an old town by the sea- 第4部分

The　churches　of　Portsmouth　are　more　remarkable　for　their　number　than　their　architecture。　With　the　exception　of　the　Stone　Church　they　are　constructed　of　wood　or　plain　brick　in　the　simplest　style。　　St。　John's　Church　is　the　only　one　likely　to　attract　the　eye　of　a　stranger。　　It　is　finely　situated　on　the　crest　of　Church　Hill；　overlooking　the　ever…beautiful　river。　　The　present　edifice　was　built　in　1808　on　the　site　of　what　was　known　as　Queen's　Chapel；　erected　in　1732；　and　destroyed　by　fire　December　24；　1806。　The　chapel　was　named　in　honor　of　Queen　Caroline；　who　furnished　the　books　for　the　altar　and　pulpit；　the　plate；　and　two　solid　mahogany　chairs；　which　are　still　in　use　in　St。　John's。　　Within　the　chancel　rail　is　a　curious　font　of　porphyry；　taken　by　Colonel　John　Tufton　Mason　at　the　capture　of　Senegal　from　the　French　in　1758；　and　presented　to　the　Episcopal　Society　on　1761。　The　peculiarly　sweet…toned　bell　which　calls　the　parishioners　of　St。　John's　together　every　Sabbath　is；　I　believe；　the　same　that　formerly　hung　in　the　belfry　of　the　old　Queen's　Chapel。　If　so；　the　bell　has　a　history　of　its　own。　It　was　brought　from　Louisburg　at　the　time　of　the　reduction　of　that　place　in　1745；　and　given　to　the　church　by　the　officers　of　the　New　Hampshire　troops。

The　Old　South　Meeting…House　is　not　to　be　passed　without　mention。　It　is　among　the　most　aged　survivals　of　pre…revolutionary　days。　Neither　its　architecture　not　its　age；　however；　is　its　chief　warrant　for　our　notice。　　The　absurd　number　of　windows　in　this　battered　old　structure　is　what　strikes　the　passer…by。　The　church　was　erected　by　subscription；　and　these　closely　set　large　windows　are　due　to　Henry　Sherburne；　one　of　the　wealthiest　citizens　of　the　period；　who　agreed　to　pay　for　whatever　glass　was　used。　　If　the　building　could　have　been　composed　entirely　of　glass　it　would　have　been　done　by　the　thrifty　parishioners。

Portsmouth　is　rich　in　graveyardsthey　seem　to　be　a　New　England　specialtyancient　and　modern。　　Among　the　old　burial…places　the　one　attached　to　St。　John's　Church　is　perhaps　the　most　interesting。　　It　has　not　been　permitted　to　fall　into　ruin；　like　the　old　cemetery　at　the　Point　of　Graves。　　When　a　headstone　here　topples　over　it　is　kindly　lifted　up　and　set　on　its　pins　again；　and　encouraged　to　do　its　duty。　If　it　utterly　refuses；　and　is　not　shamming　decrepitude；　it　has　its　face　sponged；　and　is　allowed　to　rest　and　sun　itself　against　the　wall　of　the　church　with　a　row　of　other　exempts。　The　trees　are　kept　pruned；　the　grass　trimmed；　and　here　and　there　is　a　rosebush　drooping　with　a　weight　of　pensive　pale　roses；　as　becomes　a　rosebush　in　a　churchyard。

The　place　has　about　it　an　indescribable　soothing　atmosphere　of　respectability　and　comfort。　Here　rest　the　remains　of　the　principal　and　loftiest　in　rank　in　their　generation　of　the　citizens　of　Portsmouth　prior　to　the　Revolutionstanch；　royalty…loving　governors；　counselors；　and　secretaries　of　the　Providence　of　New　Hampshire；　all　snugly　gathered　under　the　motherly　wing　of　the　Church　of　England。　　It　is　almost　impossible　to　walk　anywhere　without　stepping　on　a　governor。　You　grow　haughty　in　spirit　after　a　while；　and　scorn　to　tread　on　anything　less　than　one　of　His　Majesty's　colonels　or　secretary　under　the　Crown。　Here　are　the　tombs　of　the　Atkinsons；　the　Jaffreys；　the　Sherburnes；　the　Sheafes；　the　Marshes；　the　Mannings；　the　Gardners；　and　others　of　the　quality。　All　around　you　underfoot　are　tumbled…in　coffins；　with　here　and　there　a　rusty　sword　atop；　and　faded　escutcheons；　and　crumbling　armorial　devices。　You　are　moving　in　the　very　best　society。

This；　however；　is　not　the　earliest　cemetery　in　Portsmouth。　　An　hour's　walk　from　the　Episcopal　yard　will　bring　you　to　the　spot；　already　mentioned；　where　the　first　house　was　built　and　the　first　grave　made；　at　Odiorne's　Point。　The　exact　site　of　the　Manor　is　not　known；　but　it　is　supposed　to　be　a　few　rods　north　of　an　old　well　of　still…flowing　water；　at　which　the　Tomsons　and　the　Hiltons　and　their　comrades　slaked　their　thirst　more　than　two　hundred　and　sixty　years　ago。　Oriorne's　Point　is　owned　by　Mr。　Eben　L。　Odiorne；　a　lineal　descendant　of　the　worthy　who　held　the　property　in　1657。　Not　far　from　the　old　spring　is　the　resting…place　of　the　earliest　pioneers。

〃This　first　cemetery　of　the　white　man　in　New　Hampshire；〃　writes　Mr。　Brewster；　（1。　Mr。　Charles　W。　Brewster；　for　nearly　fifty　years　the　editor　of　the　Portsmouth　Journal；　and　the　author　of　two　volumes　of　local　sketches　to　which　the　writer　of　these　pages　here　acknowledges　his　indebtedness。）　〃occupies　a　space　of　perhaps　one　hundred　feet　by　ninety；　and　is　well　walled　in。　　The　western　side　is　now　used　as　a　burial…place　for　the　family；　but　two　thirds　of　it　is　filled　with　perhaps　forty　graves；　indicated　by　rough　head　and　foot　stones。　Who　there　rest　no　one　now　living　knows。　But　the　same　care　is　taken　of　their　quiet　beds　as　if　they　were　of　the　proprietor's　own　family。　In　1631　Mason　sent　over　about　eighty　emigrants　many　of　whom　died　in　a　few　years；　and　here　they　were　probably　buried。　　Here　too；　doubtless；　rest　the　remains　of　several　of　those　whose　names　stand　conspicuous　in　our　early　state　records。〃

IV。　A　STROLL　ABOUT　TOWN　（continued）

WHEN　Washington　visited　Portsmouth　in　1789　he　was　not　much　impressed　by　the　architecture　of　the　little　town　that　had　stood　by　him　so　stoutly　in　the　struggle　for　independence。　〃There　are　some　good　houses；〃　he　writes；　in　a　diary　kept　that　year　during　a　tour　through　Connecticut；　Massachusetts；　and　New　Hampshire；　〃　among　which　Colonel　Langdon's　may　be　esteemed　the　first；　but　in　general　they　are　indifferent；　and　almost　entirely　of　wood。　On　wondering　at　this；　as　the　country　is　full　of　stone　and　good　clay　for　bricks；　I　was　told　that　on　account　of　the　fogs　and　damp　they　deemed　them　wholesomer；　and　for　that　reason　preferred　wood　buildings。〃

The　house　of　Colonel　Langdon；　on　Pleasant　Street；　is　an　excellent　sample　of　the　solid　and　dignified　abodes　which　our　great…grandsires　had　the　sense　to　build。　The　art　of　their　construction　seems　to　have　been　a　lost　art　these　fifty　years。　Here　Governor　John　Langdon　resided　from　1782　until　the　time　of　his　death　in　1819a　period　during　which　many　an　illustrious　man　passed　between　those　two　white　pillars　that　support　the　little　balcony　over　the　front　door；　among　the　rest　Louis　Philippe　and　his　brothers；　the　Ducs　de　Montpensier　and　Beaujolais；　and　the　Marquis　de　Chastellus；　a　major…general　in　the　French　army；　serving　under　the　Count　de　Rochambeau；　whom　he　accompanied　from　France　to　the　States　in　1780。　The　journal　of　the　marquis　contains　this　reference　to　his　host：　〃After　dinner　we　went　to　drink　tea　with　Mr。　Langdon。　He　is　a　handsome　man；　and　of　noble　carriage；　he　has　been　a　member　of　Congress；　and　is　now　one　of　the　first　people　of　the　country；　his　house　is　elegant　and　well　furnished；　and　the　apartments　admirably　well　wainscoted〃　（this　reads　like　Mr。　Samuel　Pepys）；　〃and　he　has　a　good　manuscript　chart　of　the　harbor　of　Portsmouth。　Mrs。　Langdon；　his　wife；　is　young；　fair；　and　tolerably　handsome；　but　I　conversed　less　with　her　than　her　husband；　in　whose　favor　I　was　prejudiced　from　knowing　that　he　had　displayed　great　courage　and　patriotism　at　the　time　of　Burgoynes's　expedition。〃

It　was　at　the　height　of　the　French　Revolution　that　the　three　sons　of　the　Due　d'Orleans　were　entertained　at　the　Langdon　mansion。　Years　afterward；　when　Louis　Philippe　was　on　the　throne　of　France；　he　inquired　of　a　Portsmouth　lady　presented　at　his　court　if　the　mansion　of　ce　brave　Gouverneur　Langdon　was　still　in　existence。

The　house　stands　back　a　decorous　distance　from　the　street；　under　the　shadows　of　some　gigantic　oaks　or　elms；　and　presents　an　imposing　appearance　as　you　approach　it　over　the　tessellated　marble　walk。　A　hundred　or　two　feet　on　either　side　of　the　gate；　and　abutting　on　the　street；　is　a　small　square　building　of　brick；　one　story　in　heightprobably　the　porter's　lodge　and　tool…house　of　former　days。　There　is　a　large　fruit　garden　attached　to　the　house；　which　is　in　excellent　condition；　taking　life　comfortably；　and　having　the　complacent　air　of　a　well…preserved　beau　of　the　ancien　regime。　The　Langdon　mansion　was　owned　and　long　occupied　by　the　late　Rev。　Dr。　Burroughs；　for　a　period　of　forty…seven　years　the　esteemed　rector　or　St。　John's　Church。

At　the　other　end　of　Pleasant　Street　is　another　notable　house；　to　which　we　shall　come　by　and　by。　Though　President　Washington　found　Portsmouth　but　moderately　attractive　from　an　architectural　point　of　view；　the　visitor　of　to…day；　if　he　have　an　antiquarian　taste；　will　find　himself　embarrassed　by　the　number　of　localities　and　buildings　that　appeal　to　his　interest。　Many　of　these　buildings　were　new　and　undoubtedly　commonplace　enough　at　the　date　of　Washington's　visit；　time　and　association　have　given　them　a　quaintness　and　a　significance　which　now　make　their　architecture　a　question　of　secondary　importance。

One　might　spend　a　fortnight　in　Portsmouth　exploring　the　nooks　and　corners　over　which　history　has　thrown　a　charm；　and　by　no　means　exhaust　the　list。　I　cannot　do　more　than　attempt　to　describeand　that　very　brieflya　few　of　the　typical　old　houses。　On　this　same　Pleasant　Street　there　are　several　which　we　must　leave　unnoted；　with　their　spacious　halls　and　carven　staircases；　their　antiquated　furniture　and　old　silver　tankards　and　choice　Copleys。　Numerous　examp