But I
will not risque to say on which they dwelt with most relish, ye discourse
or ye dinner. Most of ye young members of ye Council would fain make a
jolly time of it. Mr. Gerrish, ye Wenham minister, tho prudent in his
meat and drinks, was yet in right merry mood. And he did once grievously
scandalize Mr. Shepard, who on suddenly looking up from his dish did spy
him, as he thot, winking in an unbecoming way to one of ye pretty damsels
on ye scaffold. And thereupon bidding ye godly Mr. Rogers to labor with him
aside for his misbehavior, it turned out that ye winking was occasioned by
some of ye hay seeds that were blowing about, lodging in his eye; whereat
Mr. Shepard felt greatly releaved.
"Ye new Meeting house was much discoursed upon at ye table. And most thot
it as comely a house of worship as can be found in the whole Collony save
only three or four. Mr. Gerrish was in such merry mood that he kept ye end
of ye table whereby he sat in right jovial humour. Some did loudly laugh
and clap their hands. But in ye middest of ye merryment a strange disaster
did happen unto him. Not having his thots about him he endeavored ye
dangerous performance of gaping and laughing at the same time which he must
now feel is not so easy or safe a thing. In doing this he set his jaws open
in such wise that it was beyond all his power to bring them together again.
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