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Title: The Courtship of Miles Standish:
       With Suggestions for Study and Notes

Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
        P. H. Pearson

Release Date: June 29, 2018 [EBook #57417]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

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[Pg 1]

[Pg 2]

Copyright 1905,

By Crane & Company,

Topeka, Kansas.

[Pg 4]

“The Courtship of Miles Standish” deals with a supreme moment in the history of our nation, the moment when the harassed and thrice-winnowed little band of Puritans began to establish themselves and their institutions on these shores. In the belief that the poem will be better understood and appreciated both as poetry and as history if some of the traits and the struggles of this people are called to mind, a few words regarding them will here be given.

Though the sovereigns of England under whose auspices the movement known as the Reformation was carried through, severed connection with the Church of Rome, they did not bring about a thorough reform in matters of faith and church service. Hence there arose in England parties holding conflicting views regarding the correctness and propriety of the practices and ceremonies still in vogue. The Established Church still retained much that, in the opinion of the more radical element, should be removed. These differences of opinion exhibited various degrees of radicalism and conservatism. Those who were unwilling to conform to the regulations of the Church of England were styled “Non-conformists,” and, on account of their efforts in the direction of further purification, they became known as “Puritans.” There were still others who believed in carrying the reform so far as to separate[Pg 6] the church from the state, and to reach independence in church government: these were the “Independents.”

The Established Church was supported by secular authority, so that in all disputes it had on its side the king and the arm of the law. In many cases it exercised its power in bitter persecution of those who showed a tendency to depart from its teachings. The Puritans were, as one historian says, “pursued into their hiding-places with relentless fury,” so that many individuals sought voluntary exile, and whole assemblages looked for some place in far countries where they could worship according to conscience and to the light they found in the Bible.

Such a party of persecuted Puritans chose as leaders one of their ministers, John Robinson, and their ruling elder, William Brewster, and resolved to seek refuge and religious liberty in Holland. This country was selected on account of its friendly attitude towards Calvinism, a view which harmonized with those of the Puritans; and also on account of the near relations which England as an ally of Holland sustained to this country.

Their first attempt at leaving England (1607) was anticipated and prevented by the magistrates; but the following spring they made a second attempt, which was so far successful that the officers of the crown succeeded only in seizing and detaining some helpless women and children. These were, however, later on set at liberty and permitted to embark. At first these Pilgrims, as they came to be called, settled in Amsterdam, but in 1609 they removed to Leyden, where their number was constantly increased by new arrivals from England. In Holland, though they gained the confidence and respect of the Dutch, their condition[Pg 7] was not entirely satisfactory. Brought up as tillers of the soil, they could not become entirely reconciled to the trades and handicrafts which they were now necessitated to learn. Moreover, they felt that the Dutch language could not become a homelike speech to them. There was also, deep in their hearts, a devout patriotism, which first led them to think of establishing themselves in some of the colonies under English rule.

The first step, they saw, was to decide on a suitable locality in the New World. After making such investigations as they could, they planned to locate in the territory which King James granted to the Plymouth Company in 1606. But before they were ready to embark, two other grave problems confronted them, and it took years before these were solved.

Would they in the king’s dominions be allowed religious freedom and be undisturbed in their worship? Representatives of their congregation visited England for the purpose of trying to get the king’s guarantee to this effect. In presenting their request they stated they were willing to promise “obedience in all things, active if the thing commanded be not against God’s word, or passive if it be.” They were disappointed of obtaining the pledge they sought; and left with nothing more encouraging or definite than an assurance that so long as they gave no offense they should not be disturbed.

The other problem was that of finding the means necessary for the enterprise. After lengthy negotiations, during which several propositions were rejected as impracticable, they formed a compact with some London merchants that had become interested in the American[Pg 8] fisheries. These merchants, in return for services to be rendered by the Pilgrims, furnished money for the passage, stipulating that all profits were to be “reserved till the end of seven years, when the whole amount, and all lands and fields, were to be divided among the share-holders according to their respective interests.”

The two vessels that had been provided could not carry the entire congregation, and so it was determined that “the youngest and strongest who freely offered themselves” should leave. Their head and leader was Brewster, the governing elder. Robinson, the spiritual elder, it was decided, should follow later with the others if the reports were favorable.

After solemn fasts and worship, in which they invoked the blessing of God and commended themselves to his guidance, the Pilgrims set sail from Holland. They touched at Southampton, England, and a fortnight later started westward for the shores of America. The two vessels on which they were embarked were the Speedwell, of sixty tons burden, and the Mayflower, of one hundred and eighty tons. After some distance at sea, the Speedwell was found to leak, and they were compelled to return to port at Dartmouth for repairs. After a delay of a week they were again under way, and once more the captain of the Speedwell signaled distress, claiming that his vessel was not in a seaworthy condition. This necessitated their return to Plymouth; the Speedwell was abandoned, and such of her passengers as could be accommodated were transferred to the Mayflower.

On the sixth day of September, 1620, the Mayflower with one hundred and two passengers besides her crew[Pg 9] started alone. After a voyage of over two months they hove in sight of the sandy shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Filled with the responsibility of their enterprise, they met in the cabin, drafted and signed the following solemn compact before going on shore:

“In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are here underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc., having undertaken, for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern part of Virginia, do, by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic for our better ordering and preservation, and in the furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

“In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our sovereign lord, King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, Anno Domini 1620.”

In order still further to perfect the arrangements for governing the colony, they unanimously chose John Carver as their governor for one year.

The season was already far advanced, so that it was about the middle of November before they had begun to explore the coast or to choose a place for the settlement.[Pg 10] As the shallop was found to be in need of repair, Captain Miles Standish, Bradford and others, determined to explore the country by land. Their first attempts to “spy the country” were made during exceedingly severe weather. “It snowed and did blow all night, and froze withal.” Nothing of an encouraging nature could be found along the beach nor on the fields, which now lay half a foot thick with snow. A heap of maize which had been concealed by the Indians was discovered. It was a welcome find, as it helped to eke out the scanty stores of the Pilgrims. It must be added that, though Miles Standish took this, he scrupulously resolved to pay the owners as soon as they could be found; and six months later he found an opportunity to render payment.

On December 8, shortly after their morning prayers were finished, the party was attacked by a hostile tribe of the Nausites, “who knew the English only as kidnappers.” Fortunately, the Indians were driven off without doing any damage to the settlers. The exploring party spent four weeks in searching for a suitable place. During this time they suffered greatly from exposure to the rain, snow, and sleet. Sometimes their garments were frozen stiff like coats of mail. It was often difficult or impossible to kindle a fire on the snow-covered fields, where the fuel, whatever they found, was damp and soggy. At one time, in the midst of a violent snow-storm, the rudder of the shallop broke, and also the mast, so that they were in extreme danger of being dashed to pieces among the breakers. It was through these severe exposures that many of them contracted the diseases that carried away such a large part of them during the first winter.

[Pg 11]On December 11th the explorers landed on the historical spot of Plymouth Rock. The Mayflower, shortly afterwards, cast anchor in the harbor. The men went on shore, and set to work to build houses and to provide shelter against the winter. Their labor was made arduous by the inclement weather, and by the fact that about one-half of the settlers were sick, some of them wasting away with consumption and lung fever.

As protection against the Indians, who were occasionally seen hovering near, they formed themselves into a military organization, with Miles Standish as captain. Their relations with the Indians were, however, so fair and honest that even these must have observed some singular differences between the Pilgrims and earlier traders on the coast. Early in the spring, Samoset, an Indian, visited them with the view evidently of ascertaining whether they were disposed to form acquaintance and to establish friendship with his people. This led to a visit by the powerful chief Massasoit himself. He was received and entertained by the Pilgrims in a way that inspired his confidence, resulting finally in a sort of defensive alliance between the settlers and his tribe. He later on rendered valuable services, particularly by giving warning of the massacre planned by the Narragansetts against the settlers at Weymouth.

On the fifth of April, 1621, the Mayflower started on her return voyage to England. Notwithstanding the hardships suffered by the colonists that first and dreadful winter, not one of them returned. As spring and summer came on, conditions improved. The streams abounded with fish and the forests with game. In the autumn they[Pg 12] were again visited by Massasoit, and feasted him and ninety of his men. The Narragansetts alone were not friendly. Their chief, Canonicus, sent over a bundle of arrows wrapped in the skin of a rattlesnake, thereby avowing his intentions of war. Bradford sent back the skin stuffed with powder and shot; and it appears that this prompt acceptance of the challenge made the chief hesitate, for he became willing to sue for peace. This incident, which Longfellow has used, took place in 1622. Another incident also used took place the following year. One of the London merchants, thinking to increase his profits, sent over sixty unmarried men, who formed a settlement which they called Weymouth. These people soon found themselves in want, and intruded for a considerable time upon the people of Plymouth. They were indolent; they plundered the Indians, and these formed a plot to destroy the entire colony. But Massasoit revealed their designs to the Puritan settlers. These sent a force under the intrepid Miles Standish, who succeeded in preventing the calamity.

The Plymouth Colony and its far-reaching results have been depicted by every writer of American history. This sketch requires only that we present the general traits of the people and the merest outline of the incidents that Longfellow has brought into the poem; it is therefore not necessary for the present purpose to follow the narrative further.

“The Courtship of Miles Standish” was published in 1858. Longfellow has in this poem again made use of the hexameter; but though it is the same metre as that of[Pg 13] “Evangeline,” it presents some important differences. With the purpose of modifying the stern Puritan mood, he has given the metre a lighter movement, which also harmonizes with the touches of humor occasionally introduced. As to the content of the poem, the author has used the facts and incidents recounted in the old Puritan records, and faithfully woven them into a true historic picture, a picture none the less faithful because the poet has slightly deviated from the annals in the sequence of some events. Miles Standish, John Alden, and Priscilla are there giving it reality by acting out the story—an old human story; but when these are allowed to drop out of sight, that which remains is the realization of a people, the Puritans, a people of indomitable determination and of uncompromising loyalty to conscience and to God.

HISTORY.

The poem takes immediate hold of the events given in the early chronicles. The time when the story begins is stated only in a general way; but as the Mayflower began her return voyage April 5, 1621, the phrase, “In the Old Colony days,” stands for April 4th of the same year. The names of the three principal characters are mentioned in Bradford’s History of Plymouth Plantation as names of immigrants on the Mayflower. In regard to the instance of the rattlesnake-skin challenge sent by Canonicus, the time of its occurrence has been shifted in the poem from January, 1622, when it really took place, to the date when the poem opens. The incident is historical, and has been brought in almost in the exact form in which it is recorded. The real occasion for the Captain’s expedition (488) was to rescue the neighboring settlement of Weymouth, which was threatened by the Indians in March, 1623. The chronicles mention the details of the encounter very much as given (745-815); also the trophy brought back by the Captain (818, 819). May 12th is mentioned as the date when the first marriage in the colony took place. The poet’s description of the ceremony (936-939) is based upon Bradford’s History:

“May 12th was the first mariage in this place, which, according to ye laudable custome of ye Low Countries, in which they had lived, was thought most requisite to be performed[Pg 15] by the magistrate, as being a civill thing, upon which many questions aboute inheritances doe depende, with other things most proper to their cognizans, and most consonant to ye Scriptures, Ruth 4, and no wher found in ye Gospell to be layed on ye ministers as part of their office.”

These are the main incidents that form the groundwork; but in addition to these there are numerous minor touches, names and facts from the old records, all which go to build up the narrative into a faithful historic picture.

Such is the portrayal of Standish and his previous service in Holland. He had fought in Flanders (25) against the Spaniards (28); he had charge of the military organization in the Colony (46-93). The Indian names mentioned in 53 are found in the chronicles. The death of Rose Standish (136) is also mentioned. Other names and facts that in one way or another are matters of historic record are the “Psalm-book of Ainsworth,” printed in Amsterdam (231, 232); the seven houses of Plymouth (392); Wat Tyler (415); the Elder and his Words (442, 443 and 457); Stephen, Richard, and Gilbert (547); the Field of the First Encounter (606). “In autumn the ships of the merchants” (825)—this refers to the Anne and the Little James, which arrived in Plymouth in the autumn of 1623. “Still may be seen” (846): the descendants of Alden still own the lands where his house stood, in Duxbury.

I.

State what you can about the locality where the Pilgrims landed and settled. Give a description of it as you think it appeared to the immigrants in December, 1620. Could[Pg 16] it have been an inviting place? How does this locality look in the spring, say early in April?

II.

State in what way the value of the poem as such would be changed if it were not connected with a historic event as momentous as that of the founding of the Plymouth Colony. What, then, besides the story of the three principal characters is there in the poem? State, with reasons for your views, which you regard the more significant,—the story as such, or the historic picture it presents.

III.

Find details in the poem that you regard as particularly faithful to history. Find touches that illustrate historic statements like this: “The pioneers [Puritans] were rugged, strong, and inspired by an unshakable faith in their mission in the New World.” (People’s History of the United States.) See, for instance, line 599. Point out several examples of the customs, habits, and views depicted that are historic in the same way. Quote lines portraying the religious character of the Puritans; their faith in their mission. Cite passages depicting the hardships of the preceding winter. Find strongly visualizing touches portraying their condition as settlers. Also instances showing their relations toward the red men.

IV.

What length of time is covered by the narrative? Point out the events in the first and the last part that fix the time. What difference do you find if you take the actual history of the events as the basis for computing the time?

[Pg 17]

THE ACTION.

The poem presents an artistically finished story, in which the action begins with a statement of a definite issue, and moves on through complication and suspenses to a complete solution. Hence it is well adapted for the study of plot.

Every carefully constructed story begins with the presentation of an issue so contrived as to seize upon and arrest the attention of the reader. Something of momentous consequence to one or more of the characters is pending. The interests of the hero or the heroine are threatened by the interests of other characters. A collision between two opposing characters is unavoidable. The hero steps forward and enters upon a career clashing with the traditions and customs of his surroundings. His ambition sets up an aim and a purpose that cannot be attained without the risk of life or fortune. A struggle, at any rate, is impending and inevitable; and in the first situation of a well-constructed story the special nature of it is placed before the reader.

At this point the action begins. It seizes upon the attention of the reader by causing him to project his thoughts forward in anticipation of the action completed, the solution of the problem. As he follows the story his interest in the struggle is heightened by finding obstacles that challenge the very best powers of the hero and the heroine, and test to the utmost their strength and courage. These obstacles give rise to situations fraught with special points of interest, rousing curiosity or giving glimpses of character or the secret workings of the soul which the composure of ordinary life does not afford. In the course of[Pg 18] the story there are subtle touches or character hints which endear the hero to the reader. At this stage it is something more than a struggle waged between comparatively unknown forces—a strong human interest is added, so that the reader conceives strong wishes and consummations of his own with reference to the outcome.

In a story there are several positions that determine the plot and mark the stages of the progress. These form the basis of its structure; and in the study of the plot they are very serviceable as points of departure. Thus we may recognize the point where we have sufficient introductory data to state the problem, or in other words, to formulate the issue. At what point do we feel prompted to wish for any certain kind of result to the struggle? What is the nature of the obstacles that aggravate and complicate the struggle? Do they rise subjectively out of the hero’s character, or are they brought in through the counterplay of other characters? At what point and through what occurrences does the story seem to point to a definite outcome? Through what means is the reader again led to entertain doubts and misgivings? In what way is the main problem solved? Is the struggle ended so that we feel that everything involved in the issue is fully terminated?

In lines 85 and 86, John Alden’s hopes and desires are indicated, and we wonder, How shall he speed, and is the consummation to be such as he desires? Another step is reached in 155, where the action is complicated by an obstacle placed in his way. At this stage we have an opportunity to note a bit of the writer’s art if we observe the effect that this turn of events has. It certainly adds to the interest. But how? In the first place, we are anxious[Pg 19] to know whether this obstacle will, against our wishes, cause the hopes of Alden to be frustrated. If we are in doubt as to whether it takes hold of us in this way, we have but to note that we are not content to leave the story at this point. In the second place, we are curious to know how Alden will acquit himself pleading with Priscilla in behalf of a rival suitor. And again, How will Priscilla receive the proffers of the Captain? The situation to which we immediately look forward has many elements adapted to seize strongly upon the reader’s attention. It will primarily be momentous in the fortunes of the principal characters; and it will, further, have features that in various other ways interest people. Up to this point Alden’s character has been developed in such a way that we are sure he cannot summarily set aside or ignore his promise to the Captain. The commission entrusted to him is bound to create a violent conflict in his mind between love on one side and friendship and conscience on the other. This conflict will be visually exhibited in the coming interview with Priscilla. In whatever way the interview as such terminates, we see that a series of interesting consequences must follow from it: as, for instance, Alden’s report to the Captain, the mood induced in the latter, and his subsequent course of action. Again, it cannot pass without resulting in some sort of counteraction on the part of the other two, thereby giving rise to situations that will tax all their loyalty and resourcefulness.

I.

What assurance have we that Alden will not attempt to ignore or evade his promise (245-248)? In what way is[Pg 20] the situation made more intense by Priscilla’s welcome (251-253)? How does the preliminary conversation increase the difficulties of Alden’s errand? In the manner of delivering his message, is he influenced mainly by a sense of his obligation to the Captain or by the sentiments he entertains towards Priscilla? What is the dramatic effect of his abrupt departure? In what respect was the interview conclusive? At the close of the situation do we feel that the difficulties in Alden’s way are lessened or increased? How did Alden seem to feel in regard to this?

II.

What part of Alden’s report was the main cause of the Captain’s wrath? Had Alden anticipated the effect that his report would have? How does the arrival of the messenger (426) affect the plot? Is the incident of the council a part of the main action, or merely an episode? Why was it necessary at this stage that the Captain should be removed from the presence of the other two (484)? What personal interests of the various characters are pending or threatened at this point of the story?

In what way is the central action still in a state of suspense after the Captain’s departure? Show how the suspense is to be accounted for by the disposition and character of Alden. In what way are the occurrences that take place during the Captain’s absence invested with interest (824-900)?

IV.

What is the decisive moment in the story? Explain the effect it will be likely to have on Alden and his course of action. In what way is the preceding situation a preparation[Pg 21] for this moment? How does the poet make plain to us Alden’s previous sense of restraint as well as his present sense of freedom?

V.

What is the purpose of the information given in 949—“Long had it stood there,” etc.? What difference would it have made to one of Alden’s disposition if the person had presented himself before the ceremony? Could the action be regarded as quite complete without the reconciliation of all the main characters?

THE CHARACTERS.

Miles Standish and John Alden are introduced together, for the reason, no doubt, that the traits of the one may serve to set off those of the other. Miles Standish is a soldier by nature; and a lifetime spent in camp and field has brought out the soldier spirit in him in all its completeness. The character of John Alden is less marked, though it is made sufficiently intelligible, first by his employment as scribe and correspondent of the colonists, which leads us to infer that he was better fitted for the occupation of the scholar than for the struggles of the pioneer; secondly, his youth and delicate complexion are mentioned, and we gather that his physique is not robust nor hardened. The Puritan predominates in John Alden as the soldier does in Miles Standish. The latter attributes the saving of his life to the good steel of the breastplate, while the former attributes it to a direct interposition of the Lord in slackening the speed of the bullet. We feel that if Alden had been left to spend an anxious hour or two[Pg 22] alone, he would have turned for consolation to the Bible and not to “the ponderous Roman.”

The Captain is a man of strong personality and firm integrity. He is an organizer of the colony’s defense; his voice prevails at the council; he is a resolute and able defender, who rises equal to emergencies of sudden and imminent danger. He is also capable of entertaining sentiments of tenderness (58-60) and magnanimity (949-973). Yet the author has indicated that, in the conventional sense, he is not to be taken as the hero. The personal description of him (11) points to this; so also his almost ludicrous inconsistency (36-115 and 163-168). His avowed affection for Priscilla could not have struck deep roots in his heart, for only two or three months have passed since he sustained the loss that made his life “weary and dreary” (36). Moreover, this matter could not have been upper-most in his mind very long, for he would then have observed that Alden had frequently gone on a lover’s errand in his own behalf (252-258). Neither could his inclinations have been very ardent, for while Alden is gone he spends the hours without anxiety, absorbed in the campaigns of Cæsar. He misunderstands and underestimates the sterling nature of Priscilla when he thinks that the winning of her is largely and mainly a matter of phrases (169) and elegant language, “such as you read of in books in the pleadings and wooings of lovers.” All this helps us to become reconciled to the Captain’s discomfiture.

John Alden is the most typical Puritan of the leading characters. His tendency towards a fatalistic view of life and to self-accusation seem almost too strange to be[Pg 23] accounted for by any doctrine or belief. As a Puritan he had been brought up and trained in submission to his elders, which may partly explain his lack of self-assertion. His position as a dependent in the household of Miles Standish made him more ready than he otherwise could have been to go on the Captain’s delicate errand. There are situations in which we find Alden insufficient (182, 558, 559). He has little opportunity, in so far that the part assigned to him is mainly passive. Yet there are possibilities of stern manhood in him; and, with reference to the main issue, he is certainly strong in those very respects where Miles Standish is weak.

Priscilla presents a contrast to the other two. She is full of healthy, joyous life. Neither the sternness of her associates nor the hardships of the pioneer life that she had experienced had been able to detract from her cheerful, buoyant disposition. During the winter she had become an orphan, and yet she appears to have been potent as a ray of sunshine amid the gloom and distress incident to the condition of the colonists. The fact that she is a trifle more frank in her conversation with John Alden than strict conventional form would require detracts nothing, but rather places her among such ideals of women as Miranda, Imogen, and Elaine.

I.

In the first eighty lines designate the means used in describing Miles Standish. Which reveals his character most effectively—the author’s direct description of him, his talk, his weapons, or his books? Are there any details in this description that you would like to see altered[Pg 24] if the Captain were to be the hero of the story? The Miles Standish of history is said to have been thirty-six years at this time; in what direction has the poet changed his age? Why?

II.

What position of authority does Standish hold in the colony? Why has the poet made him and Alden household companions (15)? What character-contrast in 25-33? Why should the maxim of line 37 be reiterated (114)? How does the Captain’s inconsistency (164) affect the tone of the narrative? Is the reply in 168 to the point? How does the Captain’s reliance on phrases and elegant language change our opinion of him?

III.

How does line 398 square with lines 173, 174? What had been the Captain’s state of mind during Alden’s absence? What effects measure to us the degree of his anger after having listened to Alden’s report? What motives induced the Captain to start in pursuit of hostile Indians (486)? Hoes this expedition seem to have been most likely to insure the safety of the colony? What evidence have we later on of the Captain’s magnanimity? As he is not in the conventional sense the hero of the story, what purpose, from the point of view of the action, does he serve?

IV.

In the character portrayal of 1-86, which are the main points of contrast between Miles Standish and John Alden? What appears to be the age of Alden? In describing him, why does the author use more poetic terms (17-20) than[Pg 25] he does in the case of Standish? Was Alden commissioned by others of the colonists to write letters for them? What single fact makes clear the sentiments he entertains towards Priscilla? Had they been acquainted before they left England?

V.

How can we account for Alden’s yielding to the Captain’s request? What other courses of action were open to him? “Then made answer John Alden” (181)—continue here, and in half a dozen lines write the answer you think he should have made. After leaving the Captain, what motives hold him to the fulfillment of his promise (185-248)? Was his blunt manner of delivering the message (288) deliberate, or was he so overcome that he could not do it otherwise?

VI.

What exactly is the cause of his distress as told in 339-342? Comment on the frankness of the report he submits. Should he not have attempted to explain and to set himself right? Interpret the mood visualized in 558, 559. Does he seem to have a sufficient reason for “thinking to fly from despair” (562)? Would it be a better story if Alden had been given an opportunity for active heroism? What in his character is most admirable?

VII.

Did Priscilla belong to those Puritans that had lived for some years in Holland (269)? What suggestions have we regarding Priscilla before lines 223-238? In the description (223-238) what traits are made most prominent?[Pg 26] Explain in what respect her disposition seems to be in sharp contrast to that of Alden (293-338). At what point and under what conditions does Priscilla’s influence show itself most powerful? What do we learn of her from her words in 667-680? At what point in the story and in what way is her character most exquisitely drawn? Which of the three characters had passed through the saddest experiences since the landing at Plymouth?

[Pg 27]

THE COURTSHIP OF MILES STANDISH.

I.
MILES STANDISH.

II.
LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP.

III.
THE LOVER’S ERRAND.

IV.
JOHN ALDEN.

V.
THE SAILING OF THE MAYFLOWER.

[Pg 66]

VI.
PRISCILLA.

[Pg 72]

VII.
THE MARCH OF MILES STANDISH.

VIII.
THE SPINNING-WHEEL.

IX.
THE WEDDING-DAY.

3. Cordovan. From the city of Cordoba, Spain, noted for the leather prepared there.

8. Corselet. A breastplate and backpiece forming a protection for the upper part of the body.

Sword of Damascus. Damascus in Syria is one of the oldest cities in the world. The swords made here were once famous not only for their remarkably fine temper, but for the artistic figures and mystic characters wrought in the blade. The secret of their make is now largely a lost art.

1-20. Miles Standish was at this time about thirty-six years of age, though the description seems to make him older. He had evidently left England for the Netherlands to fight with the Dutch against Spain. In Holland he had met his compatriots, the Puritans, cast his fortunes with them, and embarked as one of their number for the New World. John Alden, at this time about twenty-one, had joined the Pilgrims when their vessel touched at the port of Southampton.

19. “While yet an abbot, Gregory’s interest had been awakened by the fair faces and flaxen hair of a group of Saxon youths exposed for sale in the slave-market at Rome. ‘Who are they?’ he asked. ‘Angles,’ was the reply. ‘It suits them well,’ he said; ‘with faces so angel-like.’” (Painter, History of English Literature.)

20. The Mayflower. The name of the vessel that carried the Pilgrims to America.

28. Arcabucero. A Spanish word, originally meaning archer, now generally equivalent to musketeer.

22-33. The pictures given of their personal appearance is completed and reinforced by the first words the two men speak. Compare the character indications of 25-30 and 32, 33.

52. Sagamore, sachem. These words are the titles of Indian chiefs, the former being a subordinate, the latter a principal chief.

Pow-wow, an Indian medicine-man.

53. Indian names.

[Pg 92]61. Rose Standish. “In Young’s Chronicles of the Pilgrims, Boston, 1841, is a note thus: ‘Jan. 29, dies Rose, the wife of Captain Standish.’ In William Bradford’s History of Plymouth Plantation is recorded: ‘Captain Standish his wife dyed in the first sickness, and he maried againe and hath 4 sones lieving, and some are dead.’” Cited by Malfroy.

69. Barriffe’s Artillery Guide. An early work on military tactics, written by a Puritan, William Barriffe.

83. The Mayflower started on her return voyage, April 5, 1621.

85. Priscilla. “Mr. Molines [Mullen] and his wife, his sone and his servant dyed the first winter. Only his dougter Priscilla survived, and maried with John Alden.” (Bradford’s History of Plymouth Plantation.)

100. Iberian. Iberia, Spain. This was, however, an Alpine village. As Cæsar and his companions were passing through the place, they were struck with its poverty and wretchedness. Some one mockingly asked whether there were any canvassing for offices there. To this Cæsar replied: “For my part, I would rather be the first among these fellows than the second man in Rome.” The account is given in Plutarch’s Life of Caesar.

104. Flanders. Allusion to Cæsar’s campaign against the Nervii, who occupied that part of the Netherlands known as Flanders.

113. This battle is depicted in Cæsar’s Commentaries, Book II, chapter 25.

136. Since Rose Standish died. See note on line 61.

140. The loss of her father, mother and brother is mentioned in Bradford’s History of the Plymouth Plantation. See note, line 85.

206. Astaroth, Baal. Divinities of ancient Syria, mentioned in the Old Testament. Milton refers to them:

210. Mayflowers. In England this name is applied to the hawthorn; in America to a trailing plant “having white or rose-colored flowers.” “The trailing arbutus or mayflower grows abundantly in the vicinity of Plymouth, and was the first flower that greeted the Pilgrims after their fearful winter.” (Whittier.)

[Pg 93]212. Children lost in the woods. The pathetic story of the cruel destruction of two children by exposure and desertion is told in an ancient English ballad:

224. The hundredth Psalm. The music to which the words were being sung was the same as “Old Hundred.”

232. Many English books and translations were printed by the early Dutch printers of Amsterdam and Leyden, notably by the Elzivirs of the latter place.

245. Compare Luke ix: 62.

248. Jeremiah xxxiii: 11.

321. In Young’s Chronicles of the Pilgrims we read that the ancestors of Miles Standish were of a warlike spirit, and that the family record can be traced back as far as to Ralph de Standish, 1221.

324. Crest. The distinguishing mark worn by a knight, usually upon the helmet or above the shield.

Argent. Silver, or resembling silver.

325. Gules. Of a red color.

344. Reference to Revelation xxi.

362. The account is given in 2 Samuel, xi and xii.

415. Wat Tyler. The leader of an insurrection in London, slain by Jean Standuich. This happened under Richard II., about 1381.

421. You too, Brutus! Notwithstanding the friendship existing between them, Brutus conspired against the life of Cæsar. It is stated that when Brutus advanced to strike him, Cæsar said, “And you too, my son!”

442. Elder of Plymouth. William Brewster (1560-1644).

481. In this dramatic incident the poet has used the facts as they occurred, with very little change. The incident of the rattlesnake-skin and the challenge is historic; it took place in 1622.

496. The plot requires that the choleric Captain should at this stage be removed from the presence of Alden and Priscilla, leaving the issue in a state of suspense. For this purpose the author finds the material of the annals almost ready shaped. The only alteration required was to change the time when the expedition under Standish[Pg 94] started to relieve the threatened Weymouth Colony. This took place in March, 1623, but in the poem it is made to happen in April, 1621.

559. Alden’s position with one foot on the gunwale and one on the rock is a striking visualization of a mood.

572. Adamantine. “By him forbidden to unlock these adamantine gates.” (Paradise Lost, Book II, 853.)

597. The shipmaster, like Standish, is not a devout Puritan.

601. Songs. Not songs, but rather a series of rhythmic sounds accompanying their work.

605. Gurnet Point. A headland at the entrance to Plymouth harbor, on the north side.

606. Before landing at Plymouth the Pilgrims had spent some time in looking for a suitable locality. A party of them had gone on shore and examined the environs here. They had then met some Indians; hence the name, “First Encounter.”

607. Took the wind on her quarter. Holding a course such that the wind struck the vessel at a point “between abeam and astern.” What must have been the exact course of the vessel?

626. Like the spirit of God. Reference to Genesis i: 2.

657. Dissolves the spell of its silence. Old superstition. So in Hamlet, (Act I, sc. 1, l. 44,) where Bernardo says, “It [the ghost] would be spoke to.”

665. Havilah. Genesis ii: 10-14.

755. Goliath of Gath. 1 Sam. xvii: 14.

Og, king of Bashan. Numbers xxi: 33.

815. The details of this expedition and the resulting encounter are taken from Winslow’s Relation of Standish’s Expedition as given in Dr. Young’s Chronicles. Here we are informed that such an expedition took place in 1623, under command of Captain Standish. Other details worked into the poem are also mentioned here: the defiance of Wattawmat (771-781); Pecksuot (783-787); the observation of Hobomak (813-815); and the grim trophy placed by the Captain on the roof of the fort when he returned to the colony.

828. Merestead. “Meer” and “mear” are old terms, meaning boundary. Hence, the plot of ground inclosed by boundaries.

829. Glebe. Sod or turf.

846. The original homestead is still owned by the descendants of[Pg 95] John Alden. It is in Duxbury, on the coast, a short distance southeast from Boston.

858-864. An almost literal rendering of verses 11, 12, 13, and 21 of Proverbs xxxi.

872. Bertha the Beautiful Spinner. According to one account she was the daughter of Burkhard of Swabia. In 921 she became the wife of Rudolph II., king of Burgundy beyond Jura. She is represented on the monuments of the time as sitting on her throne, spinning.

927. A complete description of the garb of a Hebrew high priest is given in Exodus, xxviii: 4-43.

936. Ruth and Boaz. Ruth iv: 10-12.

943. Lo! when the service was ended. It will be interesting to note what difference it would have made with respect to a satisfactory outcome if the Captain had appeared before the service began.

1013. The valley of Eshcol. It was the part of the Promised Land from which the spies brought back a cluster of grapes of marvelous size. Numbers xiii: 23, 24.

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