PERSONAL APPEARANCE.-CAUSES OF ILL HEALTH. 403

ceptions, establishes beyond doubt, that with them profit is above principle, and gain the exclusive end and aim of all their labours.*

The remarkable predominance of scriptural, and especially of Hebrew names, in the designation of individuals, as seen in the public documents inserted in the newspapers, such as lists of candidates nominated for offices, records of births, marriages, and deaths, and advertisements of goods for sale, can hardly fail to strike a stranger as a peculiarity of New-England.

In personal appearance, the men of Boston have the same characteristics as those of New-York and Philadelphia. They are, in general, rather above than below the middle stature, with fewer fat or corpulent men than in England, pale complexions, generally straight hair, and a seriousness or gravity of countenance which in England would be called puritanical, but which here excites no observation, from its being so general. Every one is well dressed and remarkably clean, but with an absence of foppery or dandyism, which, though now and then seen in the young, is never witnessed in any man of middle age. They are not so hurried in their movements as in New-York, where everybody seems as if walking for a wager, or running a race with time; but their whole air is that of careful thoughtfulness and gravity.

There are not so many handsome women in Boston as there are in New-York, Philadelphia, or Baltimore; nor are the ladies of the North so gracefully elegant in their dress and manners as those of the Southern cities. Yet even here there are more handsome and pretty female faces than could be seen in the same amount of population in any town in England, though there are no such examples of striking and impressive beauty, or of "fine women," as we understand the term, as are occasionally found in Europe. The same deficiency in the roundness and plumpness of figure is observable here as elsewhere in America; the female forms, though slender, are never finely developed into shapes that would produce the beautiful rotundity and swelling outlines fit for statuary; while their complexions are almost uniformly pale, and their health extremely delicate. There is less effort at display in the dress of the ladies here than in the other large cities of the Union; but it is always of the best and latest fashions and materials, though more "quiet" and less obtrusive.

The causes of the pale complexions and ill health of both males and females, for it is far more general with both than with us, are no doubt many; but among the most prominent, I think, may be classed, first, the climate, in its sudden transitions from heat to cold, and cold to heat; secondly, the too great frequency of meals, and the too great variety of foods and sauces used to each; thirdly, the excessive use of tobacco among the men; and, fourthly, a defi

I expect to get my full share of condemnation for uttering this truth, but I shall not shrink from this, nor restrain its expression.

cient quantity of sleep, and of robust and vigorous exercise in the open air. There are four substantial meals in almost every house daily; breakfast at eight, dinner at two, tea at six, and supper at nine; and at each of these flesh meat or poultry is taken, grossly cooked, with greasy sauces, and a large admixture of sweetmeats and preserved fruits, as well as a great variety of nuts, of which both children and adults eat profusely.

In general, persons retire before midnight; but, whenever they sit up later at parties, they are still rung out of bed by the prepar atory breakfast bell at seven; and their appearance then, as well as at other periods of the day, afford evidence that they have not slept sufficiently. As to exercise, although there are some few who ride, and many more who walk at stated periods every day, yet the vigorous exercise required for the young, in cricket, hoop, football, running, leaping, wrestling, &c., is almost unknown; and neither archery, nor any other exercise, except walking, is practised by females, so that their bodies are never so fully developed, their health so robust, their figures so beautiful, or their complexion so rosy, as would be the case if more exercise and more sleep were taken, and less food and less sweetmeats were eaten.

The same degree of paleness and languor is observable in the boys at the public schools, and this was adverted to in the proceedings of a public meeting held in Boston during my stay there, in the month of October, 1838, from the report of which the following extract may be given from the papers of the day. The chairman, after alluding to one or two other topics connected with the meeting, passed to the following:

"The other topic was that of over mental excitement. The children were stimulated too highly. Too much was required of the pupils. The intellectual labour began at too early an age, and it was enforced upon them too many hours in a day. Hence our children looked pale and feeble. They lacked robust frames and firm constitutions. This fault was not attributable to the committee nor to teachers, but to parents, who insisted upon the performance of tasks too arduous for the young mind. The physical education of the pupils had been altogether neglected. Germany paid judicious regard to this point. The result was seen in the health, and long life, and protracted labours of her scholHow different it was with us! Our students were thin and pale to a proverb."

ars.

The boys of Boston are, notwithstanding, among the rudest and most turbulent that I ever remember to have seen; and, among other instances of their rudeness, I may mention the following. My youngest son, who accompanied us on our travels, being about thirteen years of age, had to go from our residence daily, at different hours, to take lessons from his various masters, who lived in different parts of the city; but scarcely a day passed without his being beset by some of the Boston' boys, called after, and occasionally assailed with stones, as well as with coarse epithets; and for no

other reason that could ever be conceived or discovered, than that he was an "English boy," and was therefore regarded by them as an "interloper." Their conduct became at last so bad, that we were obliged to send a man-servant with him in going and coming; and even then they were often both assailed, especially when they met, as they did occasionally, a school just dispersed, where the number of the boys gave them additional courage for the onset. Among the customs which prevail with the ladies is that of wearing mourning for a much longer period than in England, and of not receiving visits or going out to parties during all the time that their mourning is worn. Between persons not in mourning visits are interchanged occasionally; but even here the morning calls are among the heaviest taxes on time that strangers are called upon to pay, and many valuable hours are literally wasted every week by persons taking a long walk to call on those who have left their cards on some previous day: when, in nine cases out of ten, the answer is, "Not at home," or "Particularly engaged." As these answers are given to every one indiscriminately, without knowing who may call, no one can reasonably take offence; but it would be a great gain to all if these morning calls, which end in nothing but a waste of time, were abolished altogether, and cards of interchange or inquiry sent by the penny-post or by a messenger, who might go the rounds for the visiter, and save him the inconvenience and disappointment.

Notwithstanding these peculiarities, and, as they seemed to me in many cases, defects of society in Boston-and there are none which are not easily capable of reform and improvement-my sincere conviction is, that there is no city in the world, of the same extent of population, in which there exist more substantial wealth, honourably and industriously acquired, more mercantile integrity, more useful intelligence, more general comfort, more purity of morals, more benevolent efforts for the promotion of humane and charitable institutions, or more general knowledge, virtue, and happiness, than in Boston. There is no blemish within its precincts, whether of fraud, intemperance, profligacy, rudeness, or inhospitality, of which there are not similar examples, and often on a much larger scale, in the old and populous cities of Europe: and if the question could be reduced to figures, and set forth in accurate arithmetical proportions, I have no doubt it would be found that, in the proportion of crime, vice, or folly, to the whole population, Boston would have less of each than any other city with which it could be compared.

But as it is not perfect, and as its own inhabitants, by their very desire to have it so considered by foreigners, must evidently wish. that it should be so, they ought to regard those as their best friends who, seeing what, perhaps from their position, they are themselves not so likely to perceive, should have the courage and the frankness to point out the defects which are capable of emendation, and thus

become the pioneers of improvement, since the very first step towards reform in everything is to be made conscious that there is really something that requires it.

CHAPTER XLIL

Last Sunday passed in Boston.-Morning Service at the King's Chapel-Singular Union of Royalty, Episcopacy, and Unitarianism.-History of the Rise and Progress of King's Chapel.-Gift of Plate from the King and Queen of England.-Selection of Organ for the Chapel by Handel.-Church-rates levied by Dissenters on Episcopalians.-Anecdote of Captain Coram, Founder of the Foundling-Alteration of the Church Liturgy by Unitarians.-Examples of the Changes made in the Service.Prayer against Sedition and Rebellion retained.-Grounds alleged for revising the Liturgy. Summary of the Service as at present used.-Description of the Edifice, the Vassal Monument.-Choir led by the present Mayor of Boston.-Unitarianism in the Ascendant and increasing.-Affecting Sermon of the Rev. Father Taylor.Affectionate Exchanges of Farewell.-Last Evening passed in Boston.-Cordial Regrets and Anxieties of Friends.

THE last Sunday that we passed in Boston was agreeably and instructively occupied. Having heard on the preceding Sabbaths nearly all the principal preachers of the city in their respective churches, we attended, on the morning of this day, at the King's Chapel, to hear Dr. Greenwood; in the afternoon we went to the Mariner's Church to hear Father Taylor; and both were striking and impressive services.

The sermon preached by Dr. Greenwood was a beautiful and convincing discourse on the propriety of maintaining such of the external forms and duties of religion as are in accordance with scriptural authority, and the danger of omitting to keep up the continued observance of religious ordinances. It had, too, so remarkable a connexion with the history of the church in which it was delivered, and with all its surrounding associations, that some of its peculiarities will be worth detailing. This church is perhaps the only one in the world which recognises royalty in its name, Episcopacy in its ritual, and Unitarianism in its doctrine; being called, at the present moment, King's Chapel; using in its service most of the Book of Common Prayer and Liturgy of the Church of England, but introducing such modifications as to make it correspond with the belief and worship of Unitarians. The history of this church is as follows.

It was in 1689 that the first Episcopal church in New-England was built, on the spot where the King's Chapel now stands; and in July of that year an entry appears in the records to this effect, "Laus Deo. A memorandum of such honest and well-disposed persons as contributed their assistance for and towards erecting a church for God's worship in Boston, according to the constitution

of the Church of England as by law established." The names amount to ninety-six in number, and the sum subscribed by them was 2561. 9s.; but the cost of the church is subsequently said to have been 2841. 16s. It was built of wood, was very small, and wholly without pews, and it was not until 1694 that these were added to the church, at a cost of 85l., which was raised by a subscription of fifty-three persons to cover the expense. As the chief part of the community in Boston then consisted of dissenters from the Church of England, this building received no favour from them, but was built principally by the contributions of the governor, Sir Edmond Andros, and the officials and dependants of the govern

ment.

In 1696 some presents were made to the church from England, which are thus entered in the records: "The Decalogue, the Lord's Prayer, and the Creed, which were drawne in England (that is, painted and gilded on tablets for placing over the altar), and brought over by Mr. Samuel Myles, in July, 1696;" and another entry stands thus: "Boston, 1697, then received of Mr. Myles two great silver flagons, and one sallver, and one bowl, and one civer (cover), all of silver, which was given to the church by the king and queen (William and Mary), and brought over by Captain John Foye. Received by me, Giles Dyer, churchwarden." The Bishop of London also sent a library of books, which was deemed at the time the best theological library in New-England, and has since been deposited in the Boston Athenæum.

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Up to the period of King William's death, the church was called King's Chapel;" but on the accession of Queen Anne in 1702 its name was changed to that of Queen's Chapel. In 1710 a new subscription was raised to rebuild the church, which was then enlarged to twice its original size, but was still constructed of wood only; a clock was given by the "gentlemen of the British Society" and an organ was presented by Mr. Thomas Brattle in 1713, and an organist sent for from London at a salary of 301. per annum, with an allowance of 201. for the passage of himself and his wife, and liberty to teach music and dancing! to help out his maintenance.

In 1714, when Queen Anne died, and was succeeded by George the First, the name of the church was again changed to King's Chapel, which it has retained ever since. In 1730 a curious condition of things arose, the Episcopalians of New-England being included in the taxation levied to build and support the churches of the dissenters. This appeared to them so great a grievance, that they sent home a memorial to the Bishop of London and a petition to the king, complaining of "the sufferings of the churchmen in this province," in being thus compelled to pay rates for the support of the dissenters; and some of those who refused to do so were imprisoned, and had their goods sold to raise the amount.