an old town by the sea-第4章

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　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　examples　of　this　artist's　best　manner　are　to　be　found　here。　To　live　in　Portsmouth　without　possessing　a　family　portrait　done　by　Copley　is　like　living　in　Boston　without　having　an　ancestor　in　the　old　Granary　Burying…Ground。　You　can　exist；　but　you　cannot　be　said　to　flourish。　To　make　this　statement　smooth；　I　will　remark　that　every　one　in　Portsmouth　has　a　Copleyor　would　have　if　a　fair　division　were　made。

In　the　better　sections　of　the　town　the　houses　are　kept　in　such　excellent　repair；　and　have　so　smart　an　appearance　with　their　bright　green　blinds　and　freshly　painted　woodwork；that　you　are　likely　to　pass　many　an　old　landmark　without　suspecting　it。　Whenever　you　see　a　house　with　a　gambrel　roof；　you　may　be　almost　positive　that　the　house　is　at　least　a　hundred　years　old；　for　the　gambrel　roof　went　out　of　fashion　after　the　Revolution。

On　the　corner　of　Daniel　and　Chapel　streets　stands　the　oldest　brick　building　in　Portsmouththe　Warner　House。　It　was　built　in　1718　by　Captain　Archibald　Macpheadris；　a　Scotchman；　as　his　name　indicates；　a　wealthy　merchant；　and　a　member　of　the　King's　Council。　He　was　the　chief　projector　of　one　of　the　earliest　iron…works　established　in　America。　Captain　Macpheadris　married　Sarah　Wentworth；　one　of　the　sixteen　children　of　Governor　John　Wentworth；　and　died　in　1729；　leaving　a　daughter；　Mary；　whose　portrait；　with　that　of　her　mother；　painted　by　the　ubiquitous　Copley；　still　hangs　in　the　parlor　of　this　house；　which　is　not　known　by　the　name　of　Captain　Macpheadris；　but　by　that　of　his　son…in…law；　Hon。　Jonathan　Warner；　a　member　of　the　King's　Council　until　the　revolt　of　the　colonies。　〃We　well　recollect　Mr。　Warner；〃　says　Mr。　Brewster；　writing　in　1858；　〃as　one　of　the　last　of　the　cocked　hats。　As　in　a　vision　of　early　childhood　he　is　still　before　us；　in　all　the　dignity　of　the　aristocratic　crown　officers。　That　broad…backed；　long…skirted　brown　coat；　those　small…clothes　and　silk　stockings；　those　silver　buckles；　and　that　canewe　see　them　still；　although　the　life　that　filled　and　moved　them　ceased　half　a　century　ago。〃

The　Warner　House；　a　three…story　building　with　gambrel　roof　and　luthern　windows；　is　as　fine　and　substantial　an　exponent　of　the　architecture　of　the　period　as　you　are　likely　to　meet　with　anywhere　in　New　England。　The　eighteen…inch　walls　are　of　brick　brought　from　Holland；　as　were　also　many　of　the　materials　used　in　the　buildingthe　hearth…stones；　tiles；　etc。　Hewn…stone　underpinnings　were　seldom　adopted　in　those　days；　the　brick…work　rests　directly　upon　the　solid　walls　of　the　cellar。　The　interior　is　rich　in　paneling　and　wood　carvings　about　the　mantel…shelves；　the　deep…set　windows；　and　along　the　cornices。　The　halls　are　wide　and　long；　after　a　by…gone　fashion；　with　handsome　staircases；　set　at　an　easy　angle；　and　not　standing　nearly　upright；　like　those　ladders　by　which　one　reaches　the　upper　chambers　of　a　modern　house。　The　principal　rooms　are　paneled　to　the　ceiling；　and　have　large　open　chimney…places；　adorned　with　the　quaintest　of　Dutch　files。　In　one　of　the　parlors　of　the　Warner　House　there　is　a　choice　store　of　family　relicschina；　silver…plate；　costumes；　old　clocks；　and　the　like。　There　are　some　interesting　paintings；　toonot　by　Copley　this　time。　On　a　broad　space　each　side　of　the　hall　windows；　at　the　head　of　the　staircase；　are　pictures　of　two　Indians；　life　size。　They　are　probably　portraits　of　some　of　the　numerous　chiefs　with　whom　Captain　Macphaedris　had　dealings；　for　the　captain　was　engaged　in　the　fur　as　well　as　in　the　iron　business。　Some　enormous　elk　antlers；　presented　to　Macpheadris　by　his　red　friends；　are　hanging　in　the　lower　hall。

By　mere　chance；　thirty　or　forty　years　ago；　some　long…hidden　paintings　on　the　walls　of　this　lower　hall　were　brought　to　light。　In　repairing　the　front　entry　it　became　necessary　to　remove　the　paper；　of　which　four　or　five　layers　had　accumulated。　A　one　place；　where　several　coats　had　peeled　off　cleanly；　a　horse's　hoof　was　observed　by　a　little　girl　of　the　family。　The　workman　then　began　removing　the　paper　carefully；　first　the　legs；　then　the　body　of　a　horse　with　a　rider　were　revealed；　and　the　astonished　paper…hanger　presently　stood　before　a　life…size　representation　of　Governor　Phipps　on　his　charger。　The　workman　called　other　persons　to　his　assistance；　and　the　remaining　portions　of　the　wall　were　speedily　stripped；　laying　bare　four　or　five　hundred　square　feet　covered　with　sketches　in　color；　landscapes；　views　of　unknown　cities；　Biblical　scenes；　and　modern　figure…pieces；　among　which　was　a　lady　at　a　spinning…wheel。　Until　then　no　person　in　the　land　of　the　living　had　had　any　knowledge　of　those　hidden　pictures。　An　old　dame　of　eighty；　who　had　visited　at　the　house　intimately　ever　since　her　childhood；　all　but　refused　to　believe　her　spectacles　（though　Supply　Ham　made　them（1。））　when　brought　face　to　face　with　the　frescoes。　（1。　In　the　early　part　of　this　century；　Supply　Ham　was　the　leading　optician　and　watchmaker　of　Portsmouth。）

The　place　is　rich　in　bricabrac；　but　there　is　nothing　more　curious　that　these　incongruous　printings；　clearly　the　work　of　a　practiced　hand。　Even　the　outside　of　the　old　edifice　is　not　without　its　interest　for　an　antiquarian。　The　lightening…rod　which　protects　the　Warner　House　to…day　was　put　up　under　Benjamin　Franklin's　own　supervision　in　1762such　at　all　events　is　the　credited　traditionand　is　supposed　to　be　the　first　rod　put　up　in　New　Hampshire。　A　lightening…rod　〃personally　conducted〃　by　Benjamin　Franklin　ought　to　be　an　attractive　object　to　even　the　least　susceptible　electricity。　The　Warner　House　has　another　imperative　claim　on　the　good…will　of　the　visitorit　is　not　positively　known　that　George　Washington　ever　slept　there。

The　same　assertion　cannot　be　made　on　connection　with　the　old　yellow　barracks　situated　in　the　southwest　corner　of　Court　and　Atkinson　streets。　Famous　old　houses　seem　to　have　an　intuitive　perception　of　the　value　of　corner　lots。　If　it　is　a　possible　thing；　they　always　set　themselves　down　on　the　most　desirable　spots。　It　is　beyond　a　doubt　that　Washington　slept　not　only　one　night；　but　several　nights；　under　this　roof；　for　this　was　a　celebrated　tavern　previous　and　subsequent　to　the　War　of　Independence；　and　Washington　made　it　his　headquarters　during　his　visit　to　Portsmouth　in　1797。　When　I　was　a　boy　I　knew　an　old　ladynot　one　of　the　preposterous　old　ladies　in　the　newspapers；　who　have　all　their　faculties　unimpaired；　but　a　real　old　lady；　whose　ninety…nine　years　were　beginning　to　tell　on　herwho　had　known　Washington　very　well。　She　was　a　girl　in　her　teens　when　he　came　to　Portsmouth。　The　President　was　the　staple　of　her　conversation　during　the　last　ten　years　of　her　life；　which　she　passed　in　the　Stavers　House；　bedridden；　and　I　think　those　ten　years　were　in　a　manner　rendered　short　and　pleasant　to　the　old　gentlewoman　by　the　memory　of　a　compliment　to　her　complexion　which　Washington　probably　never　paid　to　it。

The　old　hotelnow　a　very　unsavory　tenement…housewas　built　by　John　Tavers；　innkeeper；　in　1770；　who　planted　in　front　of　the　door　a　tall　post；　from　which　swung　the　sign　of　the　Earl　of　Halifax。　Stavers　had　previously　kept　an　inn　of　the　same　name　on　Queen；　now　State　Street。

It　is　a　square　three…story　building；　shabby　and　dejected；　giving　no　hint　of　the　really　important　historical　associations　that　cluster　about　it。　At　the　time　of　its　erection　it　was　no　doubt　considered　a　rather　grand　structure；　for　buildings　of　three　stories　were　rare　in　Portsmouth。　Even　in　1798；　of　the　six　hundred　and　twenty…six　dwelling　houses　of　which　the　town　boasted；　eighty…six　were　of　one　story；　five　hundred　and　twenty…four　were　of　two　stories；　and　only　sixteen　of　three　stories。　The　Stavers　inn　has　the　regulation　gambrel　roof；　but　is　lacking　in　those　wood　ornaments　which　are　usually　seen　over　the　doors　and　windows　of　the　more　prominent　houses　of　that　epoch。　It　was；　however；　the　hotel　of　the　period。

That　same　worn　doorstep　upon　which　Mr。　O'Shaughnessy　now　stretches　himself　of　a　summer　afternoon；　with　a　short　clay　pipe　stuck　between　his　lips；　and　his　hat　crushed　down　on　his　brows；　revolving　the　sad　vicissitude　of　thingsthat　same　doorstep　has　been　pressed　by　the　feet　of　generals　and　marquises　and　grave　dignitaries　upon　whom　depended　the　destiny　of　the　Statesofficers　in　gold　lace　and　scarlet　cloth；　and　high…heeled　belles　in　patch；　powder；