks of the Delaware.

Behold, hard after him, his doughty trumpeter Van Corlear, mounted on a broken-winded, wall-eyed, calico mare; his stone pottle, which had laid low the mighty Risingh, slung under his arm, and his trumpet displayed vauntingly in his right hand, decorated with a gorgeous banner, on which is emblazoned the great beaver of the Manhattoes. See them proudly issuing out of the city gate like an iron-clad hero of yore, with his faithful 'squire at his heels, the populace following them with their eyes, and shouting many a parting wish and hearty cheering.-Farewell, Hardkoppig Piet! Farewell, honest Antony!— Pleasant be your wayfaring-prosperous your return! The stoutest hero that ever drew a sword, and the worthiest trumpeter that ever trod shoeleather!

At every town would Peter Stuyvesant, who was noted for warlike punctilio, order the sturdy Antony to sound a courteous salutation; though the manuscript observes, that the inhabitants were thrown into great dismay when they heard of his approach For the fame of his incomparable achievements on the Delaware had spread throughout the east country, and they dreaded lest he had come to take vengeance on their manifold transgressions.

But the good Peter rode through these towns with a smiling aspect; waving his hand with inexpressible majesty and condescension; for he verily believed that the old clothes which these ingenious people had thrust into their broken windows, and the festoons of dried apples and peaches which ornamented the fronts of their houses, were so many decorations in honour of his approach; as it was the custom, in the days of chivalry, to compliment renowned heroes by sumptuous displays of tapestry and gorgeous furniture. The women crowded to the doors to gaze Legends are lamentably silent about the events upon him as he passed, so much does prowess in that befell our adventurers in this their adventurous arms delight the gentle sex. The little children, too, travel, excepting the Stuyvesant manuscript, which ran after him in troops, staring with wonder at his gives the substance of a pleasant little heroic poem, regimentals, his brimstone breeches, and the silver written on the occasion by Domini Ægidius Luyck,* garniture of his wooden leg. Nor must I omit to who appears to have been the poet laureat of New-mention the joy which many strapping wenches beAmsterdam. This inestimable manuscript assures us that it was a rare spectacle to behold the great Feter and his loyal follower hailing the morning sun, and rejoicing in the clear countenance of nature, as they pranced it through the pastoral scenes of Bloemen Dael;† which in those days was a sweet and rural valley, beautified with many a bright wild flower, refreshed by many a pure streamlet, and enlivened here and there by a delectable little Dutch cottage, sheltered under some sloping hill, and almost buried in embowering trees.

Now did they enter upon the confines of Connecticut, where they encountered many grievous difficulties and perils. At one place they were assailed by a troop of country 'squires and militia colonels, who, mounted on goodly steeds, hung upon their rear for several miles, harassing them exceedingly with guesses and questions, more especially the worthy Peter, whose silver-chased leg excited not a little marvel. At another place, hard by the renowned town of Stamford, they were set upon by a great and mighty legion of church deacons, who imperiously demanded of them five shillings, for travelling on Sunday, and threatened to carry them captive to a neighbouring church, whose steeple peered above the trees; but these the valiant Peter put to rout with little difficulty, insomuch that they bestrode their canes and galloped off in horrible confusion, leaving their cocked hats behind in the hurry of their flight. But not so easily did he escape from the hands of a crafty man of Piquag; who, with undaunted perseverance, and repeated onsets, fairly bargained him out of his goodly switched-tailed charger, leaving in place there of avillainous foundered Narraganset pacer.

But, maugre all these hardships, they pursued their journey cheerily along the course of the soft flowing Connecticut, whose gentle waves, says the song, roll through many a fertile vale and sunny plain; now reflecting the lofty spires of the bustling city, and now the rural beauties of the humble hamlet; now

This Luyck was, moreover, rector of the Latin School in NieuwNederlandt, 1663. There are two pieces addressed to Ægidius Luyck, in D. Selyn's MSS. of poesies, upon his marriage with Judith Isendoorn. Old MS.

+ Now called Blooming Dale, about four miles from New-York

trayed at beholding the jovial Van Corlear, who had whilom delighted them so much with his trumpet, when he bore the great Peter's challenge to the Amphyctions. The kind-hearted Antony alighted from his calico mare, and kissed them all with infinite loving kindness-and was right pleased to see a crew of little trumpeters crowding around him for his blessing; each of whom he patted on the head, bade him be a good boy, and gave him a penny to buy molasses candy.

The Stuyvesant manuscript makes but little farther mention of the governor's adventures upon this expedition, excepting that he was received with extravagant courtesy and respect by the great council of the Amphyctions, who almost talked him to death with complimentary and congratulatory harangues. I will not detain my readers by dwelling on his negotiations with the grand council. Suffice it to mention, it was like all other negotiations—a great deal was said, and very little done: one conversation led to anotherone conference begat misunderstandings which it took a dozen conferences to explain; at the end of which, the parties found themselves just where they were at first; excepting that they had entangled themselves in a host of questions of etiquette, and conceived a cordial distrust of each other, that rendered their future negotiations ten times more difficult than ever.*

In the midst of all these perplexities, which bewildered the brain and incensed the ire of the sturdy Peter, who was perhaps of all men in the world, least fitted for diplomatic wiles, he privately received the first intimation of the dark conspiracy which had been matured in the Cabinet of England. To this was added the astounding intelligence that a hostile squadron had already sailed from England, destined to reduce the province of New-Netherlands, and that the grand council of Amphyctions had engaged to co-operate, by sending a great army to invade NewAmsterdam by land.

Unfortunate Peter! did I not enter with sad foreboding upon this ill-starred expedition? did I not tremble when I saw thee, with no other counsellor

*For certain of the particulars of this ancient negotiation see Haz. Col. State Papers. It is singular that Smith is entirely silen with respect to this memorable expedition of Peter Stuyvesant.

but thine own head, with no other armour but an | scaling-ladders, and bawling through tin trumpets, honest tongue, a spotless conscience, and a rusty by way of directing the attack.-Here one busy fel sword! with no other protector but St. Nicholas-low, in his great zeal to save the property of the unand no other attendant but a trumpeter-did I not fortunate, catches up an anonymous chamber utentremble when I beheld thee thus sally forth to con- sil, and gallants it off with an air of as much selftend with all the knowing powers of New-England? importance, as if he had rescued a pot of moneyOh, how did the sturdy old warrior rage and roar, another throws looking-glasses and china out of the when he found himself thus entrapped, like a lion in window, to save them from the flames, whilst those the hunter's toil! Now did he determine to draw who can do nothing else to assist the great calamity, his trusty sword, and manfully to fight his way run up and down the streets with open throats, keepthrough all the countries of the east. Now did he ing up an incessant cry of Fire! Fire! Fire! resolve to break in upon the council of the Amphyc"When the news arrived at Sinope," says the tions, and put every mother's son of them to death, grave and profound Lucian--though I own the story At length, as his direful wrath subsided, he resorted is rather trite, "that Philip was about to attack to safer though less glorious expedients. them, the inhabitants were thrown into violent Concealing from the council his knowledge of alarm. Some ran to furbish up their arms; others their machinations, he privately despatched a trusty rolled stones to build up the walls-every body, in messenger, with missives to his counsellors at New-short, was employed, and every body was in the way Amsterdam, apprising them of the impending dan- of his neighbour. Diogenes alone was the only man ger, commanding them immediately to put the city who could find nothing to do-whereupon, deterin a posture of defence, while in the meantime he mining not to be idle when the welfare of his counwould endeavour to elude his enemies and come to try was at stake, he tucked up his robe, and fell to their assistance. This done, he felt himself marvel-rolling his tub with might and main up and down lously relieved, rose slowly, shook himself like a the Gymnasium." In like manner did every mother's rhinoceros, and issued forth from his den, in much son, in the patriotic community of New-Amsterdam, the same manner as Giant Despair is described to on receiving the missives of Peter Stuyvesant, busy have issued from Doubting Castle, in the chivalric himself most mightily in putting things in confusion, history of the Pilgrim's Progress. and assisting the general uproar. "Every man "And now, much does it grieve me that I must saith the Stuyvesant manuscript-"flew to arms!" leave the gallant Peter in this imminent jeopardy:-by which is meant, that not one of our honest but it behoves us to hurry back and see what is go- Dutch citizens would venture to church or to maring on at New-Amsterdam, for greatly do I fear that ket, without an old-fashioned spit of a sword dangcity is already in a turmoil. Such was ever the fate ling at his side, and a long, Dutch fowling-piece on of Peter Stuyvesant; while doing one thing with his shoulder-nor would he go out of a night with heart and soul, he was too apt to leave every thing out a lantern; nor turn a corner without first peepelse at sixes and sevens. While, like a potentate of ing cautiously round, lest he should come unawares yore, he was absent, attending to those things in per-upon a British army.-And we are informed that son, which in modern days are trusted to generals and ambassadors, his little territory at home was sure to get in an uproar.-All which was owing to that uncommon strength of intellect which induced him to trust to nobody but himself, and which had acquired him the renowned appellation of Peter the Headstrong.

CHAPTER IV.

Stoffel Brinkerhoff, who was considered by the old women almost as brave a man as the governor himself-actually had two one-pound swivels mounted in his entry, one pointing out at the front door, and the other at the back.

But the most strenuous measure resorted to on this awful occasion, and one which has since been found of wonderful efficacy, was to assemble popular meetings. These brawling convocations, I have already shown, were extremely offensive to Peter Stuyvesant, but as this was a moment of unusual HOW THE PEOPLE OF NEW-AMSTERDAM WERE agitation, and as the old governor was not present to THROWN INTO A GREAT PANIC, BY THE repress them, they broke out with intolerable vioNEWS OF A THREATENED INVASION, AND THE lence. Hither, therefore, the orators and politicians MANNER IN WHICH THEY FORTIFIED THEM-repaired, and there seemed to be a competition among

SELVES.

them who should bawl the loudest, and exceed the others in hyperbolical bursts of patriotism, and in THERE is no sight more truly interesting to a resolutions to uphold and defend the Government. philosopher, than to contemplate a community, In these sage and all-powerful meetings, it was dewhere every individual has a voice in public affairs, termined, nem, con., that they were the most enlight where every individual thinks himself the Atlas of ened, the most dignified, the most formidable, and the nation, and where every individual thinks it his the most ancient community upon the face of the duty to bestir himself for the good of his country.-earth. Finding that this resolution was so univerI say, there is nothing more interesting to a philoso-sally and readily carried, another was immediately pher, than to see such a community in a sudden bus-proposed-whether it were not possible and politic tle of war. Such a clamour of tongues--such a to exterminate Great Britain? upon which sixty-nine bawling of patriotism-such running hither and members spoke most eloquently in the affirmative, thither--every body in a hurry--every body up to and only one rose to suggest some doubts-who, as a the ears in trouble-every body in the way, and ev- punishment for his treasonable presumption, was im ery body interrupting his industrious neighbour-mediately seized by the mob, and tarred and featherwho is busily employed in doing nothing! It is like ed-which punishment being equivalent to the Tarwitnessing a great fire, where every man is at work peian Rock, he was afterwards considered as an outlike a hero--some dragging about empty engines-cast from society, and his opinion went for nothing, others scampering with full buckets, and spilling the The question, therefore, being unanimously carried contents into the boots of their neighbours-and in the affirmative, it was recommended to the grand others ringing the church bells all night, by way of council to pass it into a law; which was accordingly putting out the fire. Little firemen, like sturdy little done.-By this measure, the hearts of the people at knights storming a breach, clambering up and down | large were wonderfully encouraged, and they waxed