to that little bark, the Mayflower, which reached
these shores on December 22, 1620. Yes, brethren of New England, yes!
that Mayflower was a flower destined to be of perpetual bloom! [Cheers.]
Its verdure will stand the sultry blasts of summer, and the chilling
winds of autumn. It will defy winter; it will defy all climate, and all
time, and will continue to spread its petals to the world, and to
exhale an ever-living odor and fragrance to the last syllable of
recorded time. [Cheers.]

Gentlemen, brethren, ye of New England! whom I have come some hundreds
of miles to meet this night, let me present to you one of the most
distinguished of those personages who came hither on the deck of the
Mayflower. Let me fancy that I now see Elder William Brewster entering
the door at the further end of this hall. A tall and erect figure, of
plain dress, of no elegance of manner beyond a respectful bow, mild and
cheerful, but of no merriment that reaches beyond a smile. Let me
suppose that his image stood now before us, or that it was looking in
upon this assembly.

"Are ye, are ye," he would say, with a voice of exultation, and yet
softened with melancholy, "Are ye our children? Does this scene of
refinement, of elegance, of riches, of luxury, does all this come from
our labors? Is this magnificent city, the like of which we never saw nor
heard of on either continent, is this but an offshoot from Plymouth
Rock?

"'... Quis jam locus ...
Quae regio in terris nostri non plena laboris?'

"Is this one part of the great reward, for which my brethren and myself
endured lives of toil and of hardship? We had faith and hope. God
granted us the spirit to look forward, and we did look forward. But this
scene we never anticipated. Our hopes were on another life. Of earthly
gratifications we tasted little; for human honors we had little
expectation. Our bones lie on the hill in Plymouth churchyard, obscure,
unmarked, secreted to preserve our graves from the knowledge of savage
foes. No stone tells where we lie. And yet, let me say to you, who are
our descendants, who possess this glorious country, and all it contains,
who enjoy this hour of prosperity, and the thousand blessings showered
upon it by the God of your fathers, we envy you not; we reproach you
not. Be rich, be prosperous, be enlightened. Live in pleasure, if such
be your allotment on earth; but live, also, always to God and to duty.
Spread yourselves and your children over t