Part 28

It is as much easier, as it is safer to answer these Questions now than in Dr. Mather's Time. Everybody is born in the same Ignorance as in those Days, but fortunately we of this Day are surrounded by a lighter Age, and hence grow up with more Knowledge. And yet our Age of Light is Light only by Comparison.

Nicholas Hemmingius, I suppose, a native of the Island of Laland, born in 1513. His Business was that of a Smith, but taking to Learning, he studied with the celebrated Melancthon, and became a Professor of Hebrew at Copenhagen. He died in the Year 1600.

A Word not found in the Dictionaries. Perhaps it may be defined by the Readers of the Works of the elder Pliny.

This Story of the iron Spindle is briefly told by Lawson, who probably took it from our Author. See Lawson's Work, P. 102-3 of the London Edition. It is not in the original (Boston) Edition.

There were Pitmans at Marblehead, and Salem at this Time. Manchester was then included in Salem. There was a Thomas Pitman hung there not long before the Witch Cases occurred.

Perhaps Mr. John Higginson.

There was a Family of Whitfords in Salem at this Time.

The shocking Barbarity employed in the Execution of this "poor Man" can only find a Parallel in an Age as benighted as this of 1692. A more diabolical Depravity could never exhibit itself in human Nature. The next Story seems to be introduced to lessen the Odium which it is probable the Author thought might attach itself to the Affair. It is wonderful indeed, that a foul Murder should have been kept so still, and then, at a late Day, to come out in a Dream.

A Son of the first Governor of the Colony, John Endicott. He resided a considerable Period in Boston. See Historical and Gen. Register, i. 335, et seq. He died in the Spring of 1684.

Anthony Horneck. The original Work was written in High Dutch. The Author's Name does not appear. We have the Work appended to the fourth Edition of Glanvil's Sadducismus Triumphatus, 1726. Dr. Mather has given but a brief Abstract.

It does not appear that a Thanksgiving was appointed, but the King appointed Commissioners to examine into the Matter. Those Commissioners proceeded to the Town, and at once entered upon an Investigation; "to whom both the Minister and several of the People of Fashion complained with Tears in their Eyes, of the miserable Condition they were in."--Ibidem, 484.

The Doctor omits some of the best Parts of these Stories. One or two will more than suffice probably. "Those [Witches] of Elfdale confessed, That the Devil used to play upon an Harp before them, and afterwards to go with them that he liked best, into a Chamber, where he committed venerous Acts with them; and this indeed all confessed; That he had carnal Knowledge of them, and that the Devil had Sons and Daughters by them, which he did marry together, and brought forth Toads and Serpents."--Page 491.

"They [the bewitched] said they had sometimes seen a very great Devil like a Dragon, with Fire round about him, and bound with an iron Chain; and the Devil that converses with them tells them, that if they confess anything, he will let that great Devil loose upon them, whereby all Sweedland shall come into great danger."--Page 492.

The following Paragraph is not in the first Edition.

Entitled "A Further Account of the Tryals of the New England Witches ... To which is added Cases of Conscience concerning Witchcrafts and Evil Spirits personating Men. Written at the Request of the Ministers of New England."

It was long a Custom among some of the New England People to keep Saturday Evening as though it were a Part of Sunday. Others did not regard that Evening, but kept Sunday Evening. The former claimed that Sunday began at Sunset.

The Editor feeling quite confident, that the Reader, by this Time, has got enough of the Devil, will forbear making any Remarks or Comments. Why the Author should place his "Discovery" at the End of his Book the Reader is as well qualified to judge as the Editor, and he will only add, that it is a Pity that he (the Author) had not made the Discovery sooner, if by that Discovery the poor Witches had been let alone, and left out of the Question, as no real Use of them is conceivable, when, in Reality the Devil could and actually did do all the Mischief himself.

As has been before intimated, Dr. Mather was not alone in his Estimation of the Importance of the Devil. Mr. Lawson, in his Sermon at Salem Village, before referred to, among other Passages, said to his Hearers (who were above a thousand): "It is Matter of TERROR, Amazement, and Astonishment, to all such wretched Souls, (if there be any here in the Congregation, and God grant that none of you may ever be found as such) as have given up their Names, and Souls to the Devil: Who by Covenant have bound themselves to be his Slaves and Drudges, consenting to be Instruments, in whose Shapes, he may torment and afflict their Fellow-creatures, to the amazing and astoning of the Standers by."--Page 64.

Similar Extracts might be made from many of the Writings of that Day, but Time and Space are inadequate, and the Reader, who may now incline to a better Acquaintance with the Devil, than these Pages afford him, must be referred to Dr. Mather's Cotemporaries.

In closing these Notes it should be mentioned that the Text of this Edition of the Wonders of the Invisible World has been set up from the latest London Edition of that Work, as mentioned in the Preface to this Edition. When that Preface was written it was not contemplated to use the Original Edition in reading the Proofs. But it was finally decided to read by the Original. By this Course the Text has been to some Extent improved. Yet no Difference of Importance was found. The Departures of the London Publisher were only verbal--never altering the Sense. At the Expense of a little tautological Verbiage the whole has been made conformable to the original Edition--manifest typographical Errors excepted.

INDEX.

NOTE.--As the small Roman Numerals in this Index denote both the Volumes and the Pages of the Introductions, those who consult it may observe, that when the Introductory Pages are referred to, the Reference to the Volume is in large or Roman Capitals:--For Example, I, xx, refer to the first Volume, and to Page 20 of the Introduction to the same Volume; II, xxii, refer to Volume second, and Page 22 of that Volume.

ABBOT, Benjamin, 195, iii, 116, 117.

Abbot, Nehemiah, 191.

Abbot, Sarah, 196, iii, 117.

Acosta, Joseph, 201.

Addington, Isaac, 26, iii, 15, 133.

Ady, ----, a Writer against Witchcraft, iii, 74.