considers
the detail, was doubtless very shocking; and we cannot wonder that
Goodman Turtle haled Murline into court on the charge of "inveagleing
the affections of Sarah his daughter." But behold! Sarah, "being asked
in court if Jacob inveagled her said, 'No!'" This was a baffling of
justice, perhaps unprecedented; for only absolute "inveaglement" could
constitute guilt under the statute, and the party most concerned denied
the criminality of the accused by taking the guilt upon herself. It is
no wonder that the scandalized court took occasion to call Sarah a
"bould Virgin," and fined her a goodly amount, though on what count does
not appear. Two years afterward half the fine was remitted, nor does it
appear that the remaining moiety was ever paid; which seems just as
well, since the real sufferer would probably have been Master Tuttle,
the plaintiff, who would naturally be called on to pay his daughter's
debt--which would have been a miscarriage of justice indeed.

It would seem from these accounts that matrimony was hedged about with
difficulty in the time of the Puritans; but this was far from being the
true state of the case. On the contrary, marriage was in every way given
"incurridgement." In several towns bachelors about to change their
condition were allotted tracts of ground from the commonwealth, and
"maid lotts" were granted at Salem until frowned upon by that grand old
Puritan, Endicott, who placed on the town records his opinion that it
were best to discontinue the custom and "avoid all presedents & evil
events of granting lotts unto single maidens not disposed of."
"Spinsters of uncertain age" were difficult to find in those days; the
time and circumstances called for matrimony as a duty to the State as
well as to oneself. The death of the sister-in-law of Governor Bradford
was recorded with the addition of some words of wonder that, though
ninety-one years of age, "she was a godly old maid never married." Yet
even then there was a measure of respect for those women who refrained
from matrimony, and some of these were commended for their choice. There
is to be found in the _Life and Errors_ of John Dunton an account of a
maiden lady which is worth quoting, not only for the picture of the lady
herself, but for the light which it throws upon some of the customs of
its time,--which was, however, rather later than the days which have
thus far been considered.

"It is true an _old_ (or superannuated) Maid in