Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/140

 128 On the dcfcent of the American Indians from the Jew*.

haufted, inftead of anfwering her queftion, he faid with a loud voice, that he believed the religious man had picked out all the crabbed parts of his old book, only to puzzle and ftagger her young chriftian faith; otherwife how could he defire him to pcrfuadc fuch a fharp-difcerning young woman, that one was three, and three, one ? Befides, that if his book had any fuch queftion, it belonged only to the deep parts of arithmetic, in which the very Indian beloved men were untaught. He allured the pried, that the Indians did not mind what religion the women were of, or whether they had any ; and that the bride would take it very kindly, if he fhortened his difcourfe, as nothing can difturb the Indian women fo much as long lectures.

The Dark-Ian f born, (which was the name of the bride) became very un- .eafy, both by the delay of time, and the various paflions fhe attentively -read in the bridegroom's face and fpeech, and fhe afked him fharply the meaning of fuch a long difcourfe. He inftantly cried out, that the whole affair was fpoikd, unlefs it was brought to a fpeedy conclufion : but the religious man infifted upon her belief of that article, before he could pro ceed any farther. But by way of comfort, he allured him it mould be the very laft queftion he would propofe, till he put the holy water on her face, and read over the marriage ceremony. The bridegroom re vived at this good news, immediately fent the bowl around, with a cheerful countenance ; which the bride obferving, fhe afked him the reafon of his fudden joyful looks. But, what with the length of the lecture, the dole application of the bowl, and an over-joy of foon obtaining his wifhes, he propofed the wrong queftion ; for inftead of afking her belief of the my- fterious union of the tri-une deity, he only mentioned the manly faculties of nature. The bride fmiled, and afked if the beloved man borrowed that fpeech from his beloved marriage-book ? Or whether he was married, as he was fo waggifh, and knowing in thofe affairs. The prieft imagining her cheerful looks proceeded from her fwallowing his doctrine, immediately called for a bowl of water to initiate his rtew convert. As the bridegroom could not mediate with his ufual friendly offices in this affair, he perfuaded her to let the beloved man put fome beloved water on her face, and it would be a fure pledge of a lading friendmip between her and the Englifh, and intitle her to every thing fhe liked beft. By the perfuafive force of his promifes, fhe confented : and had the conftancy, though fo ignorant a

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