132 



gree, and at times, indeed, to render attention to theni nearly im> 

 possible. After the peace of 17G3, maritime enterprises were frgai/3 

 undert^iken with spirit and success, and the fishing towns shared in th-e 

 general prosperity. Bui the controversies tL^at produced civil war, and 

 finally a dismemberment of" the British empire, had already comme-nced, 

 and soon disturbed every branch of industry. The fisheries suffered 

 first, and at the shedding of blood were suspended. The political 

 history of the fifleen years that preceded the Revolution reiates to all 

 New England, and will form a separate chapter. 



NEW ENGLANU. 



From the commencancnt of the Rcvolutionari/ Controversij io the Declaration 



of Indeiiendence. 



In tracing the origin and progress of the fisheries of New England, 

 we have seen that they furnished our first articles of export, and laid 

 the foundation of our navigation and commeix-e.* It was so in Europe. 

 Of the present maritime powers of the Old World, there is scarcely 

 one that does not owe much of its commercial prosperity to the same 

 branch of industry. Some fugitives fi"om the wrath of th-e monster 

 Attila tied to the isles of the Adriatic, where, of necessit}^ they adopted 

 the avocation of fishermen. By this employment, steadily continued, 

 Venice in a few centuries became renowned for her wealth, commerce, 

 and naval strength. The origin of the republic was celebrated for a 

 long period, and the omission or refusal of a Doge to provide the cus^ 

 tomaiy banquet, and to submit to the fishernien's embrace, allowed by 

 his predecessors on this national festival, made the name of Contarini 

 kateful, and well nigh caused the subversion of all legal restraint, and 

 the overthrow of the reigning family.t Genoa, too, grew rich and pow- 



* The fisheries are identified, indeed, with the earliest raentlou of commerce. The Phoeni- 

 cians caUed a fish sidon; hence, according to soxne, Sidon, the most ancient of maritime cities, 

 derived its name from the abundance of fishes that inhabited the waters near its site. Tyro, 

 which in Scripture stoiy is called the " danghter of Sidon," was founded by Sidoniaus, and 

 became the greatest commercial mart of the ancient world. Stufis dyed with the purple fluid 

 which v.as extracted from a particular kind of shell-fish formed one of the most extensive 

 brandies of its trade and sources of its wealth. The Tyrians, by their mdustry and skill, 

 carried tliis precious dye, which in value disputed with gold itself, to the highes't possib>e 

 degree of perfection. None but those of imperial dignity or of vast wealth could wear these 

 purple-colored stufis; and Rome, in her days of conquest and power, conferred them as the 

 highest honor she could bestow upon such of her emperor.s, consuls, and warriors as she 

 decreed a triumph. Specimens of the purple fish have been fiiund oceasjon.'illy, in modern 

 limes, on the shores of France and Britain; but the Tyrian dye, as a branch of the arts, is 

 now lost. Tyre herself has met the doom i)rououuced by Ezekiel. 



t The fugitives from the oppression of Attila devoted themsehes to fishing and the mann- 

 facture of salt — tiie only employments which their scunty territory prrmifled, Th'- growth 

 of Venice was rapid. In the course of five centuries the small band of e.\ilt;s ai\d fishermen 

 became a rich, jiowerful, and indepeiideut ualion. I'he custom was finally adopted of inviting 

 the lislieinieu to the capital to a public banipiet every year, and to ])ermit them to embr.aee 

 the Ddge at its conclusion. 'I'hey were gratiHed with the privilege, and ujiwilliugly relin- 

 quished it. But when the aristocracy was firndy established, some of the nol)les revolted from 

 this "su])ple bonneting" of the peojile; and a C'oiUarini, when in authority, refused the feaat 

 and the kiss of fraternity. "His deniiil, if persisted in," remarks a historian, "might have 

 shaken X'cnice to its base. "When the lishennen assembled on the apjiointed day, and clamor- 

 ously d<'nianded admission, it was long before the reluctant Doge was prevailed upon to 

 appear ; and even when ho did, he was masked. His guests approached him individually, La- 



