MDDM Ch. 31 Summary and Notes

[jbor]

Philadelphia. Wednesday morning, December 28, 1763. M & D wake in the bed
they share to an unaccustomed absence of noise and activity in the town
outside. They venture downstairs to investigate and en route to the nearest
coffee-house bear witness to a violent bout between a Quaker and a
Presbyterian. From an attorney in the gathered crowd they hear about the
slaughter of the Susquehannock Indians at Lancaster gaol on the previous
day. Passions are running high at the brawl, and the attorney, a Mr Chantry,
ushers Cha. and Jere. into the coffee-house by a back door.

Within the cafe the uproar is almost as bad: "Riot's indoor sister,
Conspiracy", has taken hold. Rumour has it that the posse - known as "the
Paxton Boys" - is headed for Philadelphia to attack the "Moravian Indians",
presently being sheltered by the Quakers and Moravians in a settlement to
the south of the town.

Flashback to when Cha. and Jere. had heard about the previous massacre at
Conestoga, and Ben Franklin's (somewhat sophistical and callous) theory
about the effect of climate on the colonials' behaviour at the Cape. ("Then
what's America's excuse?" Dixon inquir'd, mild as Country Tea.)

Cut to the LeSparks' drawing room, where Wicks is launching into a critique
of "*Liberty*" or, at least, of the abuses which are committed in its name.
Ives verifies the truth of rumours regarding the existence of official
memoranda which stipulated that steps be taken 'to convey Small-pox to the
Indians' by way of infected blankets. Wicks, at Ives' invitation, extends
his tirade regarding the treatment of the Indians by the British settlers
(diverting for a moment with a brief biographal cameo of Peggy Shippen, who
married Benedict Arnold). Tenebrae is ill-amused.

Back to 'The Restless Bee' where Cha. and Jere. are the audience to various
perspectives on the political, social and religious turmoil plaguing the
colonies. It is soon afternoon and Mason and Dixon retire to their
Observatory in Cedar Street. The arrival of the Paxton Boys in Philadelphia
is alluded to, their confrontation with Franklin commemorated in a verse by
T. Tox, but it is an event which M & D do not witness and perhaps one which
is only legendary after all.

The sky is too cloudy for stargazing and Cha. and Jere. debate the planned
itinerary for their expedition, and the potential danger posed to them by
the Paxton Boys. Jere. has mixed feelings about the renegades. Returning
home the lads pop into the Coffee-House again and quiz each other about
their respective loyalties during the Jacobite revolt of 1745. Jere. is
certain he saw Bonny Prince Charlie one midnight, though he has a phobia
about bagpipes, while Cha. recalls his youthful zeal for the Young
Pretender's cause, and gets quite worked up recounting the mechanisation of
the looms and the social effects wrought in his home county.

The conversation between the two ends on a distinctly bitter note.

***

303.15 "as stylish as the Adonis"  a brand of wig (?)

304.1 "crepitous"  crepitus n. (Med.) grating noise of ends of fractured
bone; rattle of breath in pneumonia etc  (?)

305.6 "fuliginous"  adj. 1. sooty or smoky  2. of the colour of soot; dull
greyish-black or brown [16th C. from Late Latin]

306.6 "Moravian Brethren" Moravians. A Protestant Church that is a direct
continuation of the Bohemian Brethren. Theirs is a simple and unworldly form
of religion and John Wesley was influenced by them. They are now to be found
in Denmark, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain and America.

Bohemian Brethren. A religious sect formed from the Hussites which arose in
Prague in the 15th Century.

Hussites. Followers of John Huss (1369-1415), a Bohemian religious reformer,
were sometimes called Wycliffites from the fact that many of the teachings
of John Huss were derived from those of John Wyclif. (c.1330-1384)
                                                            [_Brewer's_]

306.28 "Mr Loxley and his Lads were done shimming and cozening square
Members to Circular Purposes"  i.e. fitting square pegs into round holes (!)

306.34 "the d----d Butter-Bags all over again"  the Dutch at the Cape (?)

308.20 "André" John André (1751-1780) British officer, hanged at Tappantown
as a spy on the order of a military board convened by Washington.

308.21 "Arnold" Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), American general and turncoat
.... Though greatly admired by General Washington, he had bitter and
influential enemies.... In 1778 he was placed in command of Philadelphia. In
1780 Arnold sought and obtained the command of West Point, which, through a
conspiracy with André, he agreed to betray. On the capture of André, Arnold
fled to the British lines, and was given a command in the royal army. After
the war he retired to obscurity in England.

311.14 " a child of the Forty-Five"  The Forty-Five was the name given to
the rebellion of 1745 led by Charles Edward Stuart (1720-88), the Young
Pretender. He landed at Eriskay Island (23 July) and raised his standard at
Glenfinnan (19 August). Joined by many Scottish clansmen, he proclaimed his
father, the "Old Pretender", as James III. His army defeated Sir John Cope
at Preston-pans (21 Sept.) and marched south to Derby (4 Dec.). His plan to
proceed to London was frustrated by the advice of his supporters and lack of
support from the English Jacobites. He retreated to Scotland and was
decisively beaten by the Duke of Cumberland at Culloden Moor (16 April
1746). The Young Pretender escaped to France (20 Sept.) with the help of
Flora Macdonald and others. Cumberland earned the nickname "Butcher" for the
subsequent reprisals taken against the Highlanders. (cf. 232.34)

312.35 "Wolfe's Men"  Wolfe's Own. The 47th Foot, later the Loyal Regiment
(North Lancashire), so called for their distinguished service under General
Wolfe at Quebec (1759).

James Wolfe (1727-1759) British soldier, born at Westerham vicarage, Kent,
the eldest son of General Edward Wolfe (1685-1759). In 1742 he received an
ensign's commission, in 1743 fought at Dettingen, in 1745-46 served against
the Scottish Jacobites at Falkirk and Culloden, and in 1747 was wounded at
Lawfeldt. In 1749-57 he was engaged in garrison duty in Scotland and
England. In the mismanaged expedition against Rochefort (1757) he was
quartermaster-general; in 1758, with the rank of colonel, he received from
Pitt the command of a brigade in the expedition against Cape Breton under
General Amherst; and to him was mainly due the capture of Louisburg. Pitt
was now organizing his grand scheme for expelling the French from Canada,
and the expedition for the capture of Quebec he entrusted to Wolfe's
command. As major-general, and commanding 9000 men, Wolfe sailed from
England in February 1759, and on June 26 landed below Quebec. The attcak on
Montcalm's strong position proved one of stupendous difficulty, and Wolfe
was completely foiled. But at last, scaling the cliffs at a point
insufficiently guarded, at dawn on September 13 he found himself on the
Plains of Abraham. After a short struggle the French were routed; Montcalm
was killed; Quebec capitulated; and its fall decided the fate of Canada.
Wolfe died in the hour of victory. His body was buried in Greenwich church.
                                                [Chambers]

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