Early American Literature: 17th and 18th Centuries
Anne Bradstreet
The Author to Her Book
(1) Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain,
(2) Who after birth didst by my side remain,
(3) Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true,
(4) Who thee abroad exposed to public view…
(5) Made thee in rags, halting to th’press to trudge,
To My Dear and Loving Husband
(1) If ever two were one, then surely we.
(2) If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
(3) If ever wife was happy in a man,
(4) Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
(5) I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Upon the Burning of Our House
(1) In silent night when rest I took,
(2) For sorrow near I did not look,
(3) I wakened was with thundering noise
(4) And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.
(5) That fearful sound of “Fire!” and “Fire!”
On My Dear Grandchild, Simon Bradstreet
(1) No sooner came, but gone, and fallen asleep.
(2) Acquaintance short, yet parting caused us weep;
(3) Three flowers, two scarcely blown, the last i’ th’ bud,
(4) Cropped by th’ Almighty’s hand; yet is He good.
(5) Such was His will, but why, let’s not dispute,
John Smith
The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles
The savages having drawn from George Cassen whither Captain Smith was gone, prosecuting that opportunity they followed him with 300 bowmen conducted by the King of Pamunkey, who in divisions searching the turnings of the river found Robinson and Emry by the fireside […]
He demanding for their captain, they showed him Openchancanough, King of Pamunkey, to whom he gave a round ivory double compass dial. Much they marveled at the playing of the fly and needle, which they could see so plainly and yet not touch it because of the glass that covered them. […]
Notwithstanding, within an hour after, they tied him to a tree, and as many as could stand about him prepared to shoot him…
Their order of conducting him was thus: Drawing themselves all in file, the King in the midst had all their pieces and swords borne before him. Captain Smith was led after him by three great savages holding him fast by each arm, and on each side six went in file with their arrows nocked. […]
Amongst the devils to dwell“.
[…] At last brought him to Werowocomoco, where was Powhatan, their Emperor. Here more than two hundred of those grim courtiers stood wondering at him…
[…] At his entrance before the King, all the people gave a great shout. The Queen of Appomattoc was appointed to bring him water to wash his hands, having feasted him after their best barbarous manner they could…
William Bradford
Of Plymouth Plantation. Book I, Chapter IX: Of Their Voyage and How They Passed the Sea; and of Their Safe Arrival at Cape Cod
September, 6. These troubles being blown over, and now all being compact together in one ship, they put to sea again with a prosperous wind, which continued divers days together, which was some encouragement unto them; yet, according to the usual manner, many were afflicted with sea sickness […]
After they had enjoyed fair winds and weather for a season, they were encountered many times with cross winds and met with many fierce storms with which the ship was shrewdly shaken, and her upper works made very leaky […]
But to omit other things (that I may be brief) after long beating at sea they fell with that land which is called Cape Cod; the which being made and certainly known to be it, they were not a little joyful […]
Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof […]
But there I cannot but stay and make a pause, and stand half amazed at this poor people’s present condition […]
Book II, Chapter XII, Anno 1621 – William Bradford.
They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercised in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish.
Mary Rowlandson
A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson
On the tenth of February 1675, came the Indians with great numbers upon Lancaster: their first coming was about sunrising; hearing the noise of some guns, we looked out; several houses were burning, and the smoke ascending to heaven […]
At length they came and beset our own house, and quickly it was the dolefulest day that ever mine eyes saw […]
The Third Remove
The morning being come, they prepared to go on their way. One of the Indians got up on a horse, and they set me up behind him, with my poor sick babe in my lap. A very wearisome and tedious day I had of it […]
The Fifth Remove
The first week of my being among them I hardly ate any thing; the second week I found my stomach grow very faint for want of something; and yet it was very hard to get down their filthy trash […]
And here I cannot but take notice of the strange providence of God in preserving the heathen. […]
The Ninth Remove
But instead of going either to Albany or homeward, we must go five miles up the river, and then go over it. Here we abode a while. Here lived a sorry Indian, who spoke to me to make him a shirt. […]
But I was fain to go and look after something to satisfy my hunger, and going among the wigwams, I went into one and there found a squaw who showed herself very kind to me […]
One bitter cold day I could find no room to sit down before the fire […]
The Twentieth Remove
If trouble from smaller matters begin to arise in me, I have something at hand to check myself with, and say, why am I troubled? It was but the other day that if I had had the world […]
Jonathan Edwards
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
In this verse is threatened the vengeance of God on the wicked unbelieving Israelites, who were God’s visible people, and who lived under the means of grace […] seems to imply the following doings, relating to the punishment and destruction to which these wicked Israelites were exposed:
- That they were always exposed to destruction
- It implies that they were always exposed to sudden unexpected destruction.
- Another thing implied is, that they are liable to fall of themselves, without being thrown down by the hand of another; as he that stands or walks on slippery ground needs nothing but his own weight to throw him down.
- That the reason why they are not fallen already, and do not fall now, is only that God’s appointed time is not come.
Application
The use of this awful subject may be for awakening unconverted persons in this congregation […]
You probably are not sensible of this; you find you are kept out of hell […]
Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell […]
The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given […]
The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart… […]
The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked […]
O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath […]
Therefore, let every one that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come […]
Benjamin Franklin
The Autobiography
It was about this time that I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wished to live without committing any fault at any time […]
In the various enumerations of the moral virtues I had met with in my reading. I found the catalogue more or less numerous, as different writers included more or fewer ideas under the same name […]
- Temperance
- Silence
- Order
- Resolution
- Frugality
- Industry
- Sincerity
- Justice
- Moderation
- Cleanliness
- Tranquility
- Chastity
- Humility
My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues […]
I made a little book, in which I allotted a page for each of the virtues, I ruled each page with red ink […]
I determined to give a week’s strict attention to each of the virtues successively […]
Olaudah Equiano
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African
My father, besides many slaves, had a numerous family, of which seven lived to grow up, including myself and a sister, who was the only daughter. […]
[…] One day, when all our people were gone out to their works as usual, and only I and my dear sister were left to mind the house, two men and a woman got over our walls… […]
The first object which saluted my eyes when I arrived on the coast was the sea, and a slave ship, which was then riding at anchor, and waiting for its cargo. […]
I now saw myself deprived of all chance of returning to my native country, or even the least glimpse of hope of gaining the shore […]
At last, when the ship we were in had got in all her cargo, they made ready with many fearful noises, and we were all put under deck, so that we could not see how they managed the vessel. […]
At last, we came in sight of the island of Barbadoes, at which the whites on board gave a great shout, and made many signs of joy to us […]
We were conducted immediately to the merchant’s yard, where we were all pent up together, like so many sheep in a fold […]
We were not many days in the merchant’s custody, before we were sold after their usual manner, which is this: On a signal given (as the beat of a drum), the buyers rush at once into the yard where the slaves are confined […]
Phillis Wheatley
On Being Brought from Africa to America
(1) ‘TWAS mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
(2) Taught my benighted soul to understand
(3) That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too:
(4) Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
(5) Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
(6) “Their colour is a diabolic die.”
(7) Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain,
(8) May be refined, and join th’ angelic train.
To the University of Cambridge, in New England
(1) While an intrinsic ardor prompts to write,
(2) The muses promise to assist my pen;
(3) ‘Twas not long since I left my native shore
(4) The land of errors, and Egyptian gloom:
(5) Father of mercy, ’twas Thy gracious hand
[…]
To His Excellency General Washington
(1) Celestial choir! enthroned in realms of light,
(2) Columbia’s scenes of glorious toils I write,
(3) While freedom’s cause her anxious breast alarms,
(4) She flashes dreadful in refulgent arms,
(5) Involved in sorrows and the veil of night!.
[…]
Washington Irving
The Alhambra (1832)
Spanish Romance
In the latter part of my sojourn in the Alhambra, I made frequent descents into the Jesuits’ Library of the University; and relished more and more the old Spanish chronicles, which I found there bound in parchment. I delight in those quaint histories which treat of the times when the Moslems maintained a foothold in the Peninsula […]
The Arab invasion and conquest brought a higher civilization, and a nobler style of thinking, into Gothic Spain. The Arabs were a quick-witted, sagacious, proud-spirited, and poetical people and were imbued with oriental science and literature […]
Legend of Don Munio Sancho de Hinojosa
In the cloisters of the ancient Benedictine convent of San Domingo, at Silos, in Castile, are the mouldering yet magnificent monuments of the once powerful and chivalrous family of Hinojosa.
In old times, several hundreds years ago, there was a noble Castilian cavalier, named Don Munio Sancho de Hinojosa, lord of a border castle, which had stood the brunt of many a Moorish foray […]
[…] So saying, he dispatched one of his fleetest horsemen in advance, to notify Doña María Palacin of the coming of this bridal party […]
[…] One evening, at the shadowy hour of twilight, the warder sounded his horn. “I see,” cried he “a numerous train winding up the valley There are mingled Moors and Christians. The banner of my lord is in the advance. Joyful tidings!”
The Legend of Don Munio Sancho does not conclude with his death. On the same day on which the battle took place on the plain of Salmanara, a chaplain of the Holy Temple at Jerusalem, while standing at the outer gate, beheld a train of Christian cavaliers advancing, as if in pilgrimage […]
James Fenimore Cooper
The Last of the Mohicans (1826)
From Chapter XVII
The advance, with Heyward at its head, had already reached the defile, and was slowly disappearing, when the attention of Cora was drawn to a collection of stragglers by the sounds of contention. […]
The savages now fell back, and seemed content to let their enemies advance without further molestation. […]
The savage spurned the worthless rags, and perceiving that the shawl had already become a prize to another, his bantering but sullen smile changing to a gleam of ferocity […]
At that dangerous moment, Magua placed his hands to this mouth, and raised the fatal and appalling whoop. […]
More than two thousand raving savages broke from the forest at the signal, and threw themselves across the fatal plain with instinctive alacrity.
From Chapter XVII
At this moment the forms of all four were strongly drawn against an opening in the sky and they disappeared. Nearly frantic with disappointment, Uncas and Heyward increased efforts that already seemed superhuman, […]
The Huron sprang like a tiger on his offending and already retreating countryman, but the falling form of Uncas separated the unnatural combatants. […]
His keen eye took a single look at the victims, and then shot its glances over the difficulties of the ascent in his front. […]
Laughing hoarsely, he made a desperate leap, and fell short of his mark; though his hands grasped a shrub on the verge of the height. […]
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nature (1836)
Introduction
Our age is retrospective. It builds the sepulchres of the fathers. It writes biographies, histories, and criticism. The foregoing generations beheld God and nature face to face; we, through their eyes. […]
Undoubtedly we have no questions to ask which are unanswerable.
All science has one aim, namely, to find a theory of nature. We have theories of races and of functions but scarcely yet a remote approach to an idea of creation. […]
Philosophically considered, the universe is composed of Nature and the Soul. […]
Chapter I: Nature
To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society. I am not solitary whilst I read and write, though nobody is with me.
The stars awaken a certain reverence, because though always present, they are inaccessible; but all natural objects make a kindred impression, when the mind is open to their influence.
When we speak of nature in this manner, we have a distinct but most poetical sense in the mind. […]
To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. […]
The greatest delight which the fields and woods minister, is the suggestion of an occult relation between man and the vegetable […]
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nature (1836)
1. Economy
When I wrote the following pages, or rather the bulk of them, I lived alone, in the woods, a mile from any neighbor, in a house which I had built myself, on the shore of Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts, and earned my living by the labor of my hands only. […]
I should not obtrude my affairs so much on the notice of my readers if very particular inquiries had not been made by my townsmen concerning my mode of life, which some would call impertinent, […]
I see young men, my townsmen, whose misfortune it is to have inherited farms, houses, barns, cattle, and farming tools; for these are more easily acquired than got rid of. […]
Why should they begin digging their graves as soon as they are born? […]
So much for a blind obedience to a blundering oracle, throwing the stones over their heads behind them, and not seeing where they fell. […]
The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. […]
Let us consider for a moment what most of the trouble and anxiety which I have referred to is about, and how much it is necessary that we be troubled, or, at least, careful. […]
Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. […]