140 nished with a charge of fragrant tobacco. With this would he resolutely set himself down before the fortress, and rarely failed, in the process of time, to smoke the fair enemy into a surrender, upon honorable terms.

145

Such was the happy reign of Wouter Van Twiller, celebrated in many a long forgotten song as the real golden age, the rest being nothing but counterfeit copper washed coin. In that delightful period, a sweet and holy calm reigned over the whole province. 150 The burgomaster smoked his pipe in peace; the substantial solace of his domestic cares, after her daily toils were done, sat soberly at the door, with her arms crossed over her apron of snowy white, without being insulted with ribald1 street walkers or vagabond 155 boys,

those unlucky urchins who do so infest our streets, displaying, under the roses of youth, the thorns and briers of iniquity. Then it was that the lover with ten breeches, and the damsel with petticoats of half a score, indulged in all the innocent en160 dearments of virtuous love, without fear and without reproach.

Ah, blissful and never to be forgotten age! when everything was better than it has ever been since, or ever will be again, — when Buttermilk Channel was 165 quite dry at low water, when the shad in the Hudson were all salmon, and when the moon shone with a pure and resplendent whiteness, instead of

1

Ribald, ill mannered.

that melancholy yellow light which is the consequence of her sickening at the abominations she every night witnesses in this degenerate city!

170

Happy would it have been for New Amsterdam could it always have existed in this state of blissful ignorance and lowly simplicity; but, alas! the days of childhood are too sweet to last! Cities, like men, grow out of them in time, and are doomed alike to 175 grow into the bustle, the cares, and miseries of the world. Let no man congratulate himself, when he beholds the child of his bosom or the city of his birth increasing in magnitude and importance, let the history of his own life teach him the dangers of the 180 one, and this excellent little history of Manna-hata convince him of the calamities of the other.

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY

(a) Do you know any streets or roads that were first laid out by cattle?

(b) What is the point of this paragraph?

(c) Were you ever in such an old time parlor? If you were, write a description of it.

Gather as many pictures as you can of the Dutch settlers of America.

Draw pictures of a Dutch lady and gentleman as described by Irving.

(d) What does Irving satirize in the last part of this chapter?

What do you think is the secret of Irving's humor in this account? Point out passages that make you think so. Has treating trivial matters in a solemn way anything to do with it? Show this.

III

The following sketch is one of the finest examples of good humored satire in the language. If the "other side" of the "war game" could always be shown up as artistically, war would be at an end. The occasion is the attack of the Dutch on the Swedes, their neighbors. The tale describes the rage of the warriors and the bloodless battle that follows.

CONTAINING

THE MOST HORRIBLE BATTLE EVER RECORDED IN POETRY OR PROSE; WITH THE ADMIRABLE EXPLOITS OF PETER THE HEADSTRONG

Now had the Dutchmen snatched a huge repast, and finding themselves wonderfully encouraged and animated thereby, prepared to take the field. Expectation, says the writer of the Stuyvesant manu5 script, expectation now stood on stilts. The world forgot to turn round, or rather stood still, that it might witness the affray,-like a fat alderman, watching the combat of two chivalrous flies, upon his jerkin. The eyes of all mankind, as usual 10 in such cases, were turned upon Fort Christina.1 The sun, like a little man in a crowd at a puppet show,

1 Fort Christina, an early Swedish fort near New Amsterdam.

scampered about the heavens, popping his head here and there, and endeavoring to get a peep between the unmannerly clouds that obtruded themselves in his way. The historians filled their inkhorns; 15 the poets went without their dinners, either that they might buy paper and goose quills, or because they could not get anything to eat. Antiquity scowled sulkily out of its grave, to see itself outdone, while even Posterity1 stood mute, gazing in gaping ecstasy 2 20 of retrospection3 on the eventful field.

The immortal deities, who whilom had seen service at the "affair" of Troy,5 now mounted their feather bed clouds, and sailed over the plain, or mingled among the combatants in different disguises, 25 all itching to have a finger in the pic. Jupiter sent off his thunderbolt to a noted coppersmith, to have it furbished up for the direful occasion. Venus vowed to patronize the Swedes and paraded the battlements of Fort Christina, accompanied by 30 Diana, as a sergeant's widow. The noted bully, Mars,1o stuck two horse pistols into his belt, shouldered

1 Posterity, coming generations.

2 Ecstasy, intense joy.

3 Retrospection, looking backward.

4 Whilom, formerly.

5 The affair at Troy, the Trojan War, the subject of Homer's

a rusty firelock, and gallantly swaggered at their elbow, as a corporal, while Apollo trudged in 35 their rear, as a bandy legged fifer, playing most villainously out of tune.

On the other side, the ox eyed2 Juno,3 who had gained a pair of black eyes overnight, in one of her curtain lectures with old Jupiter, displayed her 40 haughty beauties on a baggage wagon; while Vulcan1 halted as a club footed blacksmith, lately promoted to be a captain of militia. All was silent awe, or bustling preparation: war reared his horrid front, gnashed loud his iron fangs, and shook his direful 45 crest of bristling bayonets.

And now the mighty chieftains marshaled out their hosts. Here stood stout Risingh, firm as a thousand rocks, incrusted with stockades, and intrenched to the chin in mud batteries. His valiant 50 soldiery lined the breast work in grim array, each having his mustachios fiercely greased, and his hair pomatumed back, and queued so stiffly that he grinned above the ramparts like a grisly death's head. There came on the intrepid Peter,5 — his brows 55 knit, his teeth set, his fists clenched, almost breathing forth volumes of smoke, so fierce was the fire that

1 Apollo, god of the sun and of music.

2 Ox eyed, the title given Juno because of her beautiful eyes.

3 Juno, queen of the Roman gods.

4 Vulcan, the smith of the gods who made their armor. He is said to have been lame.

5 Peter, Peter Stuyvesant, the governor.