CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE 



Not at all. He has only one hundred and fifty four acres of land, 

 (all he consumes is of the produce of this land), and he lives in 

 the same house that his English-born grandfather lived in. 



350. When the hogs are killed, the house is full of work. The 

 sides are salted down as pork. The hams are smoked. The 

 lean meats are made into sausages, of which, in this family, they 

 make about tzvo hundred weight. These latter, with broiled fish, 

 eggs, dried beef, dried mutton, slices of ham, tongue, bread, 

 butter, cheese, short cakes, buckwheat cakes, sweet meats of 

 various sorts, and many other things, make up the breakfast fare 

 of the year, and, a dish of beef steakes is frequently added. 



351. When one sees this sort of living, with the houses full of 

 good beds, ready for the guests as well as the family to sleep in, 

 we cannot help perceiving, that this is that &quot; English Hospitality,&quot; 

 of which we have read so much ; but, which Boroughmongers 

 taxes and pawns have long since driven out of England. This 

 American way of life puts one in mind of FORTESCUE S fine 

 description of the happy state of the English, produced by their 

 good laws, which kept every man s property sacred, even from the 

 grasp of the king. &quot; Every inhabitant is at his Liberty fully to 



use and enjoy whatever his Farm produceth, the Fruits of the 

 Earth, the Increase of his Flock, and the like : All the Improve 

 ments he makes, whether by his own proper Industry, or of 

 those he retains in his Service, are his own to use and enjoy 

 without the Lett, Interruption, or Denial of any : If he be in 

 any wise injured, or oppressed, he shall have his Amends and 

 Satisfaction against the party offending : Hence it is, that the 

 Inhabitants are Rich in Gold, Silver, and in all the Necessaries 

 and Conveniences of Life. They drink no Water, unless at 

 certain Times, upon a Religious Score, and by Way of doing 

 Penance. They are fed, in great Abundance, with all sorts of 

 Flesh and Fish, of which they have Plenty every where ; they 

 are cloathed throughout in good Woollens ; their Bedding and 

 other Furniture in their Houses are of Wool, and that in great 

 Store : They are also well provided with all other Sorts of 

 Household Goods, and necessary Implements for Husbandry : tf 

 Every one, according to his Rank, hath all Things which conduce I 

 to make Life easy and happy. They are not sued at Law but L 

 before the Ordinary Judges, where they are treated with Mercy 

 and Justice, according to the Laws of the Land ; neither are 

 they impleaded in Point of Property, or arraigned for any 

 Capital Crime, how heinous soever, but before the King s 

 Judges, and according to the Laws of the Land. These are 

 the Advantages consequent from that Political Mixt Government 

 which obtains in England &quot; 



352. This passage, which was first pointed out to me by SIR 

 FRANCIS BURDETT, describes the state of England four hundred 

 years ago ; and this, with the polish of modern times added, is 

 now the state of the Americans. Their forefathers brought the 



