Narratives of Colonial America, 1704-1765 edited by Howard H. Peckham (1971)

(Number 69 in the The Lakeside Classics series)

Madam Knights's Journey begins:

Monday, October the second, 1704. About three o'clock [in the] afternoon I bagan my journey from Boston to New Haven, being about two hundred miles. My kinsman, Capt. Robert Luist, waited on me as far as Dedham, where I was to meet the western post.

I visited the Reverend Mr. Belcher, the minister of the town, and tarried there till evening, in hopes the post would come along. But he not coming, I resolved to go to Billings's where he used to lodge, being 12 miles farther. But being ignorant of the way, Madam Billings, seeing no persuasions of her good spouse's or hers could prevail with me to lodge there that night, very kindly went with me to the tavern, where I hoped to get my guide, and desired the hostess to inquire of her guests whether any of them would go with me. But they being tied by the lips to a pewter engine, scarcely allowed themselves to say what clownish ...