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The New England Holiday
Intothisfestalseasonoftheyear—asitalreadywas,andcontinuedtobeduringthegreaterpartoftwocenturies—thePuritanscompressedwhatevermirthandpublicjoytheydeemedallowabletohumaninfirmity;therebysofardispellingthecustomarycloud,that,forthespaceofasingleholiday,theyappearedscarcelymoregravethanmostothercommunitiesataperiodofgeneralaffliction.
Butweperhapsexaggeratethegrayorsabletinge,whichundoubtedlycharacterizedthemoodandmannersoftheage.Thepersonsnowinthemarket-placeofBostonhadnotbeenborntoaninheritanceofPuritanicgloom.TheywerenativeEnglishmen,whosefathershadlivedinthesunnyrichnessoftheElizabethanepoch;atimewhenthelifeofEngland,viewedasonegreatmass,wouldappeartohavebeenasstately,magnificent,andjoyous,astheworldhaseverwitnessed.Hadtheyfollowedtheirhereditarytaste,theNewEnglandsettlerswouldhaveillustratedalleventsofpublicimportancebybonfires,banquets,pageantries,andprocessions.Norwouldithavebeenimpracticable,intheobservanceofmajesticceremonies,tocombinemirthfulrecreationwithsolemnity,andgive,asitwere,agrotesqueandbrilliantembroiderytothegreatrobeofstate,whichanation,atsuchfestivals,putson.Therewassomeshadowofanattemptofthiskindinthemodeofcelebratingthedayonwhichthepoliticalyearofthecolonycommenced.
