On September 6, 1620 the Mayflower set out from Plymouth, England with 102 passengers including 44 men, 19 women, 29 young men and boys, and 10 young women and girls.
Merrily sang the birds, and the tender voices of women
Consecrated with hymns the common cares of the household.
Out of the sea rose the sun, and the billows rejoiced at his coming;
Beautiful were his feet on the purple tops of the mountains;
Beautiful on the sails of the Mayflower riding at anchor,
Battered and blackened and worn by all the storms of the winter.
Loosely against her masts was hanging and flapping her canvas,
Rent by so many gales, and patched by the hands of the sailors.
Suddenly from her side, as the sun rose over the ocean,
Darted a puff of smoke, and floated seaward; anon rang
Loud over field and forest the cannon’s roar, and the echoes
Heard and repeated the sound, the signal-gun of departure!
Ah! but with louder echoes replied the hearts of the people!
Meekly, in voices subdued, the chapter was read from the Bible,
Meekly the prayer was begun, but ended in fervent entreaty!
Then from their houses in haste came forth the Pilgrims of Plymouth,
Men and women and children, all hurrying down to the sea-shore,
Eager, with tearful eyes, to say farewell to the Mayflower,
Homeward bound o’er the sea, and leaving them here in the desert.The Sailing of the Mayflower from The Courtship of Miles Standish by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Little read American literature! Last night my daughter asked for my help with her American Literature homework. She signed up for American Lit thinking it would be an “easy” course to balance out the hard courseload she’s taking this year as a junior. I came to see that she is reading an original 1630 history of the voyage and landing at Plymouth of the Pilgrims. I was impressed by her curriculum (!) (she’s moaning it’s too hard!)and as well by the chronicler’s story, which constitutes literature. It read like the most exciting drama, full of pathos, faith and danger. It’s good to read an original and know that real people way back when also thought the Pilgrims brave (and lucky).