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Show M A S S A C H U S E T S - B A Y .. ones to fettle matters as they can; who, after having fate up as long as they think proper, get into be~ together alfo, but without pulling off their under g arments, m order to prevent fcandal. If the parties agree, it is all very well ; the banns are publiihed, and they are married without dela~. If not,. they p:ut, and poffibly never fee each other agaw; unle.fs,. which is an accident that feldom happens, the forfaken fairone prove pregnant, and then the mau is obliged to marry her, under pain of excommunication*. The province of Maifachnfets-B.ay has been for fome years pa!l:, l believe, rather on the decline. Its inha~itants have lo!l: feveral branches of trade, which they are not hkely to recover again. They formerly fupplied, not only Connetlicut, but other parts of the continent, with -dry goods, and received fpecie in return : but £nee the introduction of p1per-currency they have been deprived of great part of this commerce. Their {hip-trade is confiderably decreafed, owing to their not having been fo careful in the conflrutlion of veffels as formerly ; their fi(beries too have not been equally fucce[sful: they have had ,. A gentreman r(!)metime ago travefTing upon tne frontiers of Virginia-,. where there are very few fettlements, was obliged to t~ke up his quarters oneeven ing at a miferable plantation; where, exduf!ve of a Negro or two, thefamily confifled of a man and his wife, a.ad one daughter about fix.teen. year:s· of age. Being fatigued,. he yrefeJltly defued them to fhew him where he was. to flcep ; accordingly they pointed to a bed' in a corner of the room w nere they were fitting. The gentleman was a Tittle embarralfed,. out being exccffivelyweary, he retired,. half u·ndrdfed himfel'r, and got into bed·. After f'Ome-in1e the old gentlewoman came to- bed to, him,. after her the olt:l gentleman, and lall: of all th.e- young lady. This., )n a co.untr.y excluHed frorn aU civili1,ed focieny, could only proceed frcm fimplicity ~ond inBocence: andl indeed it is a general and true ob(ervation, that forms and obfervances become JJece!f3ry, and are attended to, in proportion a-s manrrcrs become corrupt, and: }t' is foun·d ex9ed-ient to gu-ard againll: vi·ce, and ~hat defign am! du--plici~y of t:haraCler,. which, fw.m the uat.u-r.e (!)£things,. wiLl e¥e.r. prevail in large and cu1- tiv.a ted fo.c ie tie.s,. alfo MASSACHUSETS BAY. alfo a confiderable number of provincial troops in pay during the· courfe of the prefent war, and have been bLJrthened with heavy taxes. Thefe have been laid upon eflatesJ real and perfonal. Some merchants in Bofion, I have been credibly informed, have paid near 400 I. fierling annually.-Affeifmen.ts are made by particular officers, who, with the feleCl-met, con(bb.Jes, overfeers, and feveral others, are eletled annually by the freeme n,. for the direction and management of each particular town(hip. There is lefs paper-money in this colony, tl an in any other of America; the current coin is chiefly gold and filver:. and Bofion is the only place, I believe, where there is a mint to com money. I was told of a very impolitic law in force in this province,. which forbids any mafier, or commander of a ve.!r ·l to bring flrangers into the colony, without giving fecurity that they !haU not become chargeable to it~ Upon the whole" however~ notwjthfiandiiJg what hOLs been faid, Mafiachufets-bay is a rich, populous:. and well-cultivated provmce.- I cannot take leave of it without relating a very extraordinary fl:ory, communi ated to rne by perfons of undoubted credit, as it further tends to iHufrratc the charaCter and manners of its inhabitants. Some years ago, a commander o.f one of m3jefffs fhips of war being fiationed at this pLlcc, had orders to cruife from time to time, in order to protect our tradeJ and cii!l:refs the enemy~ It happened unluckily that he returned from one of hi.s crui.fes on a Sunday;. and as he had left his lady at BoLton,. the moment lhe heard of the {hip's arrival, !he hafted down to the waters fide> jn order to receive him .• The cap tain:. on. landimg, embraced her with tenJernefs and affeCt ion:. this,. a& there were many fpeEtators hy, gav.e great offence, an.d \VaJS conf1derecl ~.s an act of indecency> and a flagrant profa. ation. of the Sab-lilath,. J j lio-. |