The Boston belle is a reader, and knoweth what hath lately
appearyd in ye worlde of bookes as welle as in that of bonetts.
Shee whispereth of Signore Brignoli and of Hinkley, and of ye
Philharmonic, or of Zerrahn his concertes, and eftsoones of
aeriall pleasures att parties and concertes, and anon flitteth to
Robertus Browning his poetrie, or to Emerson hys laste discourse
att ye Musicke Halle. Whan so be itt that twentie of ye sisterhode
be gatheren together, lo! seven thereof wyll haue blonde tresses
and nineteen be of fayre ruddie complexion, whych a man wolde gife
hys lyfe to kisse--yea, and itt oftwhyles passeth that ye
twentieth also hath more whyte and rudd in hir sweete face thann
ye wolde see in other landes.
Ye Boston demoisselle weareth an waterproof guyascutus, [for so
methinketh I haue hearde them calld,] and whan that itt rayneth or
snoweth, shee rusheth forth as to a carnavall, and heedeth not yf
ye powderie snowe-flakes falle on hir daintie littyl nose, or pile
up like untoe a chancellor's wigg on hir hed. Arounde hir whyte
necke shee ever bindeth a scarlett scarfe, to shewe thatt she ys
an well-redd woman; and whan shee turneth homewardes, she aye
beareth in one hande a pamflet, whyle the other holdeth a bouquet
of flowres or a pacquette of sugirplummes or confitures. Whyles
that she is yett younge and reckeless, and gif shee bee faste, and
hathe naughte to beare homewards, lo! shee stiketh bothe tinie
fistes intoe hir small syde-pockets, and propelleth onward
mightilie independente, caring naught for nobodie. I haue herd
from dyvers graue and reuerend menn, who oughte to know, [sith
that ther wyves hadd tolde them,] that manie of these demoiselles
do wear verie longe bootes, but howe long they may bee I knowe
not.
Hee who walketh in Beacon streete on Sundaye, whan thatt the skies
be fayre, seeth, after church out-letting, manie of these sweete
maydens walking wyth ther cavalleros up and doune hille, talkyng
of manie thynges. For ye Boston demoiselle is a notable talker,
and doth itt welle, knowing manie thynges whereof ye firste is _de
omnibus rebus_, ye seconde _et quibusdam aliis_, and ye third
_alterum tantum_. He who complayneth thatt women know nothinge,
and haue noe witte, hathe nott mett ye Boston Yonge Lady; if that
he dothe, and telleth hir soe, he wyll probablie remember for
manie dayes what shee saide in answere. For shee holdeth _dixi et
solvavi animam meam_ to bee a goode rule, and thatt it is nott a
goode thinge to goe away with wrathe pente up in ye boosum.
She worketh harde for ye armie; yea, she knitteth stockyngs and
maketh shertes for ye contrabandes, whereof I haue scene one
whiche a contrabande with his wyfe and children didde all were at
once, so nobly greate was it. And shee belyveth in ye warre with
alle hir braue little hearte and soule, for shee is Uncle Samuel
hys oune daughter, if there ever was one, having greate loue for
ye Union, alwaies hoping firstly for ye Union politicall, and
secondlie for ye wedding union of hertes and ye union of handes,
whych is nedeful, that ye countrie shall not perishe for lacke of
sturdie urchins to growe upp into soldieres. And thatt theye aye
all thus become goode wives and brave mothers, and bee bleste and
happie in alle thynges, is ye heartes prayer of