Thomas Macy, the Exile

As printed in Samuel Adams Drake (1884)

Told by unattributed — the collector names no informant · collected by Samuel Adams Drake · 1884 · Boston and eastern Massachusetts

THE archives of Massachusetts once more furnish the inci- dent concerning which, as in the " King's Missive," a letter — a mere scrap — has sufficed for the poet to construct his legend. Thomas Macy, yeoman, of Salisbury, in the county of Essex, is the subject of Whittier's ballad entitled " The Exiles," which first appeared in the " ISTorth Star," a Philadelphia annual. As it was then published, it had two stanzas more than it now has in the author's collected poems. This Macy, the hero of the poem, was complained of for hav- ing given shelter to some " notorious " Quakers, or vagabonds, as the law then termed them, in his own house. This simple act of hospitality being in violation of the law prohibiting any man to open his door to a Quaker, no matter how urgent soever the call upon his humanity might be, Macy, the offending cul- prit, was cited forthwith to appear before the General Court at Boston to answer the complaint preferred against him. Instead of complying with the requisition which very few would be found willing in those days to disobey, Macy wrote an humble, apologetic, and deprecatory letter to the General Court. The letter indicates a man of a very different stamp from the antique hero that the poem depicts in the act of cheating the minions of the law of their prey. From its terms we have little notion that the " Bold Macy," as he is styled there, was cast in the same stern mould that the martyrs are ; but we have a very distinct one, that if not actually a craven, he believed that in his case discretion was the better part of valor. At any rate, he wisely concluded to keep out of the clutches of the law, and did so. We are sure that the reader would regard any tampering with Macy's letter as unpardonable as we do. He says : — " This is to entreat the honored court not to be offended because of my non-appearance. It is not from any slighting the authority of this honored court, nor from feare to answer the case, but I have bin for some weeks past very ill, and am so at present, and notwithstand- ing my illness, yet I, desirous to appear, have done my utmost endeavour to hire a horse, but cannot procure one at present. I being at present destitute have endeavoured to purchase, but at present can- not attaine it, but I shall relate the truth of the case as my answer should be to ye honored court, and more cannot be proved, nor so much. On a rainy morning there came to my house Edward Whar- ton and three men more ; the said Wharton spoke to me, saying that they were traveling eastward, and desired me to direct them in the way to Hampton, and asked me how far it was to Casco bay. I never saw any of ye men afore except Wharton, neither did I require their names, or who they were, but by their carriage I thought they might be Quakers, and told them so, and therefore desired them to passe on their way, saying to them I might possibly give offence in entertain- ing them, and as soone as the violence of the rain ceased (for it rained very hard) they went away, and I never saw them since. The time that they stayed in the house was about three quarters of an hour, but I can safely aflSrme it was not an hour. They spake not many 312 NEW-ENGLAND LEGENDS, words in the time, neither was I at leisure to talke with them, for I came home wet to the skiu immediately afore they came to the house, and I found my wife sick in bed. If this satisiie not the honored court, I shall subject to their sentence. I have not willingly offended. I am ready to serve and obey you in the Lord. "Tho. Macy."

Samuel Adams Drake, A Book of New England Legends and Folk Lore in Prose and Poetry (Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1884)