Our Author is not the only one who thought Dr. I. Mather had some selfish Ends to answer in his Management of Affairs in England. See Quincy, Hist. H. Col., i, 60. But Quincy is entirely too one-sided, ardent and dogmatical to be implicitly relied upon.
20
That is the Disputes respecting the Form of Government.
21
It appears that some Irons had been prepared before the Arrival of Gov. Phips, though he may have ordered a further Supply, as Prisoners greatly increased about that Time. Mr. Felt, the Annalist of Salem, furnished Mr. J. W. Hanson with a Copy of an Account of the Prison-keeper (John Arnold), of Boston, for various Items used in the Prison. Said Account begins about the 7th of March, 1691-2. On "May 9th, To Chains for Sarah Good and Sarah Osborn, 14 s. May 23d, To Shackles for 10 Prisoners. May 29th, to 1 pr. Irons for Mary Cox," &c. See Hist. Danvers, 290. For other Items of this Sort, see Records of S. W., ii, 212, et seq.
22
This was Tituba, of whom Mention has been before made. See Note 4. Her first Examination is a surprising Document, not only for its Length, but for its Matter; and the Editor cannot but candidly confess that the Questions were more ridiculous than the Answers of the simple Indian Woman, if possible. Her Husband was known as John Indian. The original Minutes are in the Editor's Possession.
23
This application of Irons was of course after the Arrival of the Governor. The Name of the Jailor has already been given.
24
It would seem from the Records, (as published by Mr. Woodward) that Cary's name was Nathaniel. In Savage, we find that Jonathan Cary of Charlestown had Wife Hannah Winsor; that Nathaniel was Brother to Jonathan, and that they were Sons to James Cary, who came to Charlestown in or before 1639. Complaint was made against Mrs. Cary by Mr. Thomas Putnam and Benjamin Hatchinson, both of Salem Village. The Complaint was that she had bewitched the miscreant Girls before-mentioned, Mary Walcott, Abigall Willyams and Mercy Lewis. Mrs. Cary's Husband is styled "Capt. Nathaniell Cary of Charls Towne, Marener." —Records, ii., 196.
25
He was the Son of the Pilgrim John of the Mayflower. See an Account of him and his Persecution in Hist. and Antiqs. Boston, 499. Also Records S. W., ii., 196. His Accusers were the same Wretches – Mary Lewis, Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Booth, Mary Walcott, Elizabeth Hubbard, Ann Putnam and Mary Warren. The Warrant for his Commitment was dated May 31st, 1692, as will be seen immediately onward.
26
The same, probably, mentioned before. See Vol. ii, Page 75.
27
The original Mittimus does not appear among the Records preserved at Salem. If preserved, it has not been discovered.
28
Their Names may, probably, nearly all be collected from the Records. Interest should prompt some one to make the Attempt.
29
Their Names have already appeared. Capt. Sewall was the well known Judge Sewall.
30
See the long and tedious Testimonies against her in Vol. I, Pages 163-174, and of the same ridiculous Character as others; yet not so ridiculous there as in the original Records, which see. Ezekiel Cheever took down the Examination.
31
Of this Abstract Dr. Mather says: "His first and main Design is to render me odious unto the Countrey, as being one chief Abettor of that Opinion, That the Devils cannot afflict in the Shape of an Innocent Person; and as being an Inciter of the Judges, to the Conviction of Witchcrafts upon that Opinion. It is very certain that his Conscience must needs tell him, this is a most Lying Accusation. For in my Book of Memorable Providences, which I writ before the Troubles at Salem, and even before I was so fully acquainted with the Wiles of Satan, (for my saying of which, on a certain Occasion, he flouts at me) I have a whole Paragraph to caution against accounting a bewitched Persons pretending to see an Apparition of such or such an one, an Argument of their being Naughty People. And some of the Chief Ministers in this Land favoured that Book with their Attestation, however my Friend Calef now Derides it." This was the Work recommended by Mr. Baxter.
32
The Trial of Susanna Martin is given in the Wonders (Vol. i.) Pages 175-187; that of Elizabeth How, Pages 188-194; that of Rebecca Nurse in Records of S. W. i. 76-99; Vol. ii. 215; of Sarah Wilds of Topsfield, Ibid, ii, 180-182, 215; Sarah Good; Ibid, 11-24; ii, 214-15. The Partiality in the Wonders is elsewhere noticed.
33
The Trial of Sarah Good was one of a singularly revolting Character. Her own Daughter, named Dorothy, was one of the Witnesses against her. Said her Mother "had three Birds, one black, one yellow, and that these Birds hurt the Children and afflicted Persons." —Records S. W. i, 23. Her own Husband gave her a very bad Character, but said he knew nothing of her being a Witch. The Story of the broken Knife, I do not remember seeing in the Records. It was probably suppressed. Samuel Abbey and Mary his Wife, aged about 45 and 38, respectively, testified that William Good and his Wife Sarah, being destitute of a House to dwell in, they took them in out of Charity; but about two years and a half before, were obliged to turn them out "for quietness sake, the said Sarah was of so turbulant a Sperritt, spitefull and mallitiously bent." Whereupon the said Abbey in about two years lost 17 head of Cattle, besides Sheep and "Hoggs." —Records, ib. 24-5. See also Mr. Upham's Lectures on Witchcraft.
34
The Names of the Jurors are not recorded. John Ruck was the Foreman, Brother-in-law, I suppose of Mr. Burroughs.
35
It is much to be regretted that the Author found it necessary to exclude such Documents. The Paper referred is of special regret.
36
What has been preserved of the Trials of these Persons, will be found in Vol. i, and in the Records before cited.
37
"I was present when these things were testified against him, and observed that he could not make any Plea for himself (in these Things) that had any Weight: He had the Liberty of Challenging his Jurors, before empannelling, according to the Statue in that Case, and used his Liberty in Challenging many; yet the Jury that were Sworn brought him in Guilty." – Lawson, Second Edition, 115.
Mr. Burroughs' Trial is fully given in Vol. i, 152-63. It is not among the Records, for the Reason, probably, that it had been given to Mr. Mather to use, and was never returned. His Examination was before Stoughton, Hathorne, Sewall and Corwin. The following are the Names of the Men appointed to search him for Teats: Edward Welch, William Gill, Zeb. Hill, Thomas Flint, Thomas West, Samuel Morgan and John Bare, as Printed in the Records, ii, 112. They reported no "Tetts" upon Mr. Burroughs.
Ann Putnam's Testimony was ingenious, and as damning as any Infernal Spirit could have desired. See Records, ib. 113-116. Mather does not give it, but says such things were evidenced; as that he had murdered sundry People. See Remarks of Mr. Upham, Lectures, 55.
38
A misprint, probably, for Nashaway.
39
Dr. Increase Mather, Mr. James Allen of the Old South, Mr. Joshua Moody, Mr. Samuel Willard of the Old South, and Mr. John Bailey of the First Church, Boston.
40
My friend Savage calls this an "Infernal Business." I hope he will never get further out of the Way. It would seem that the Officials of that Day must have taken lessons of Roman Inquisitors.
41
Daniel Andrew of Salem, as I conjecture.
42
Nineteen Years after these Executions, the General Court of the Province passed an
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