Алая буква
The Procession
Thepeoplepossessedbyhereditaryrightthequalityofreverence,which,intheirdescendants,ifitsurviveatall,existsinsmallerproportion,andwithavastlydiminishedforceintheselectionandestimateofpublicmen.Thechangemaybeforgoodorill,andispartly,perhaps,forboth.InthatolddaytheEnglishsettlerontheserudeshores—havingleftking,nobles,andalldegreesofawfulrankbehind,whilestillthefacultyandnecessityofreverencewasstronginhim—bestoweditonthewhitehairandvenerablebrowofage—onlong-triedintegrity—onsolidwisdomandsad-colouredexperience—onendowmentsofthatgraveandweightyorderwhichgavetheideaofpermanence,andcomesunderthegeneraldefinitionofrespectability.Theseprimitivestatesmen,therefore—Bradstreet,Endicott,Dudley,Bellingham,andtheircompeers—whowereelevatedtopowerbytheearlychoiceofthepeople,seemtohavebeennotoftenbrilliant,butdistinguishedbyaponderoussobriety,ratherthanactivityofintellect.Theyhadfortitudeandself-reliance,andintimeofdifficultyorperilstoodupforthewelfareofthestatelikealineofcliffsagainstatempestuoustide.Thetraitsofcharacterhereindicatedwerewellrepresentedinthesquarecastofcountenanceandlargephysicaldevelopmentofthenewcolonialmagistrates.
