palian bias was quite enough to
account for Bradford's disparaging description of him as a "kind of
petie-fogie of Furnifells Inn," and explains why the early historians
never made any fuller or more favorable record than absolutely necessary
of these neighbors of theirs, although the churchman Samuel Maverick
admits that Morton was a "gentleman of good qualitee."

But it was for worse sins than his connection with the Established
Church that Morton's name became synonymous with scandal throughout the
whole Colony. In the very midst of the dun-colored atmosphere of
Puritanism, in the very heart of the pious pioneer settlement this
audacious scamp set up, according to Bradford, "a schoole of atheisme,
and his men did quaff strong waters and comport themselves as if they
had anew revived and celebrated the feasts of y^e Roman Goddess Flora,
or the beastly practises of y^e madd Bachanalians." The charge of
atheism in this case seems based on the fact that Morton used the Book
of Common Prayer, but as for the rest, there is no question that this
band of silken merry-makers imported many of the carnival customs and
hereditary pastimes of Old England to the stern young New England; that
they fraternized with the Indians, shared their strong waters with them,
and taught them the use of firearms; and that Merrymount became indeed a
scene of wildest revelry.

The site of Merrymount had originally been selected by Captain Wollaston
for a trading post. Imbued with the same mercenary motive which had
proved fatal in the case of Weston and Gorges, Captain Wollaston, whose
name is perpetuated in Mount Wollaston, brought with him in 1625 a gang
of indented white servants. Finding his system of industry ill suited to
the climate, he carried his men to Virginia, where he sold them. When he
left, Morton took possession of the place and dubbed it "Ma-re-mount."
And then began the pranks which shook the Colony to its foundations.
Picture to yourself a band of sworn triflers, dedicated to the wildest
philosophy of pleasure, teaching bears to dance, playing blind-man's
buff, holding juggling and boxing matches, and dancing. According to
Hawthorne, on the eve of Saint John they felled whole acres of forests
to make bonfires, and crowned themselves with flowers and threw the
blossoms into the flames. At harvest-time they hilariously wasted their
scanty store of Indian corn by making an image with the sheaves, and
wreathing it with the painted