第 8 节
作者:一半儿      更新:2021-02-20 18:38      字数:9322
  fifteen   men;   reinforced   by   those   who   followed   them;   would   have   been
  able to make a home in the heart of the forest; will never be known; for
  from  various   reasons   the  town   on   the  five   hundred   acre tract   was   never
  begun。In       short;   while     the   Moravians       were     risking    much      personal
  discomfort;   there   was   nothing   in   their   plan   which   could   possibly   injure
  others; and the cavil and abuse of their opposers was as uncalled for as is
  many a 〃private opinion publicly expressed〃 to…day。
  Hearing of the many obstacles which were being thrown in their way;
  Mr。   Coram;   who   was   a   man   of   wide   charities;   and   interested   in   other
  colonies   besides   Georgia;   suggested          to   Spangenberg   that   his   company
  should go to Nova Scotia; where the climate was milder; and offered them
  free transportation and aid in settling there; but this proposal Spangenberg
  at once rejected; and pinned his faith on the kindness of Gen。 Oglethorpe;
  whose      return    from    Georgia     the   preceding      July;   explained     the   more
  favorable tone of the Trustees' letters after that date。 Oglethorpe asked him
  numberless   questions   about   the   doctrine   and   practice   of   the   Moravians;
  and   their   reasons   for   wishing   to   go   to   Georgia;   and   promised   to   lay  the
  matter before the Trustees; using all his influence to further their designs。
  The 〃First Company〃。
  On the 14th of January; 1735; the first company of Moravian colonists
  arrived     in  London。At       their  head    was    David    Nitschmann;         variously
  called     〃the   III〃;  〃the   weaver〃;     〃the   Syndic〃;     and   Count     Zinzendorf's
  〃Hausmeister〃;   who   was   to   stay   with   them   until   they   left   England;   and
  then     return    to   Germany;      resigning     the    leadership     of   the   party    to
  Spangenberg;   who   was   instructed   to   take   them   to   Georgia   and   establish
  them there; and then go to Pennsylvania to the Schwenkfelders。The other
  nine    wereJohn      Toeltschig;     Zinzendorf's     flower…gardener。       Peter   Rose;    a
  gamekeeper。   Gotthard   Demuth;   a   joiner。   Gottfried   Haberecht;   weaver   of
  woolen goods。 Anton Seifert; a linen weaver。 George Waschke; carpenter。
  Michael Haberland; carpenter。 George Haberland; mason。 Friedrich Riedel;
  mason。
  They were 〃good and true sons of God; and at the same time skillful
  workmen;〃   with   such   a   variety   of   handicrafts   as   to   render   them   largely
  independent of outside assistance in the settlement which they proposed to
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  The Moravians in Georgia
  make;   and   all   but   Haberecht   were   religious   refugees   from   Moravia   and
  adjacent parts of Bohemia。
  Nitschmann        and   Toeltschig     were   two    of  the   five   young    men    in
  Zauchenthal;   Moravia;         who    had   set  their  hearts   on  the   revival   of  the
  ancient     Unitas     Fratrum。Toeltschig's       father;   the   village    burgess;    had
  summoned         the  five  comrades      before   him;   and   strictly   forbidden    their
  holding   religious   services;   warning   them   that   any   attempt   at   emigration
  would   be   severely   punished;   and   advising   them   to   act   as   became   their
  youth; frequent the taverns and take part in dances and other amusements。
  They were sons of well…to…do parents; and little more than boys in years;
  (Nitschmann was only twenty); but their faith and purpose were dearer to
  them   than   anything   else   on   earth;   so   they   had   left   all   and   come   away;
  commending their  homes and kindred   to the  mercy  of God;  and singing
  the    exile   hymn     of   the   ancient    Unitas    Fratrum;     sacred    through     its
  association with those brave hearts who had known the bitterness and the
  joy of exile a hundred years before。
  〃Blessed the day when I must go My fatherland no more to know;My
  lot the exile's loneliness;
  〃For God will my protector be; And angels ministrant for meThe path
  with joys divine will bless。
  〃And God to some small place will guide Where I may well content
  abideAnd where this soul of mine may rest。
  〃As thirsty harts for water burn; For Thee; my Lord and God; I yearn;If
  Thou are mine my life is blest。〃
  Though      holding     positions    as  Count     Zinzendorf's     hausmeister     and
  gardener; both Nitschmann and Toeltschig were actively employed in the
  affairs of the renewed Unitas Fratrum; and had been to England in 1728 to
  try to establish relations with the Society for the Propagation of Christian
  Knowledge; though without success。They were the better fitted; therefore;
  to conduct the party to England; and to share in the negotiations already
  begun by Spangenberg。
  This   〃first   company〃   left   Herrnhut   on   the   21st   of   November;   1734;
  traveling     by   Ebersdorf     (where    Henry     XXIX;     Count     Reuss;   Countess
  Zinzendorf's brother; gave them a letter of recommendation to any whom
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  they might meet on their way); to Holland; whence they had a stormy and
  dangerous voyage to England。
  The   day   after   they   reached   London   they   called   on   Gen。   Oglethorpe
  and   having   gained   admittance   with   some   difficulty   they   were   very   well
  received by him; carrying on a conversation in a mixture of English and
  German; but understanding each other fairly well。Spangenberg coming in
  most opportunely; the Moravian affairs were fully discussed; and the new…
  comers      learned    that   their   arrival   had    been   fortunately     timed;    for   the
  Georgia Trustees were to hold one of their semi…annual meetings two days
  later; when Oglethorpe could press their matter; and a ship was to sail for
  Georgia the latter part of the month。 Oglethorpe was disturbed to find that
  the   colonists   had   failed   to   raise   any   money   toward   their   expenses;   but
  promised to try and assist them in that also。
  On   the   18th   the   colonists   were   formally   presented   to   the   Trustees;
  heard     the   lively   argument      for   and    against    their   cause;    and   had    the
  satisfaction   of   seeing   the   vote   cast   in   their   favor。   It   was   contrary   to   the
  custom of the Trustees to grant lands to any who did not come in person to
  apply for them and declare their intention of going to Georgia to settle; but
  Oglethorpe's argument that the high rank of Count Zinzendorf was entitled
  to consideration was accepted and five hundred acres of land were granted
  to the Count and his male heirs。
  The Indenture bore date of Jan。 10; 1734; Old Style; (Jan。 21; 1735;)*
  and   the   five   hundred   acres   were   〃to   be   set   out   limited   and   bounded   in
  Such   Manner   and   in   Such   Part or   Parts   of the   said   Province as shall   be
  thought   most   convenient by  such   Person   or   Persons   as   shall by  the   said
  Common   Council   be   for   that   Purpose   authorized   and   appointed;〃   there
  being a verbal agreement that the tract should be in the hilly country some
  distance   from   the   coast;   which;   though   less   accessible   and   less   easily
  cultivated; lay near the territory occupied by the Indians。Five pounds per
  annum was named as the quit rent; payment to begin eight years later; and
  such   part   of   the   tract   as   was   not   cleared   and   improved   during   the   next
  eighteen years was to revert to the Trustees。 The Trustees also agreed that
  they would reserve two hundred acres near the larger tract; and whenever
  formally  requested by  Count   Zinzendorf;  would grant twenty  acres   each
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  〃to such able bodied Young Men Servants as should arrive and settle with
  him in the said Province of Georgia。〃
  *  This   IS   written   correctly。See     the  author's    explanation     of  the
  calendar in Chapter IV。 A。 L。; 1996。
  In addition to the five hundred acres granted to Zinzendorf; fifty acres
  were given to Spangenberg; and fifty acres to Nitschmann; although as the
  latter was not going to Georgia; and the former did not intend to stay; this
  alone   was   a   departure   from  the   custom  of   the Trustees。Each   of the   fifty
  acre grants was in three parts; a lot in the town of Savannah; a five acre
  garden