said, also, that in "the advices" which the ministers presented to the magistrates in reference to the matter of witchcraft, and which were drawn up by Cotton Mather, the magistrates are urged to "the speedy and vigorous prosecution of those who have rendered themselves obnoxious."

As to Cotton Mather's "attending the courts," when the witches were tried at Salem, himself and President Quincy are directly at issue. The President says he did attend. Mr. Mather affirms that he did not. "I was not present at any of them.'

As to his frequenting the prisons where the witches were confined; he may have done this, when any were confined in Boston. To do so, in the case of all prisoners, he believed to be a part of his ministerial duty. There is no evidence that he visited the prisoners in Salem, or that he was often there, during the whole excitement.

As to his "joining the multitude in witnessing the executions," I find no evidence that this was true, except in a single instance. When Mr. Burroughs, with several others, was executed, on the fifth of August, he was there. He was not, as Mr. Upham represents it," riding round in the crowd on horseback, haranguing the people;" still, he was there, and sitting on a horse. For certain reasons, Mr. Mather seems to have satisfied himself that Burroughs was, in many respects, a bad man;—that he was one who had intercourse with evil spirits, and who, of course, according to his understanding of the matter, deserved to die. And when he saw how worthily the old man appeared at the last, it is very likely he may have said to the bystanders, in the language of Paul: "No marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." This would be quite enough for his accusers-such men as Calef and others -to make a story of, and is undoubtedly the substance out of which the several versions of the story have since been made.

In order to understand " the advices of the ministers" above referred to, the history of the connected transactions must be kept in mind. As before related, the troubles in the family of Mr. Parris first made their appearance in February, 1692, During the next three months, cases of similar suffering were multiplied, and various persons were accused, as being the cause of them. These accused persons were examined before Justices

* Wonders of the Invisible World, p. 81.

Corwin and Hathorne, and the most of them were committed for trial. In May of the same year, Mr. Increase Mather and Gov. Phipps arrived from England, with the new provincial charter of government. Almost immediately after the new government had been set up, a commission was issued to seven of the principal citizens and jurists of the colony, viz. Lieut. Governor Stoughton, Maj. Saltonstall, Maj. Richards, Maj. Gedney, Mr. Wait Winthrop, Capt. Sewall, and Mr. Sergeant, constituting them a court, to try the accused persons at Salem. The judges first assembled on the 2d of June, and tried and condemned one, who was executed on the 10th. The court then adjourned to the 13th of June; in which interval, the governor and council asked the advice of ministers in Boston and the vicinity, as to the course to be pursued. After due deliberation, the ministers expressed their opinions and counsels, under eight particulars.* 1. They express their sympathy with those who are "suffering by molestations from the invisible world," and "think that their condition calls for the utmost help of all persons, in their several capacities." 2. They thankfully acknowledge the success which has followed the efforts of the magistrates "to defeat the witchcrafts," and pray for a full and perfect discovery of all this mysterious wickedness. 3. They recommend "a very critical and exquisite caution, lest by too much credulity for things received only upon the devil's authority, there be a door opened for a long train of miserable consesequences." 4. The rulers are exhorted not to proceed, in any case, on mere presumption, and to show "an exceeding tenderness towards those that may be complained of, especially if they have been persons of an unblemished reputation." 5. The next advice is, that the primary examination of suspected persons may be without noise, company or excitement; and that there" may be nothing used as a test, for the trial of the suspected, the lawfulness whereof may be doubted by the people of God." 6. The ministers recommend to the magistrates not to

* A part of these advices Mr. Mather published in the Magnalia, Vol. I. p. 190. He has been censured for not publishing the whole; and it has been represented as very unfortunate for his memory, that Hutchinson has given the entire paper. Hist. of Mass., Vol. II. p. 52. But I think it fortunate for Mr. Mather, and for all the ministers concerned, that the entire paper has been published. Had we room we would gladly insert the whole of it in these pages.

any

convict, or so much as commit persons, on what was called "the spectral evidence;" "inasmuch as it is an undoubted thing that a demon may appear, even to ill purposes, in the shape of an innocent and virtuous man." They also pronounce "alteration made in the sufferers by a look or touch of the accused," to be insufficient evidence of guilt. 7. The ministers further suggest, whether an utter rejection of the testimonies commonly relied on," whose whole force and strength is from the devils above, may not put a period unto the progress of the dreadful calamity begun upon us, in the accusation of so many persons, whereof some, we hope, are clear of the great transgression laid to their charge." 8. Having given the above suggestions, directions and cautions, the ministers "humbly recommend to the government the speedy and vigorous prosecution of such as have rendered themselves obnoxious, according to the directions given in the laws of God and the wholesome statutes of the English nation.”

By those who seem inclined to traduce the ministers of that day, and especially Cotton Mather, by whom these advices were drawn up, this last article is almost the only one quoted or referred to. It is quoted often, as though it stood alone, without any restriction or qualification; as if Mather and his ministerial brethren were only anxious to have the judges make all due despatch, and condemn and hang the suspected witches as fast as possible. But this, it will be seen, is altogether an unjust view of the case. These advices of the ministers are to be taken and judged of, as a whole; and as a whole, they were manifestly framed and designed with a view to reprove much of the previous proceedings, particularly those of the Salem justices, and to prevent, so far as possible, the like proceedings in future. They do, indeed, "recommend the speedy and vigorous prosecution of those who have justly rendered themselves obnoxious;" but the recommendation is accompanied with such cautions, restrictions and qualifications, that had they been duly regarded, there probably had not been another individual convicted. If the trials had been conducted with that "exceeding tenderness" towards the accused, which the ministers recommended; if the "spectral evidence," together with all improper tests, had been set aside; if all testimony of every kind, which rested "only on the devil's authority" had been rejected; the judges might have proceeded as vigorously as they pleased-the more vigorously the better;-for by this

means the jails had been the sooner emptied, and the accused persons had been set at liberty.

From persons who believed in the reality of witchcraft, and that the proper witch is justly liable to death (as all these ministers most seriously did), I see not how better advices than those which they proffered to the magistrates on this occasion, could reasonably have been expected. And happy had it been for all concerned, if the magistrates had been content to follow them. But they would not; at least, some of them would not.* They seem to have been fully satisfied, at least for a time, as to the validity of the "spectral evidence," and other branches of the devil's testimony, and consequently the work of hanging went on.†

President Quincy asserts that," after two hundred persons had been accused, one hundred and fifty imprisoned, nineteen hanged, one pressed to death, and twenty-eight condemned, one-third of whom were members of the churches, and more than half of good general conversation, he (Cotton Mather) wrote a formal treatise, entitled, Wonders of the Invisible World,' approving the proceedings of the courts, and exciting the multitude to a continuance in the belief, and the courts to a perseverance in their vindictiveness." Vol. I. p. 64. With all due respect for President Quincy, I must consider the charge, conveyed in the latter part of this sentence, as no better than a libel-and a libel, not on Cotton Mather alone, but on Stoughton, Winthrop, Sewall, and all the other members of the court. That these men were deluded, and, under the influence of strong delusion, committed great injustice, I do not doubt. But that they were vindictive in their feelings and judgments, I

* Particularly Chief Justice Stoughton.

† Cotton Mather says, in the Magnalia, Vol. I. p. 189, that sundry of the accused persons were brought to trial, while this opinion" (as to the validity of spectral evidence) "was yet prevailing in the minds of the judges and the juries;" and that "divers were condemned, against whom the chief evidence was founded in the spectral exhibitions." Mr. Thomas Brattle also proves, that the most of those who were committed and condemned, suffered on the devil's testimony. He also says that, "excepting Mr. Hale, Mr. Noyes and Mr. Parris, the Rev. Elders, almost throughout the whole country, are very much dissatisfied” with the decisions of the judges. See Mass. Hist. Collections, 1st series, Vol. V. pp. 68-75.

do not believe. There certainly is no evidence of their vindictiveness, but all the evidence that has come down to us goes to contradict directly such a supposition. Judge Sewall, in his humble confession, several years after, makes no acknowledgment of vindictiveness. Chief Justice Stoughton affirmed, that "when he sat in judgment, he had the fear of God before his eyes, and gave his opinion according to the best of his understanding; and although it might appear afterwards that he had been in an error, yet he saw no necessity of a public acknowledgment."* Cotton Mather, speaking of the judges, says: Although "I was always afraid of proceeding to condemn any person upon so feeble evidence as a spectral representation, and ever protested against it publicly and privately, and in my letters to the judges besought them that they would by no means admit it," yet, when "I saw in most of the judges a most charming instance of prudence and patience, and knew the exemplary prayer and anguish of soul, wherewith they had sought the direction of Heaven, above most other people, I could not but speak honorably of their persons on all occasions." In reference to these judges, the authors of the Reply to Calef say (p.6): "What was done by them in the dark time of our troubles from the invisible world, all honest men believe they did in conscience of the oath of God upon them; and they followed, unto the best of their understanding, as we are informed, the precedents of England and Scotland, and other nations, on such a dark and doleful occasion." Thus much for the "vindictiveness" of the judges.

The other part of the charge, viz., that Cotton Mather, in his Wonders of the Invisible World, " approved the proceedings of the courts, and excited them to a perseverance in their vindictiveness," is equally unfounded. For, in the first place, he did not altogether approve the proceedings of the courts. This is evident, from what has been already said; particularly from the contrariety of their proceedings, in the admission of testimony, to his private letters to them, and to the advices of the ministers, which he drew up. He also tells us expressly: "I could not allow the principles that some of the judges had espoused."

In his Magnalia, too, Mr. Mather expresses the opinion

Hutchinson's Hist. of Mass., Vol. II. p. 62.

See Am. Biography, Vol. VI. p. 256.

Am. Biography, Vol. VI. p. 257. Life by his Son, p. 45.