The Witchcraft in New England. Calef Robert
This and similar Expressions were in frequent Use by nearly all the early Writers on American Affairs. "In this Howling Wilderness," "in these goings down of the Sun," &c., &c.
[51] This "famous Person" was Mr. Giles Firmin. See N. E. Hist. and Gen. Reg. iv, 11; also Felt, Eccl. Hist. N. Eng., ii, 48. Nathaniel Ward has a very similar Passage: "I thank God that I have lived in a Colony of many thousand English almost these twelve Years, am held a very sociable Man, yet I may considerately say, I never heard but one Oath sworne, nor never saw one Man drunk, nor never heard of three Women Adulteresses in all this time, that I can call to mind."—Simple Cobber, 67, Pulsifer's Edition, 1843. The Reader will find much that is highly interesting respecting the Worthies mentioned in this Note in Mr. J. Ward Dean's Life of Nathaniel Ward, now ready for Publication.
[52] Ideas similar to these are often met with in the Magnalia and other Writings of the Author. But he was by no means singular in his Notions regarding the Devil. Most of the Divines of Dr. Mather's Day inculcated the same Sentiments, to say nothing of those of a later Day.
[53] This frank Acknowledgment that Witchcraft was "snarl'd" and "unintelligible," would seem to have been a sufficient Reason for letting it alone. But Reason and Superstition cannot exist together.
[54] It is not very clear to what particular Case the Author refers. See Hist. and Antiqs. Boston, 283, 309. "More than forty Years ago" is too indefinite for present historical Purposes.
[55] It has long been perfectly clear that the Devil did get in his Juggles, and that he did succeed, almost beyond Belief, in confounding the Understanding of the whole Community, and particularly that of our Author. Respecting Witchcraft in Sweden, &c., consult Dr. Anthony Horneck's Relation of the Swedish Witches.
[56] It is not strange that English Writers talk about the "Colony of Boston," when our own best informed Natives speak in this careless Manner about the "Province of New-England."
[57] The serious Consideration of this Postulate was the primary Cause of the Reaction which followed the Prosecution. See Dr. I. Mather's Cases of Conscience. MS. in the Editor's Possession.
[58] The Incomprehensibleness of the Creator is nowhere more strikingly expressed than in the following old Lines:
What mortal Man can with a Span mete out Eternity?
Or fathom it by Depth of Wit or Strength of Memory?
The lofty Sky is not so high, Hell's Depth to this is small;
The World so wide is but a Stride, compared therewithal.
It is a main great Ocean, withouten Bank or Bound:
A deep Abyss, wherein there is no Bottom to be found.
Day of Doom, Edit. 1715, P. 51.
[59] In the Notes of Butler and Dr. Nash to Hudibras the Reader will find some Amusement respecting the Witches of Lapland. Although the Laplanders are described as a miserable Race, they could not have been much behind the English in Matters of Superstition at this Period. Dr. Heylyn says the Laplanders, "at their first going out of their Doores in a Morning vse to giue worship and diuine honour all the Day following, to that liuing Creature what ere it be, which they see at their first going out." Mikrokosmos, 328, Edit. 1624, 4to.
[60] It does not appear to have occurred to the Doctor that a good Spirit might have been the Author of such darting Operations.
[61] It would have been gratifying to at least some of the Author's Readers if he had informed them how, where and when he became possessed of the Art of Sorcery, and as he acknowledges having the Art, how he escaped Prosecution. This is parum claris lucem dare indeed.
[62] This Hopefulness occasionally breaks out. It ill agrees with the doleful Tone often expressed, in various Parts of the Doctor's Writings—that "New England is on the broad Road to Perdition."
[63] This has Reference to the Favor expected at the Hands of William and Mary. The new Charter granted by them was received in Boston on the 14th of May, 1692. Sir Wm. Phipps came over at the same Time and assumed the Office of Governor.
[64] William Stoughton, afterwards Governor.
[65] These were to be 28 in Number. As the early Histories do not name them I copy them here from the Charter as printed in 1726: "Simon Broadstreet, John Richards, Nathanael Saltonstall, Wait Winthrop, John Philips, James Russell, Samuel Sewall, Samuel Appleton, Bartholomew Gedney, John Hathorn, Elisha Hutchinson, Robert Pike, Jonathan Corwin, John Jolliffe, Adam Winthrop, Richard Middlecot, John Foster, Peter Sergeant, Joseph Lynd, Samuel Heyman, Stephen Mason, Thomas Hinkley, William Bradford, John Walley, Barnabas Lothrop, Job Alcot, Samuel Daniel, and Silvanus Davis, Esquires." Isaac Addington was appointed Secretary. Nearly all noticed in Allen's Amer. Biog. Dict.
[66] The horrible Picture drawn in this long Paragraph has Reference especially to the still deep Current among the few who did not believe in Witchcraft, or at least who did not believe in extreme Measures against those accused of it.
[67] Strange Source, indeed, whence to hear a Plea for Charity!
[68] Did this Fact suggest the Idea of the Happy Family to the Keepers of modern Menageries? The Freshet is not mentioned by the Chroniclers.
[69] There was a Proposition, it is said, to send to England to engage one Matthew Hopkins, a professed Witch-finder, then in high repute in that Country. See History and Antiquities of Boston, 309.
[70] It is at every Step surprising to observe how the Writer assumes to be the Judge, in this at the same Time "dark and incomprehensible Business," as it is frequently acknowledged by him to be.
AN ABSTRACT OF MR. PERKINS'S[71] WAY FOR THE DISCOVERY OF WITCHES.
I. There are Presumptions, which do at least probably and conjecturally note one to be a Witch. These give occasion to Examine, yet they are no sufficient Causes of Conviction.