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Stedman and Hutchinson, comps. A Library of American Literature:
An Anthology in Eleven Volumes. 1891.
Vols. IX–XI: Literature of the Republic, Part IV., 1861–1889

Love in Old Cloathes

By Henry Cuyler Bunner (1855–1896)

Y^E worste of my ailment is this, y^t it groweth not Less with much nursinge, but is like to those fevres w^ch y^e lecches Starve, ’tis saide, for that y^e more Bloode there be in y^e Sicke man’s Bodie, y^e more foode is there for y^e Distemper to feede upon.—And it is moste fittinge y^t I come backe to y^e my Journall (wherein I have not writt a Lyne these manye months) on y^e 1^st of Aprile, beinge in some Sort myne owne foole and y^e foole of Love, and a poore Butt on whome his hearte hath play’d a Sorry tricke.—

For it is surelie a strange happenninge, that I, who am ofte accompted a man of y^e Worlde, (as y^e Phrase goes,) sholde be soe Overtaken and caste downe lyke a Schoole-boy or a countrie Bumpkin, by a meere Mayde, & sholde set to Groaninge and Sighinge, &, for that She will not have me Sighe to Her, to Groaninge and Sighinge on paper, w^ch is y^e greter Foolishnesse in Me, y^t some one maye reade it Here-after, who hath taken his dose of y^e same Physicke, and made no Wrye faces over it; in w^ch case I doubte I shall be much laugh’d at.—Yet soe much am I a foole, and soe enamour’d of my Foolishnesse, y^t I have a sorte of Shamefull Joye in tellinge, even to my Journall, y^t I am mightie deepe in Love withe y^e yonge Daughter of Mistresse Ffrench, and all maye knowe what an Angell is y^e Daughter, since I have chose M^rs. Ffrench for my Mother in Lawe.—(Though she will have none of my choosinge.)—and I likewise take comforte in y^e Fancie, y^t this poore Sheete, wh^on I write, may be made of y^e Raggs of some lucklesse Lover, and maye y^e more readilie drinke up my complaininge Inke.—

This muche I have learnt, y^t Fraunce distilles not, nor y^e Indies growe not, y^e Remedie for my Aile.—For when I 1^st became sensible of y^e folly of my Suite, I tooke to drynkinge & smoakinge, thinkinge to cure my minde, but all I got was a head ache, for fellowe to my Hearte ache.—A sorrie Payre!—I then made Shifte, for a while, withe a Bicycle, but breakinge of Bones mendes no breakinge of Heartes, and 60 myles a Daye bringes me no nearer to a Weddinge.—This being Lowe Sondaye, (w^ch my Hearte telleth me better than y^e Allmanack,) I will goe to Churche; wh. I maye chaunce to see her.—Laste weeke, her Eastre bonnett vastlie pleas’d me, beinge most cunninglie devys’d in y^e mode of oure Grandmothers, and verie lyke to a coales Scuttle, of white satine.—

I trust I make no more moane, than is just for a man in my case, but there is small comforte in lookinge at y^e backe of a white Satine bonnett for two Houres, and I maye saye as much.—Neither any cheere in Her goinge out of y^e Churche, & Walkinge downe y^e Avenue, with a Puppe by y^e name of Williamson.

Because a man have a Hatt with a Brimme to it like y^e Poope-Decke of a Steam-Shippe, and breeches lyke y^e Case of an umbrella, and have loste money on Hindoo, he is not therefore in y^e beste Societie.—I made this observation, at y^e Clubbe, last nighte, in y^e hearinge of W^mson, who made a mightie Pretence to reade y^e Sp^t of y^e Tymes.—I doubte it was scurvie of me, but it did me muche goode.

Y^e manner of my meetinge with Her and fallinge in Love with Her (for y^e two were of one date) is thus.—I was made acquainte withe Her on a Wednesdaie, at y^e House of Mistresse Varick, (’twas a Reception,) but did not hear Her Name, nor She myne, by reason of y^e noise, and of M^rsse Varick having but lately a newe sett of Teethe, of wh. she had not yet gott, as it were, y^e just Pitche and accordance.—I sayde to Her that y^e Weather was warm for that season of y^e yeare.—She made answer She thought I was right, for M^r Williamson had saide y^e same thinge to Her not a minute past.—I tolde Her She muste not holde it originall or an Invention of W^mson, for y^e Speache had beene manie yeares in my Familie.—Answer was made, She wolde be muche bounden to me if I wolde maintaine y^e Rightes of my Familie, and lett all others from usinge of my propertie, when perceivinge Her to be of a livelie Witt, I went about to ingage her in converse, if onlie so I mighte looke into Her Eyes, wh. were of a coloure suche as I have never seene before, more like to a Pansie, or some such flower, than anything else I can compair with them.—Shortlie we grew most friendlie, so that She did aske me if I colde keepe a Secrett.—I answering I colde, She saide She was anhungered, having Shopp’d all y^e forenoone since Breakfast.—She pray’d me to gett Her some Foode.—What, I ask’d.—She answer’d merrilie, a Beafesteake.—I tolde Her y^t that Confection was not on y^e Side-Boarde; but I presentlie brought Her such as there was, & She beinge behinde a Screane, I stoode in y^e waie, so y^t none mighte see Her, & She did eate and drynke as followeth, to witt—

iijcupps of Bouillon (w^eh is a Tea, or Tisane, of Beafe, made verie hott & thinne)

ivAlberte biscuit

ijéclairs

icreame-cake

together with divers small cates and comfeits wh^of I know not y^e names.

So y^t I was grievously afeared for Her Digestion, leste it be over-tax’d. Saide this to Her, however addinge it was my Conceite, y^t by some Processe, lyke Alchemie, wh^by y^e baser metals are transmuted into golde, so y^e grosse mortall foode was on Her lippes chang’d to y^e fabled Nectar & Ambrosia of y^e Gods.—She tolde me ’t was a sillie Speache, yet seam’d not ill-pleas’d withall.—She hath a verie prettie Fashion, or Tricke, of smilinge, when She hath made an end of speakinge, and layinge Her finger upon Her nether Lippe, like as She wolde bid it be stille.—After some more Talke, wh^tn She show’d that Her Witt was more deepe, and Her minde more seriouslie inclin’d, than I had Thoughte from our first Jestinge, She beinge call’d to go thence, I did see Her mother, whose face I knewe, & was made sensible, y^t I had given my Hearte to y^e daughter of a House wh. with myne owne had longe been at grievous Feud, for y^e folly of oure Auncestres.—Havinge come to wh. heavie momente in my Tale, I have no Patience to write more to-nighte.

I was mynded to write no more in y^e journall, for verie Shame’s sake, y^t I shoude so complayne, lyke a Childe, whose toie is taken f^m him, butt (mayhapp for it is nowe y^e fulle Moone, & a moste greavous period for them y^t are Love-strucke) I am fayne, lyke y^e Drunkarde who maye not abstayne f^m his cupp, to sett me anewe to recordinge of My Dolorous mishapp.—When I sawe Her agayn, She beinge aware of my name, & of y^e division betwixt oure Houses, wolde have none of me, butt I wolde not be putt Off, & made bolde to question Her, why She sholde showe me suche exceed^g Coldness.—She answer’d ’t was wel knowne what Wronge my Grandefather had done Her G.father.—I saide, She confounded me with My G.father—we were nott y^e same Persone, he beinge muche my Elder, & besydes Dead.—She w^d have it, ’t was no matter for jestinge.—I tolde Her I wolde be resolv’d, what grete Wronge y^is was.—Y^e more for to make Speache thⁿ for mine owne advertisem^t, for I knewe wel y^e whole Knaverie, wh. She rehears’d, Howe my G.father had cheated Her G.father of Landes upp y^e River, with more, howe my G.father had impounded y^e Cattle of Hern.—I made answer, ’t was foolishnesse, in my mynde, for y^e iii^d Generation to so quarrell over a Parsel of rascallie Landes, y^t had long ago beene solde for Taxes, y^t as to y^e Cowes, I wolde make them goode, & th^r Produce & Offspringe, if it tooke y^e whole Wash^tn Markett.—She however tolde me y^t y^e Ffrenche family had y^e where w^al to buye what they lack’d in Butter, Beafe & Milke, and likewise in Veale, wh. laste I tooke muche to Hearte, wh. She seeinge, became more gracious &, on my pleadinge, accorded y^t I sholde have y^e Privilege to speake with Her when we next met.—Butt neyther then, nor at any other Tyme th^after wolde She suffer me to visitt Her. So I was harde putt to it to compass waies of gettinge to see Her at such Houses as She mighte be att, for Routs or Feasts, or y^e lyke.—

But though I sawe Her manie tymes, oure converse was ever of y^is Complexⁿ, & y^e accursed G.father satt downe, and rose upp with us.—Yet colde I see by Her aspecte, y^t I had in some sorte Her favoure, & y^t I mislyk’d Her not so gretelie as She w^d have me thinke.—So y^t one daie, (’t was in Januarie, & verie colde,) I, beinge moste distrackt, saide to Her, I had tho’t ’twolde pleasure Her more, to be friends w. a man, who had a knave for a G.father, yⁿ with One who had no G.father att alle, lyke W^mson (y^e Puppe).—She made answer, I was exceedinge fresshe, or some such matter. She cloath’d her thoughte in phrase more befittinge a Gentlewoman.—Att this I colde no longer contayne myself, but tolde Her roundlie, I lov’d Her, & ’t was my Love made me soe unmannerlie.—And w. y^is speache I att y^e leaste made an End of my Uncertantie, for She bade me speake w. Her no more.—I wolde be determin’d, whether I was Naught to Her.—She made Answer She colde not justlie say I was Naught, seeing y^t wh^ever She mighte bee, I was One too manie.—I saide, ’t was some Comforte, I had even a Place in Her thoughtes, were it onlie in Her disfavour.—She saide, my Solace was indeede grete, if it kept pace with y^e measure of Her Disfavour, for, in plain Terms, She hated me, & on her intreatinge of me to goe, I went.—Y^is happ’d att y^e house of M^rss Varicke, wh. I 1^st met Her, who (M^rss Varicke) was for staying me, y^t I might eate some Ic’d Cream, butt of a Truth I was chill’d to my Taste allreadie.—Albeit I afterwards tooke to walkinge of y^e Streets till near Midnight.—’Twas as I saide before in Januarie & exceedinge colde.

How wearie is y^is dulle procession of y^e Yeare! For it irketh my Soule y^t each Monthe shoude come so aptlie after y^e Month afore, & Nature looke so Smug, as She had done some grete thinge.—Surelie if she make no Change, she hath work’d no Miracle, for we knowe wel, what we maye look for.—Y^e Vine under my Window hath broughte forth Purple Blossoms, as itt hath eache Springe these xii Yeares.—I wolde have had them Redd, or Blue, or I knowe not what Coloure, for I am sicke of likinge of Purple a Dozen Springes in Order.—And wh. moste galls me is y^is, I knowe how y^is sadd Rounde will goe on, & Maie give Place to June, & she to July, & onlie my Hearte blossom not nor my Love growe no greener.

I and my Foolishnesse, we laye Awake last night till y^e Sunrise gun, wh. was Shott att 4 1/2 o’ck, & wh. beinge hearde in y^t stillnesse fm. an Incredible Distance, seem’d lyke as ’t were a Full Stopp, or Period putt to y^is Wakinge-Dreminge, wh^at I did turne a newe Leafe in my Counsells, and after much Meditation, have commenc’t a newe Chapter, wh. I hope maye leade to a better Conclusion, than them y^t came afore.—For I am nowe resolv’d, & havinge begunn wil carry to an Ende, y^t if I maie not over-come my Passion, I maye at y^e least over-com y^e Melanchollie, & Spleene, borne y^of, & beinge a Lover, be none y^e lesse a Man.—To wh. Ende I have come to y^is Resolution, to depart fm. y^e Towne, & to goe to y^e Countrie-House of my Frend, Will Winthrop, who has often intreated me, & has instantly urg’d, y^t I sholde make him a Visitt.—And I take much Shame to myselfe, y^t I have not given him y^is Satisfaction since he was married, wh. is nowe ii Yeares.—A goode Fellowe, & I minde me a grete Burden to his Frends when he was in Love, in wh. Plight I mockt him, who am nowe, I much feare me, mockt myselfe.

Pack’d my cloathes, beinge Sundaye. Y^e better y^e Daie, y^e better y^e Deede.

Goe downe to Babylon to-daye.

Att Babylon, att y^e Cottage of Will Winthrop, wh. is no Cottage, but a grete House, Red, w. Verandahs, & builded in y^e Fashⁿ of Her Maiestie Q. Anne.—Found a mighty Housefull of People.—Will, his Wife, a verie proper fayre Ladie, who gave me moste gracious Reception, M^rss Smithe, y^e ii Gresham girles (knowne as y^e Titteringe Twins), Bob White, Virgina Kinge & her Moth^r, Clarence Winthrop, & y^e whole Alexander Family.—A grete Gatheringe for so earlie in y^e Summer.—In y^e Afternoone play’d Lawne-Tenniss.—Had for Partner one of y^e Twinns, ag^st Clarence Winthrop & y^e other Twinn, wh. by beinge Confus’d, I loste iii games.—Was voted a Duffer.—Clarence Winthrop moste unmannerlie merrie.—He call’d me y^e Sad-Ey’d Romeo, & lykewise cut down y^e Hammocke whⁱⁿ I laye, allso tied up my Cloathes wh. we were att Bath.—He sayde, he Chaw’d them, a moste barbarous worde for a moste barbarous Use.—Wh. we were Boyes, & he did y^is thinge, I was wont to trounce him Soundlie, but nowe had to contente Myselfe w. beatinge of him iii games of Billyardes in y^e Evg., & w. daringe of him to putt on y^e Gloves w. me, for Funne, wh. he mighte not doe, for I coude knocke him colde.

Beinge gon to my Roome somewhatt earlie, for I found myselfe of a peevish humour, Clarence came to me, and pray^d a few minutes’ Speache.—Sayde ’t was Love made him so Rude & Boysterous, he was privilie betroth’d to his Cozen, Angelica Robertes, she whose Father lives at Islipp, & colde not containe Himselfe for Joye.—I sayinge, there was a Breache in y^e Familie, he made Answer, ’t was true, her Father & His, beinge Cozens, did hate each other moste heartilie, butt for him he cared not for that, & for Angelica, She gave not a Continentall.—But, sayde I, Your Consideration matters mightie Little, synce y^e Governours will not heare to it.—He answered ’t was for that he came to me, I must be his allie, for reason of oure olde Friend^sp. With that I had no Hearte to heare more, he made so Light of such a Division as parted me & my Happinesse, but tolde him I was his Frend, wolde serve him when he had Neede of me, & presentlie seeing my Humour, he made excuse to goe, & left me to write downe this, sicke in Mynde, and thinkinge ever of y^e Woman who wil not oute of my Thoughtes for any change of Place, neither of employe.—For indeede I doe love Her moste heartilie, so y^t my Wordes can not saye it, nor will y^is Booke containe it.—So I wil even goe to Sleepe, y^t in my Dreames perchaunce my Fancie maye do my Hearte better Service.

She is here.—What Spyte is y^is of Fate & y^e alter’d gods! That I, who mighte nott gett to see Her when to See was to Hope, muste nowe daylie have Her in my Sight, stucke lyke a fayre Apple under olde Tantalus his Nose.—Goinge downe to y^e Hotell to-day, for to gett me some Tobackoe, was made aware y^t y^e Ffrench familie had hyred one of y^e Cottages round-abouts.—’T is a goodlie Dwellinge Without—Would I coude speake with as much Assurance of y^e Innsyde!

Goinge downe to y^e Hotell againe To-day for more Tobackoe, sawe y^e accursed name of W^mson on y^e Registre.—Went about to a neighboringe Farm & satt me downe behynd y^e Barne, for a 1/2 an Houre.—Frighted y^e Horned Cattle w. talkinge to My Selfe.

I wil make an Ende to y^is Businesse.—Wil make no longer Staye here.—Sawe Her to-day, driven Home fm. y^e Beache, about 4 1/2 of y^e After-noone, by W^mson in his Dogge-Carte, wh. y^e Cadde has broughten here.—Wil betake me to y^e Boundlesse Weste—Not y^t I care aught for y^e Boundlesse Weste, butt y^t I shal doe wel if haplie I leave my Memourie am^g y^e Apaches & bringe Home my Scalpe.

To Fyre Islande, in Winthrop’s Yacht—y^e Twinnes w. us, so Titteringe & Choppinge Laughter, y^t ’t was worse yⁿ a Flocke of Sandpipers.—Found a grete Concourse of people there, Her amonge them, in a Suite of blue, y^t became Her bravelie.—She swimms lyke to a Fishe, butt everie Stroke of Her white Arms (of a lovelie Roundnesse) cleft, as ’t were my Hearte, rather yⁿ y^e Water.—She bow’d to me, on goinge into y^e Water, w. muche Dignitie, & agayn on Cominge out, but y^is Tyme w. lesse Dignitie, by reason of y^e Water in Her Cloathes, & Her Haire in Her Eyes.—

Was for goinge awaie To-morrow, but Clarence cominge againe to my Chamber, & mightilie purswadinge of me, I feare I am comitted to a verie sillie Undertakinge.—For I am promis’d to Help him secretlie to wedd his Cozen.—He wolde take no Deniall, wolde have it, his Brother car’d Naughte, ’t was but y^e Fighte of theyre Fathers, he was bounde it sholde be done, & ’t were best I stoode his Witnesse, who was wel lyked of bothe y^e Braunches of y^e Family.—So ’t was agree’d, y^t I shal staye Home to-morrowe fm. y^e Expedition to Fyre Islande, feigning a Head-Ache, (wh. indeede I meante to do, in any Happ, for I cannot see Her againe,) & shall meet him at y^e little Churche on y^e Southe Roade.—He to drive to Islipp to fetch Angelica, lykewise her Witnesse, who sholde be some One of y^e Girles, she hadd not yet made her Choice.—I made y^is Condition, it sholde not be either of y^e Twinnes.—No, nor Bothe, for that matter.—Inquiringe as to y^e Clergyman, he sayde y^e Dominie was allreadie Squar’d.

I am come to y^e laste Entrie I shall ever putt downe in y^e Booke, and needes must y^t I putt it downe quicklie, for all hath Happ’d in so short a Space, y^t my Heade whirles w. thynkinge of it. Y^e after-noone of Yesterdaye, I set about Counterfeittinge of a Head-Ache, & so wel did I compasse it, y^t I verilie think one of y^e Twinnes was mynded to Stay Home & nurse me.—All havinge gone off, & Clarence on his waye to Islipp, I sett forth for y^e Churche, where arriv’d I founde it emptie, w. y^e Door open.—Went in & writh’d on y^e hard Benches a 1/4 of an Houre, when, hearinge a Sounde, I look’d up & saw standinge in y^e Door-waye, Katherine Ffrench.—She seem’d muche astonished, saying You Here! or y^e lyke.—I made Answer & sayde y^t though my Familie were greate Sinners, yet had they never been Excommunicate by y^e Churche.—She sayde, they colde not Putt Out what never was in.—While I was bethynkinge me wh. I mighte answer to y^is, she went on, sayinge I must excuse Her, She wolde goe upp in y^e Organ-Lofte.—I enquiring what for? She sayde to practice on y^e Organ. She turn’d verie Redd, of a warm Coloure, as She sayde this.—I ask’d Do you come hither often? She replyinge Yes, I enquir’d how y^e Organ lyked Her.—She sayde Right well, when I made question more curiously (for She grew more Redd eache moment) how was y^e Action? y^e Tone? how manie Stopps? Wh^st She growinge gretelie Confus’d, I led Her into y^e Churche, & show’d Her y^t there was no Organ, y^e Choire beinge indeede a Band, of i Tuninge-Forke, i Kitt, & i Horse-Fiddle.—At this She fell to Smilinge & Blushinge att one Tyme.—She perceiv’d our Errandes were y^e Same, & crav’d Pardon for Her Fibb.—I tolde Her, If She came Thither to be Witness at her Frend’s Weddinge, ’twas no greate Fibb, ’twolde indeede be Practice for Her.—This havinge a rude Sound, I added I thankt y^e Starrs y^t had bro’t us Together. She sayde if y^e Starrs appoint’d us to meete no oftener yⁿ this Couple shoude be Wedded, She was wel content. This cominge on me lyke a last Buffett of Fate, that She shoude so despitefully intreate me, I was suddenlie Seized with so Sorrie a Humour, & withal so angrie, y^t I colde scarce Containe myselfe, but went & Sat downe near y^e Doore, lookinge out till Clarence shd. come w. his Bride.—Looking over my Sholder, I sawe y^t She wente fm. Windowe to Windowe within, Pluckinge y^e Blossoms fm. y^e Vines, & settinge them in her Girdle.—She seem’d most tall and faire, & swete to look uponn, & itt Anger’d me y^e More.—Meanwhiles, She discours’d pleasantlie, asking me manie questions, to the wh. I gave but shorte and churlish answers. She ask’d Did I nott Knowe Angelica Roberts was Her best Frend? How longe had I knowne of y^e Betrothal? Did I thinke ’twolde knitt y^e House together, & Was it not Sad to see a Familie thus Divided?—I answer’d Her, I wd. not robb a Man of y^e precious Righte to Quarrell with his Relations.—And then, with meditatinge on y^e goode Lucke of Clarence, & my owne harde Case, I had suche a sudden Rage of peevishness y^t I knewe scarcelie what I did.—Soe when she ask’d me merrilie why I turn’d my Backe on Her, I made Reply I had turn’d my Backe on muche Follie.—Wh. was no sooner oute of my Mouthe than I was mightilie Sorrie for it, and turninge aboute, I perceiv’d She was in Teares & weepinge bitterlie. Wh^at my Hearte wolde holde no More, & I rose upp & tooke Her in my arms & Kiss’d & Comforted Her, She making no Denyal, but seeminge greatlie to Neede such Solace, wh. I was not Loathe to give Her.—Whiles we were at This, onlie She had gott to Smilinge, & to sayinge of Things which even y^is paper shal not knowe, came in y^e Dominie, sayinge He judg’d We were the Couple he came to Wed.—With him y^e Sexton & y^e Sexton’s Wife.—My swete Kate, alle as rosey as Venus’s Nape, was for Denyinge of y^is, butt I wolde not have it, & sayde Yes.—She remonstrating w. me, privilie, I tolde Her She must not make me Out a Liar, y^t to Deceave y^e Man of God were a greavous Sinn, y^t I had gott Her nowe, & wd. not lett her Slipp from me, & did soe Talke Her Downe, & w. such Strengthe of joie, y^t allmost before She knewe it, we Stoode upp, & were Wed, w. a Ringe (tho’ She Knewe it nott) wh. belong’d to My G. father. (Him y^t Cheated Herⁿ.)—

Wh. was no sooner done, than in came Clarence & Angelica, & were Wedded in theyre Turn.—The Clergyman greatelie surprised, but more att y^e Largeness of his Fee.

This Businesse being Ended, we fled by y^e Trayne of 4 1/2 o’cke, to y^is Place, where we wait till y^e Bloode of all y^e Ffrenches have Tyme to coole downe, for y^e wise Mann who meeteth his Mother in Lawe y^e 1^st tyme, wil meete her when she is Milde.—

And so I close y^is Journall, wh., tho’ for y^e moste Parte ’tis but a peevish Scrawle, hath one Page of Golde, wh^on I have writt y^e laste strange Happ wh^by I have layd Williamson by y^e Heeles & found me y^e sweetest Wife y^t ever