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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/9587.txt b/9587.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..490f7e8 --- /dev/null +++ b/9587.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5506 @@ +Project Gutenberg EBook, Margaret Smith's Journal, by Whittier +Part 1, From Volume V., The Works of Whittier: Tales and Sketches +#32 in our series by John Greenleaf Whittier + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers***** + + + +Title: Margaret Smith's Journal + Part 1, From Volume V., The Works of Whittier: Tales and Sketches + + +Author: John Greenleaf Whittier + +Release Date: December 2005 [EBook #9587] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on October 18, 2003] + + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + + + + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, MARGARET SMITH'S JOURNAL *** + + + + +This eBook was produced by David Widger + + + + + + MARGARET SMITH'S JOURNAL TALES AND SKETCHES + + BY + + JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER + + + +The intelligent reader of the following record cannot fail to notice +occasional inaccuracies in respect to persons, places, and dates; and, +as a matter of course, will make due allowance for the prevailing +prejudices and errors of the period to which it relates. That there are +passages indicative of a comparatively recent origin, and calculated to +cast a shade of doubt over the entire narrative, the Editor would be the +last to deny, notwithstanding its general accordance with historical +verities and probabilities. Its merit consists mainly in the fact that +it presents a tolerably lifelike picture of the Past, and introduces us +familiarly to the hearths and homes of New England in the seventeenth +century. + +A full and accurate account of Secretary Rawson and his family is about +to be published by his descendants, to which the reader is referred who +wishes to know more of the personages who figure prominently in this +Journal. + +1866. + + + + + +MARGARET SMITH'S JOURNAL IN THE PROVINCE OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY, 1678-9 + +TALES AND SKETCHES + + MY SUMMER WITH DR. SINGLETARY: A FRAGMENT + + THE LITTLE IRON SOLDIER + PASSACONAWAY + THE OPIUM EATER + THE PROSELYTES + DAVID MATSON + THE FISH I DID N'T CATCH + YANKEE GYPSIES + THE TRAINING + THE CITY OF A DAY + PATUCKET FALLS + FIRST DAY IN LOWELL + THE LIGHTING UP + TAKING COMFORT + CHARMS AND FAIRY FAITH + MAGICIANS AND WITCH FOLK + THE BEAUTIFUL + THE WORLD'S END + THE HEROINE OF LONG POINT + + + + + +MARGARET SMITH'S JOURNAL + +IN THE PROVINCE OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY + +1678-9. + + +BOSTON, May 8, 1678. + +I remember I did promise my kind Cousin Oliver (whom I pray God to have +always in his keeping), when I parted with him nigh unto three months +ago, at mine Uncle Grindall's, that, on coming to this new country, +I would, for his sake and perusal, keep a little journal of whatsoever +did happen both unto myself and unto those with whom I might sojourn; +as also, some account of the country and its marvels, and mine own +cogitations thereon. So I this day make a beginning of the same; +albeit, as my cousin well knoweth, not from any vanity of authorship, +or because of any undue confiding in my poor ability to edify one justly +held in repute among the learned, but because my heart tells me that +what I write, be it ever so faulty, will be read by the partial eye of +my kinsman, and not with the critical observance of the scholar, and +that his love will not find it difficult to excuse what offends his +clerkly judgment. And, to embolden me withal, I will never forget that +I am writing for mine old playmate at hide-and-seek in the farm-house at +Hilton,--the same who used to hunt after flowers for me in the spring, +and who did fill my apron with hazel-nuts in the autumn, and who was +then, I fear, little wiser than his still foolish cousin, who, if she +hath not since learned so many new things as himself, hath perhaps +remembered more of the old. Therefore, without other preface, I will +begin my record. + +Of my voyage out I need not write, as I have spoken of it in my letters +already, and it greatly irks me to think of it. Oh, a very long, dismal +time of sickness and great discomforts, and many sad thoughts of all +I had left behind, and fears of all I was going to meet in the New +England! I can liken it only to an ugly dream. When we got at last +to Boston, the sight of the land and trees, albeit they were exceeding +bleak and bare (it being a late season, and nipping cold), was like unto +a vision of a better world. As we passed the small wooded islands, +which make the bay very pleasant, and entered close upon the town, and +saw the houses; and orchards, and meadows, and the hills beyond covered +with a great growth of wood, my brother, lifting up both of his hands, +cried out, "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy habitations, O +Israel!" and for my part I did weep for joy and thankfulness of heart, +that God had brought us safely to so fair a haven. Uncle and Aunt +Rawson met us on the wharf, and made us very comfortable at their house, +which is about half a mile from the water-side, at the foot of a hill, +with an oaken forest behind it, to shelter it from the north wind, which +is here very piercing. Uncle is Secretary of the Massachusetts, and +spends a great part of his time in town; and his wife and family are +with him in the winter season, but they spend their summers at his +plantation on the Merrimac River, in Newbury. His daughter, Rebecca, +is just about my age, very tall and lady-looking; she is like her +brother John, who was at Uncle Hilton's last year. She hath, moreover, +a pleasant wit, and hath seen much goodly company, being greatly admired +by the young men of family and distinction in the Province. She hath +been very kind to me, telling me that she looked upon me as a sister. +I have been courteously entertained, moreover, by many of the principal +people, both of the reverend clergy and the magistracy. Nor must I +forbear to mention a visit which I paid with Uncle and Aunt Rawson at +the house of an aged magistrate of high esteem and influence in these +parts. He saluted me courteously, and made inquiries concerning our +family, and whether I had been admitted into the Church. On my telling +him that I had not, he knit his brows, and looked at me very sternly. + +"Mr. Rawson," said he, "your niece, I fear me, has much more need of +spiritual adorning than of such gewgaws as these," and took hold of my +lace ruff so hard that I heard the stitches break; and then he pulled +out my sleeves, to see how wide they were, though they were only half an +ell. Madam ventured to speak a word to encourage me, for she saw I was +much abashed and flustered, yet he did not heed her, but went on talking +very loud against the folly and the wasteful wantonness of the times. +Poor Madam is a quiet, sickly-looking woman, and seems not a little in +awe of her husband, at the which I do not marvel, for he hath a very +impatient, forbidding way with him, and, I must say, seemed to carry +himself harshly at times towards her. Uncle Rawson says he has had much +to try his temper; that there have been many and sore difficulties in +Church as well as State; and he hath bitter enemies, in some of the +members of the General Court, who count him too severe with the Quakers +and other disturbers and ranters. I told him it was no doubt true; but +that I thought it a bad use of the Lord's chastenings to abuse one's +best friends for the wrongs done by enemies; and, that to be made to +atone for what went ill in Church or State, was a kind of vicarious +suffering that, if I was in Madam's place, I should not bear with half +her patience and sweetness. + + + +Ipswitch, near Agawam, May 12. + +We set out day before yesterday on our journey to Newbury. There were +eight of us,--Rebecca Rawson and her sister, Thomas Broughton, his wife, +and their man-servant, my brother Leonard and myself, and young Robert +Pike, of Newbury, who had been to Boston on business, his father having +great fisheries in the river as well as the sea. He is, I can perceive, +a great admirer of my cousin, and indeed not without reason; for she +hath in mind and person, in her graceful carriage and pleasant +discourse, and a certain not unpleasing waywardness, as of a merry +child, that which makes her company sought of all. Our route the first +day lay through the woods and along the borders of great marshes and +meadows on the seashore. We came to Linne at night, and stopped at the +house of a kinsman of Robert Pike's,--a man of some substance and note +in that settlement. We were tired and hungry, and the supper of warm +Indian bread and sweet milk relished quite as well as any I ever ate in +the Old Country. The next day we went on over a rough road to Wenham, +through Salem, which is quite a pleasant town. Here we stopped until +this morning, when we again mounted our horses, and reached this place, +after a smart ride of three hours. The weather in the morning was warm +and soft as our summer days at home; and, as we rode through the woods, +where the young leaves were fluttering, and the white blossoms of the +wind-flowers, and the blue violets and the yellow blooming of the +cowslips in the low grounds, were seen on either hand, and the birds all +the time making a great and pleasing melody in the branches, I was glad +of heart as a child, and thought if my beloved friends and Cousin Oliver +were only with us, I could never wish to leave so fair a country. + +Just before we reached Agawam, as I was riding a little before my +companions, I was startled greatly by the sight of an Indian. He was +standing close to the bridle-path, his half-naked body partly hidden by +a clump of white birches, through which he looked out on me with eyes +like two live coals. I cried for my brother and turned my horse, when +Robert Pike came up and bid me be of cheer, for he knew the savage, and +that he was friendly. Whereupon, he bade him come out of the bushes, +which he did, after a little parley. He was a tall man, of very fair +and comely make, and wore a red woollen blanket with beads and small +clam-shells jingling about it. His skin was swarthy, not black like a +Moor or Guinea-man, but of a color not unlike that of tarnished copper +coin. He spake but little, and that in his own tongue, very harsh and +strange-sounding to my ear. Robert Pike tells me that he is Chief of +the Agawams, once a great nation in these parts, but now quite small and +broken. As we rode on, and from the top of a hill got a fair view of +the great sea off at the east, Robert Pike bade me notice a little bay, +around which I could see four or five small, peaked huts or tents, +standing just where the white sands of the beach met the green line of +grass and bushes of the uplands. + +"There," said he, "are their summer-houses, which they build near unto +their fishing-grounds and corn-fields. In the winter they go far back +into the wilderness, where game is plenty of all kinds, and there build +their wigwams in warm valleys thick with trees, which do serve to +shelter them from the winds." + +"Let us look into them," said I to Cousin Rebecca; "it seems but a +stone's throw from our way." + +She tried to dissuade me, by calling them a dirty, foul people; but +seeing I was not to be put off, she at last consented, and we rode aside +down the hill, the rest following. On our way we had the misfortune to +ride over their corn-field; at the which, two or three women and as many +boys set up a yell very hideous to hear; whereat Robert Pike came up, +and appeased them by giving them some money and a drink of Jamaica +spirits, with which they seemed vastly pleased. I looked into one of +their huts; it was made of poles like unto a tent, only it was covered +with the silver-colored bark of the birch, instead of hempen stuff. A +bark mat, braided of many exceeding brilliant colors, covered a goodly +part of the space inside; and from the poles we saw fishes hanging, and +strips of dried meat. On a pile of skins in the corner sat a young +woman with a child a-nursing; they both looked sadly wild and neglected; +yet had she withal a pleasant face, and as she bent over her little one, +her long, straight, and black hair falling over him, and murmuring a low +and very plaintive melody, I forgot everything save that she was a woman +and a mother, and I felt my heart greatly drawn towards her. So, giving +my horse in charge, I ventured in to her, speaking as kindly as I could, +and asking to see her child. She understood me, and with a smile held +up her little papoose, as she called him,--who, to say truth, I could +not call very pretty. He seemed to have a wild, shy look, like the +offspring of an untamed, animal. The woman wore a blanket, gaudily +fringed, and she had a string of beads on her neck. She took down a +basket, woven of white and red willows, and pressed me to taste of her +bread; which I did, that I might not offend her courtesy by refusing. +It was not of ill taste, although so hard one could scarcely bite it, +and was made of corn meal unleavened, mixed with a dried berry, which +gives it a sweet flavor. She told me, in her broken way, that the whole +tribe now numbered only twenty-five men and women, counting out the +number very fast with yellow grains of corn, on the corner of her +blanket. She was, she said, the youngest woman in the tribe; and her +husband, Peckanaminet, was the Indian we had met in the bridlepath. I +gave her a pretty piece of ribbon, and an apron for the child; and she +thanked me in her manner, going with us on our return to the path; and +when I had ridden a little onward, I saw her husband running towards us; +so, stopping my horse, I awaited until he came up, when he offered me a +fine large fish, which he had just caught, in acknowledgment, as I +judged, of my gift to his wife. Rebecca and Mistress Broughton laughed, +and bid him take the thing away; but I would not suffer it, and so +Robert Pike took it, and brought it on to our present tarrying place, +where truly it hath made a fair supper for us all. These poor heathen +people seem not so exceeding bad as they have been reported; they be +like unto ourselves, only lacking our knowledge and opportunities, +which, indeed, are not our own to boast of, but gifts of God, calling +for humble thankfulness, and daily prayer and watchfulness, that they be +rightly improved. + + + +Newbery on the Merrimac, May 14, 1678. + +We were hardly on our way yesterday, from Agawam, when a dashing young +gallant rode up very fast behind us. He was fairly clad in rich stuffs, +and rode a nag of good mettle. He saluted us with much ease and +courtliness, offering especial compliments to Rebecca, to whom he seemed +well known, and who I thought was both glad and surprised at his coming. +As I rode near, she said it gave her great joy to bring to each other's +acquaintance, Sir Thomas Hale, a good friend of her father's, and her +cousin Margaret, who, like himself, was a new-comer. He replied, that +he should look with favor on any one who was near to her in friendship +or kindred; and, on learning my father's name, said he had seen him at +his uncle's, Sir Matthew Hale's, many years ago, and could vouch for him +as a worthy man. After some pleasant and merry discoursing with us, he +and my brother fell into converse upon the state of affairs in the +Colony, the late lamentable war with the Narragansett and Pequod +Indians, together with the growth of heresy and schism in the churches, +which latter he did not scruple to charge upon the wicked policy of the +home government in checking the wholesome severity of the laws here +enacted against the schemers and ranters. "I quite agree," said he, +"with Mr. Rawson, that they should have hanged ten where they did one." +Cousin Rebecca here said she was sure her father was now glad the laws +were changed, and that he had often told her that, although the +condemned deserved their punishment, he was not sure that it was the +best way to put down the heresy. If she was ruler, she continued, in +her merry way, she would send all the schemers and ranters, and all the +sour, crabbed, busybodies in the churches, off to Rhode Island, where +all kinds of folly, in spirituals as well as temporals, were permitted, +and one crazy head could not reproach another. + +Falling back a little, and waiting for Robert Pike and Cousin Broughton +to come up, I found them marvelling at the coming of the young +gentleman, who it did seem had no special concernment in these parts, +other than his acquaintance with Rebecca, and his desire of her company. +Robert Pike, as is natural, looks upon him with no great partiality, yet +he doth admit him to be wellbred, and of much and varied knowledge, +acquired by far travel as well as study. I must say, I like not his +confident and bold manner and bearing toward my fair cousin; and he hath +more the likeness of a cast-off dangler at the court, than of a modest +and seemly country gentleman, of a staid and well-ordered house. +Mistress Broughton says he was not at first accredited in Boston, but +that her father, and Mr. Atkinson, and the chief people there now, did +hold him to be not only what he professeth, as respecteth his +gentlemanly lineage, but also learned and ingenious, and well-versed in +the Scriptures, and the works of godly writers, both of ancient and +modern time. I noted that Robert was very silent during the rest of our +journey, and seemed abashed and troubled in the presence of the gay +gentleman; for, although a fair and comely youth, and of good family and +estate, and accounted solid and judicious beyond his years, he does, +nevertheless, much lack the ease and ready wit with which the latter +commendeth himself to my sweet kinswoman. We crossed about noon a broad +stream near to the sea, very deep and miry, so that we wetted our hose +and skirts somewhat; and soon, to our great joy, beheld the pleasant +cleared fields and dwellings of the settlement, stretching along for a +goodly distance; while, beyond all, the great ocean rolled, blue and +cold, under an high easterly wind. Passing through a broad path, with +well-tilled fields on each hand, where men were busy planting corn, and +young maids dropping the seed, we came at length to Uncle Rawson's +plantation, looking wellnigh as fair and broad as the lands of Hilton +Grange, with a good frame house, and large barns thereon. Turning up +the lane, we were met by the housekeeper, a respectable kinswoman, who +received us with great civility. Sir Thomas, although pressed to stay, +excused himself for the time, promising to call on the morrow, and rode +on to the ordinary. I was sadly tired with my journey, and was glad to +be shown to a chamber and a comfortable bed. + +I was awakened this morning by the pleasant voice of my cousin, who +shared my bed. She had arisen and thrown open the window looking +towards the sunrising, and the air came in soft and warm, and laden with +the sweets of flowers and green-growing things. And when I had gotten +myself ready, I sat with her at the window, and I think I may say it was +with a feeling of praise and thanksgiving that mine eyes wandered up and +down over the green meadows, and corn-fields, and orchards of my new +home. Where, thought I, foolish one, be the terrors of the wilderness, +which troubled thy daily thoughts and thy nightly dreams! Where be the +gloomy shades, and desolate mountains, and the wild beasts, with their +dismal howlings and rages! Here all looked peaceful, and bespoke +comfort and contentedness. Even the great woods which climbed up the +hills in the distance looked thin and soft, with their faint young +leaves a yellowish-gray, intermingled with pale, silvery shades, +indicating, as my cousin saith, the different kinds of trees, some of +which, like the willow, do put on their leaves early, and others late, +like the oak, with which the whole region aboundeth. A sweet, quiet +picture it was, with a warm sun, very bright and clear, shining over it, +and the great sea, glistening with the exceeding light, bounding the +view of mine eyes, but bearing my thoughts, like swift ships, to the +land of my birth, and so uniting, as it were, the New World with the +Old. Oh, thought I, the merciful God, who reneweth the earth and maketh +it glad and brave with greenery and flowers of various hues and smells, +and causeth his south winds to blow and his rains to fall, that seed- +time may not fail, doth even here, in the ends of his creation, prank +and beautify the work of his hands, making the desert places to rejoice, +and the wilderness to blossom as the rose. Verily his love is over +all,--the Indian heathen as well as the English Christian. And what +abundant cause for thanks have I, that I have been safely landed on a +shore so fair and pleasant, and enabled to open mine eyes in peace and +love on so sweet a May morning! And I was minded of a verse which I +learned from my dear and honored mother when a child,-- + + "Teach me, my God, thy love to know, + That this new light, which now I see, + May both the work and workman show; + Then by the sunbeams I will climb to thee." + +When we went below, we found on the window seat which looketh to the +roadway, a great bunch of flowers of many kinds, such as I had never +seen in mine own country, very fresh, and glistening with the dew. Now, +when Rebecca took them up, her sister said, "Nay, they are not Sir +Thomas's gift, for young Pike hath just left them." Whereat, as I +thought, she looked vexed, and ill at ease. "They are yours, then, +Cousin Margaret," said she, rallying, "for Robert and you did ride aside +all the way from Agawam, and he scarce spake to me the day long. I see +I have lost mine old lover, and my little cousin hath found a new one. +I shall write Cousin Oliver all about it." + +"Nay," said I, "old lovers are better than new; but I fear my sweet +cousin hath not so considered It." She blushed, and looked aside, and +for some space of time I did miss her smile, and she spake little. + + + +May 20. + +We had scarcely breakfasted, when him they Call Sir Thomas called on us, +and with him came also a Mr. Sewall, and the minister of the church, Mr. +Richardson, both of whom did cordially welcome home my cousins, and were +civil to my brother and myself. Mr. Richardson and Leonard fell to +conversing about the state of the Church; and Sir Thomas discoursed us +in his lively way. After some little tarry, Mr. Sewall asked us to go +with him to Deer's Island, a small way up the river, where he and Robert +Pike had some men splitting staves for the Bermuda market. As the day +was clear and warm, we did readily agree to go, and forthwith set out +for the river, passing through the woods for nearly a half mile. When +we came to the Merrimac, we found it a great and broad stream. We took +a boat, and were rowed up the river, enjoying the pleasing view of the +green banks, and the rocks hanging over the water, covered with bright +mosses, and besprinkled with pale, white flowers. Mr. Sewall pointed +out to us the different kinds of trees, and their nature and uses, and +especially the sugar-tree, which is very beautiful in its leaf and +shape, and from which the people of this country do draw a sap wellnigh +as sweet as the juice of the Indian cane, making good treacle and sugar. +Deer's Island hath rough, rocky shores, very high and steep, and is well +covered with a great growth of trees, mostly evergreen pines and +hemlocks which looked exceeding old. We found a good seat on the mossy +trunk of one of these great trees, which had fallen from its extreme +age, or from some violent blast of wind, from whence we could see the +water breaking into white foam on the rocks, and hear the melodious +sound of the wind in the leaves of the pines, and the singing of birds +ever and anon; and lest this should seem too sad and lonely, we could +also hear the sounds of the axes and beetles of the workmen, cleaving +the timber not far off. It was not long before Robert Pike came up and +joined us. He was in his working dress, and his face and hands were +much discolored by the smut of the burnt logs, which Rebecca playfully +remarking, he said there were no mirrors in the woods, and that must be +his apology; that, besides, it did not become a plain man, like himself, +who had to make his own fortune in the world, to try to imitate those +who had only to open their mouths, to be fed like young robins, without +trouble or toil. Such might go as brave as they would, if they would +only excuse his necessity. I thought he spoke with some bitterness, +which, indeed, was not without the excuse, that the manner of our gay +young gentleman towards him savored much of pride and contemptuousness. +My beloved cousin, who hath a good heart, and who, I must think, apart +from the wealth and family of Sir Thomas, rather inclineth to her old +friend and neighbor, spake cheerily and kindly to him, and besought me +privately to do somewhat to help her remove his vexation. So we did +discourse of many things very pleasantly. Mr. Richardson, on hearing +Rebecca say that the Indians did take the melancholy noises of the +pinetrees in the winds to be the voices of the Spirits of the woods, +said that they always called to his mind the sounds in the mulberry- +trees which the Prophet spake of. Hereupon Rebecca, who hath her memory +well provided with divers readings, both of the poets and other writers, +did cite very opportunely some ingenious lines, touching what the +heathens do relate of the Sacred Tree of Dodona, the rustling of whose +leaves the negro priestesses did hold to be the language of the gods. +And a late writer, she said, had something in one of his pieces, which +might well be spoken of the aged and dead tree-trunk, upon which we were +sitting. And when we did all desire to know their import, she repeated +them thus:-- + + "Sure thou didst flourish once, and many springs, + Many bright mornings, much dew, many showers, + Passed o'er thy head; many light hearts and wings, + Which now are dead, lodged in thy living towers." + + "And still a new succession sings and flies, + Fresh groves grow up, and their green branches shoot + Towards the old and still enduring skies, + While the low violet thriveth at their root." + + +These lines, she said, were written by one Vaughn, a Brecknockshire +Welsh Doctor of Medicine, who had printed a little book not many years +ago. Mr. Richardson said the lines were good, but that he did hold the +reading of ballads and the conceits of rhymers a waste of time, to say +nothing worse. Sir Thomas hereat said that, as far as he could judge, +the worthy folk of New England had no great temptation to that sin from +their own poets, and did then, in a drolling tone, repeat some verses of +the 137th Psalm, which he said were the best he had seen in the +Cambridge Psalm Book:-- + + "The rivers of Babylon, + There when we did sit down, + Yea, even then we mourned when + We remembered Sion. + + Our harp we did hang it amid + Upon the willow-tree; + Because there they that us away + Led to captivity! + + Required of us a song, and thus + Asked mirth us waste who laid, + Sing us among a Sion's song + Unto us as then they said." + +"Nay, Sir Thomas," quoth Mr. Richardson, "it is not seemly to jest over +the Word of God. The writers of our Book of Psalms in metre held +rightly, that God's altar needs no polishing; and truly they have +rendered the words of David into English verse with great fidelity." + +Our young gentleman, not willing to displeasure a man so esteemed as Mr. +Richardson, here made an apology for his jesting, and said that, as to +the Cambridge version, it was indeed faithful; and that it was no blame +to uninspired men, that they did fall short of the beauties and richness +of the Lord's Psalmist. It being now near noon, we crossed over the +river, to where was a sweet spring of water, very clear and bright, +running out upon the green bank. Now, as we stood thirsty, having no +cup to drink from, seeing some people near, we called to them, and +presently there came running to us a young and modest woman, with a +bright pewter tankard, which she filled and gave us. I thought her +sweet and beautiful, as Rebecca of old, at her father's fountain. She +was about leaving, when Mr. Richardson said to her, it was a foul shame +for one like her to give heed to the ranting of the Quakers, and bade +her be a good girl, and come to the meeting. + +"Nay," said she, "I have been there often, to small profit. The spirit +which thou persecutest testifieth against thee and thy meeting." + +Sir Thomas jestingly asked her if the spirit she spoke of was not such +an one as possessed Mary Magdalen. + +"Or the swine of the Gadarenes?" asked Mr. Richardson. + +I did smile with the others, but was presently sorry for it; for the +young maid answered not a word to this, but turning to Rebecca, she +said, "Thy father hath been hard with us, but thou seemest kind and +gentle, and I have heard of thy charities to the poor. The Lord keep +thee, for thou walkest in slippery places; there is danger, and thou +seest it not; thou trustest to the hearing of the ear and the seeing of +the eye; the Lord alone seeth the deceitfulness and the guile of man; +and if thou wilt cry mightily to Him, He can direct thee rightly." + +Her voice and manner were very weighty and solemn. I felt an awe come +upon me, and Rebecca's countenance was troubled. As the maiden left us, +the minister, looking after said, "There is a deal of poison under the +fair outside of yonder vessel, which I fear is fitted for destruction." + +"Peggy Brewster is indeed under a delusion," answered Robert Pike, "but +I know no harm of her. She is kind to all, even to them who evil +entreat her." + +"Robert, Robert!" cried the minister, "I fear me you will follow your +honored father, who has made himself of ill repute, by favoring these +people."--"The Quaker hath bewitched him with her bright eyes, perhaps," +quoth Sir Thomas. "I would she had laid a spell on an uncivil tongue I +wot of," answered Robert, angrily. Hereupon, Mr. Sewall proposed that +we should return, and in making ready and getting to the boat, the +matter was dropped. + + + +NEWBURY, June 1, 1678. + +To-day Sir Thomas took his leave of us, being about to go back to +Boston. Cousin Rebecca is, I can see, much taken with his outside +bravery and courtliness, yet she hath confessed to me that her sober +judgment doth greatly incline her towards her old friend and neighbor, +Robert Pike. She hath even said that she doubted not she could live a +quieter and happier life with him than with such an one as Sir Thomas; +and that the words of the Quaker maid, whom we met at the spring on the +river side, had disquieted her not a little, inasmuch as they did seem +to confirm her own fears and misgivings. But her fancy is so bedazzled +with the goodly show of her suitor, that I much fear he can have her for +the asking, especially as her father, to my knowledge, doth greatly +favor him. And, indeed, by reason of her gracious manner, witty and +pleasant discoursing, excellent breeding, and dignity, she would do no +discredit to the choice of one far higher than this young gentleman in +estate and rank. + + + +June 10. + +I went this morning with Rebecca to visit Elnathan Stone, a, young +neighbor, who has been lying sorely ill for a long time. He was a +playmate of my cousin when a boy, and was thought to be of great promise +as he grew up to manhood; but, engaging in the war with the heathen, he +was wounded and taken captive by them, and after much suffering was +brought back to his home a few months ago. On entering the house where +he lay, we found his mother, a careworn and sad woman, spinning in the +room by his bedside. A very great and bitter sorrow was depicted on her +features; it was the anxious, unreconciled, and restless look of one who +did feel herself tried beyond her patience, and might not be comforted. +For, as I learned, she was a poor widow, who had seen her young daughter +tomahawked by the Indians; and now her only son, the hope of her old +age, was on his death-bed. She received us with small civility, telling +Rebecca that it was all along of the neglect of the men in authority +that her son had got his death in the wars, inasmuch as it was the want +of suitable diet and clothing, rather than his wounds, which had brought +him into his present condition. Now, as Uncle Rawson is one of the +principal magistrates, my sweet cousin knew that the poor afflicted +creature meant to reproach him; but her good heart did excuse and +forgive the rudeness and distemper of one whom the Lord had sorely +chastened. So she spake kindly and lovingly, and gave her sundry nice +dainty fruits and comforting cordials, which she had got from Boston for +the sick man. Then, as she came to his bedside, and took his hand +lovingly in her own, he thanked her for her many kindnesses, and prayed +God to bless her. He must have been a handsome lad in health, for he +had a fair, smooth forehead, shaded with brown, curling hair, and large, +blue eyes, very sweet and gentle in their look. He told us that he felt +himself growing weaker, and that at times his bodily suffering was +great. But through the mercy of his Saviour he had much peace of mind. +He was content to leave all things in His hand. For his poor mother's +sake, he said, more than for his own, he would like to get about once +more; there were many things he would like to do for her, and for all +who had befriended him; but he knew his Heavenly Father could do more +and better for them, and he felt resigned to His will. He had, he said, +forgiven all who ever wronged him, and he had now no feeling of anger or +unkindness left towards any one, for all seemed kind to him beyond his +deserts, and like brothers and sisters. He had much pity for the poor +savages even, although he had suffered sorely at their hands; for he did +believe that they had been often ill-used, and cheated, and otherwise +provoked to take up arms against us. Hereupon, Goodwife Stone twirled +her spindle very spitefully, and said she would as soon pity the Devil +as his children. The thought of her mangled little girl, and of her +dying son, did seem to overcome her, and she dropped her thread, and +cried out with an exceeding bitter cry,--"Oh, the bloody heathen! Oh, +my poor murdered Molly! Oh, my son, my son!"--"Nay, mother," said the +sick man, reaching out his hand and taking hold of his mother's, with a +sweet smile on his pale face,--"what does Christ tell us about loving +our enemies, and doing good to them that do injure us? Let us forgive +our fellow-creatures, for we have all need of God's forgiveness. I used +to feel as mother does," he said, turning to us; "for I went into the +war with a design to spare neither young nor old of the enemy. + +"But I thank God that even in that dark season my heart relented at the +sight of the poor starving women and children, chased from place to +place like partridges. Even the Indian fighters, I found, had sorrows +of their own, and grievous wrongs to avenge; and I do believe, if we had +from the first treated them as poor blinded brethren, and striven as +hard to give them light and knowledge, as we have to cheat them in +trade, and to get away their lands, we should have escaped many bloody +wars, and won many precious souls to Christ." + +I inquired of him concerning his captivity. He was wounded, he told me, +in a fight with the Sokokis Indians two years before. It was a hot +skirmish in the woods; the English and the Indians now running forward, +and then falling back, firing at each other from behind the trees. He +had shot off all his powder, and, being ready to faint by reason of a +wound in his knee, he was fain to sit down against an oak, from whence +he did behold, with great sorrow and heaviness of heart, his companions +overpowered by the number of their enemies, fleeing away and leaving him +to his fate. The savages soon came to him with dreadful whoopings, +brandishing their hatchets and their scalping-knives. He thereupon +closed his eyes, expecting to be knocked in the head, and killed +outright. But just then a noted chief coming up in great haste, bade +him be of good cheer, for he was his prisoner, and should not be slain. +He proved to be the famous Sagamore Squando, the chief man of the +Sokokis. + +"And were you kindly treated by this chief?" asked Rebecca. + +"I suffered much in moving with him to the Sebago Lake, owing to my +wound," he replied; "but the chief did all in his power to give me +comfort, and he often shared with me his scant fare, choosing rather to +endure hunger himself, than to see his son, as he called me, in want of +food. And one night, when I did marvel at this kindness on his part, he +told me that I had once done him a great service; asking me if I was not +at Black Point, in a fishing vessel, the summer before? I told him I +was. He then bade me remember the bad sailors who upset the canoe of a +squaw, and wellnigh drowned her little child, and that I had threatened +and beat them for it; and also how I gave the squaw a warm coat to wrap +up the poor wet papoose. It was his squaw and child that I had +befriended; and he told me that be had often tried to speak to me, and +make known his gratitude therefor; and that he came once to the garrison +at Sheepscot, where he saw me; but being fired at, notwithstanding his +signs of peace and friendship, he was obliged to flee into the woods. +He said the child died a few days after its evil treatment, and the +thought of it made his heart bitter; that he had tried to live peaceably +with the white men, but they had driven him into the war. + +"On one occasion," said the sick soldier, "as we lay side by side in his +hut, on the shore of the Sebago Lake, Squando, about midnight, began to +pray to his God very earnestly. And on my querying with him about it, +he said he was greatly in doubt what to do, and had prayed for some sign +of the Great Spirit's will concerning him. He then told me that some +years ago, near the place where we then lay, he left his wigwam at +night, being unable to sleep, by reason of great heaviness and distemper +of mind. It was a full moon, and as he did walk to and fro, he saw a +fair, tall man in a long black dress, standing in the light on the +lake's shore, who spake to him and called him by name. + +"'Squando,' he said, and his voice was deep and solemn, like the wind in +the hill pines, 'the God of the white man is the God of the Indian, and +He is angry with his red children. He alone is able to make the corn +grow before the frost, and to lead the fish up the rivers in the spring, +and to fill the woods with deer and other game, and the ponds and +meadows with beavers. Pray to Him always. Do not hunt on His day, nor +let the squaws hoe the corn. Never taste of the strong fire-water, but +drink only from the springs. It, is because the Indians do not worship +Him, that He has brought the white men among them; but if they will pray +like the white men, they will grow very great and strong, and their +children born in this moon will live to see the English sail back in +their great canoes, and leave the Indians all their fishing-places and +hunting-grounds.' + +"When the strange man had thus spoken, Squando told me that he went +straightway up to him, but found where he had stood only the shadow of +a broken tree, which lay in the moon across the white sand of the shore. +Then he knew it was a spirit, and he trembled, but was glad. Ever +since, he told nee, he had prayed daily to the Great Spirit, had drank +no rum, nor hunted on the Sabbath. + +"He said he did for a long time refuse to dig up his hatchet, and make +war upon the whites, but that he could not sit idle in his wigwam, while +his young men were gone upon their war-path. The spirit of his dead +child did moreover speak to him from the land of souls, and chide him +for not seeking revenge. Once, he told me, he had in a dream seen the +child crying and moaning bitterly, and that when he inquired the cause +of its grief, he was told that the Great Spirit was angry with its +father, and would destroy him and his people unless he did join with the +Eastern Indians to cut off the English." + +"I remember," said Rebecca, "of hearing my father speak of this +Squando's kindness to a young maid taken captive some years ago at +Presumpscot." + +"I saw her at Cocheco," said the sick man. "Squando found her in a sad +plight, and scarcely alive, took her to his wigwam, where his squaw did +lovingly nurse and comfort her; and when she was able to travel, he +brought her to Major Waldron's, asking no ransom for her. He might have +been made the fast friend of the English at that time, but he scarcely +got civil treatment." + +"My father says that many friendly Indians, by the ill conduct of the +traders, have been made our worst enemies," said Rebecca. "He thought +the bringing in of the Mohawks to help us a sin comparable to that of +the Jews, who looked for deliverance from the King of Babylon at the +hands of the Egyptians." + +"They did nothing but mischief," said Elnathan Stone; "they killed our +friends at Newichawannock, Blind Will and his family." + +Rebecca here asked him if he ever heard the verses writ by Mr. Sewall +concerning the killing of Blind Will. And when he told her he had not, +and would like to have her repeat them, if she could remember, she did +recite them thus:-- + + "Blind Will of Newiehawannock! + He never will whoop again, + For his wigwam's burnt above him, + And his old, gray scalp is ta'en! + + "Blind Will was the friend of white men, + On their errands his young men ran, + And he got him a coat and breeches, + And looked like a Christian man. + + "Poor Will of Newiehawannock! + They slew him unawares, + Where he lived among his people, + Keeping Sabhath and saying prayers. + + "Now his fields will know no harvest, + And his pipe is clean put out, + And his fine, brave coat and breeches + The Mohog wears about. + + "Woe the day our rulers listened + To Sir Edmund's wicked plan, + Bringing down the cruel Mohogs + Who killed the poor old man. + + "Oh! the Lord He will requite us; + For the evil we have done, + There'll be many a fair scalp drying + In the wind and in the sun! + + "There'll be many a captive sighing, + In a bondage long and dire; + There'll be blood in many a corn-field, + And many a house a-fire. + + "And the Papist priests the tidings + Unto all the tribes will send; + They'll point to Newiehawannock,-- + 'So the English treat their friend!' + + "Let the Lord's anointed servants + Cry aloud against this wrong, + Till Sir Edmund take his Mohogs + Back again where they belong. + + "Let the maiden and the mother + In the nightly watching share, + While the young men guard the block-house, + And the old men kneel in prayer. + + "Poor Will of Newiehawannock! + For thy sad and cruel fall, + And the bringing in of the Mohogs, + May the Lord forgive us all!" + +A young woman entered the house just as Rebecca finished the verses. +She bore in her hands a pail of milk and a fowl neatly dressed, which +she gave to Elnathan's mother, and, seeing strangers by his bedside, was +about to go out, when he called to her and besought her to stay. As she +came up and spoke to him, I knew her to be the maid we had met at the +spring. The young man, with tears in his eyes, acknowledged her great +kindness to him, at which she seemed troubled and abashed. A pure, +sweet complexion she hath, and a gentle and loving look, full of +innocence and sincerity. Rebecca seemed greatly disturbed, for she no +doubt thought of the warning words of this maiden, when we were at the +spring. After she had left, Goodwife Stone said she was sure she could +not tell what brought that Quaker girl to her house so much, unless she +meant to inveigle Elnathan; but, for her part, she would rather see him +dead than live to bring reproach upon his family and the Church by +following after the blasphemers. I ventured to tell her that I did look +upon it as sheer kindness and love on the young woman's part; at which +Elnathan seemed pleased, and said he could not doubt it, and that he did +believe Peggy Brewster to be a good Christian, although sadly led astray +by the Quakers. His mother said that, with all her meek looks, and kind +words, she was full of all manner of pestilent heresies, and did remind +her always of Satan in the shape of an angel of light. + +We went away ourselves soon after this, the sick man thanking us for our +visit, and hoping that he should see us again. "Poor Elnathan," said +Rebecca, as we walked home, "he will never go abroad again; but he is in +such a good and loving frame of mind, that he needs not our pity, as one +who is without hope." + +"He reminds me," I said, "of the comforting promise of Scripture, 'Thou +wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.'" + + + +June 30, 1678. + +Mr. Rawson and Sir Thomas Hale came yesterday from Boston. I was +rejoiced to see mine uncle, more especially as he brought for me a +package of letters, and presents and tokens of remembrance from my +friends on the other side of the water. As soon as I got them, I went +up to my chamber, and, as I read of the health of those who are very +dear to me, and who did still regard me with unchanged love, I wept in +my great joy, and my heart overflowed in thankfulness. I read the 22d +Psalm, and it did seem to express mine own feelings in view of the great +mercies and blessings vouchsafed to me. "My head is anointed with oil; +my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the +days of my life." + +This morning, Sir Thomas and Uncle Rawson rode over to Hampton, where +they will tarry all night. Last evening, Rebecca had a long talk with +her father concerning Sir Thomas, who hath asked her of him. She came +to bed very late, and lay restless and sobbing; whereupon I pressed her +to know the cause of her grief, when she told me she had consented to +marry Sir Thomas, but that her heart was sorely troubled and full of +misgivings. On my querying whether she did really love the young +gentleman, she said she sometimes feared she did not; and that when her +fancy had made a fair picture of the life of a great lady in England, +there did often come a dark cloud over it like the shade of some heavy +disappointment or sorrow. "Sir Thomas," she said, "was a handsome and +witty young man, and had demeaned himself to the satisfaction and good +repute of her father and the principal people of the Colony; and his +manner towards her had been exceeding delicate and modest, inasmuch as +he had presumed nothing upon his family or estate, but had sought her +with much entreaty and humility, although he did well know that some of +the most admired and wealthy Young women in Boston did esteem him not a +little, even to the annoying of herself, as one whom he especially +favored." + +"This will be heavy news to Robert Pike," said I; "and I am sorry for +him, for he is indeed a worthy man." + +"That he is," quoth she; "but he hath never spoken to me of aught beyond +that friendliness which, as neighbors and school companions, we do +innocently cherish for each other." + +"Nay," said I, "my sweet cousin knows full well that he entertaineth so +strong an affection for her, that there needeth no words to reveal it." + +"Alas!" she answered, "it is too true. When I am with him, I sometimes +wish I had never seen Sir Thomas. But my choice is made, and I pray God +I may not have reason to repent of it." + +We said no more, but I fear she slept little, for on waking about the +break of day, I saw her sitting in her night-dress by the window. +Whereupon I entreated her to return to her bed, which she at length did, +and folding me in her arms, and sobbing as if her heart would break, she +besought me to pity her, for it was no light thing which she had done, +and she scarcely knew her own mind, nor whether to rejoice or weep over +it. I strove to comfort her, and, after a time, she did, to my great +joy, fall into a quiet sleep. + +This afternoon, Robert Pike came in, and had a long talk with Cousin +Broughton, who told him how matters stood between her sister and Sir +Thomas, at which he was vehemently troubled, and would fain have gone to +seek Rebecca at once, and expostulate with her, but was hindered on +being told that it could only grieve and discomfort her, inasmuch as the +thing was well settled, and could not be broken off. He said he had +known and loved her from a child; that for her sake he had toiled hard +by day and studied by night; and that in all his travels and voyages, +her sweet image had always gone with him. He would bring no accusation +against her, for she had all along treated him rather as a brother than +as a suitor: to which last condition he had indeed not felt himself at +liberty to venture, after her honored father, some months ago, had given +him to understand that he did design an alliance of his daughter with a +gentleman of estate and family. For himself, he would bear himself +manfully, and endure his sorrow with patience and fortitude. His only +fear was, that his beloved friend had been too hasty in deciding the +matter; and that he who was her choice might not be worthy of the great +gift of her affection. Cousin Broughton, who has hitherto greatly +favored the pretensions of Sir Thomas, told me that she wellnigh changed +her mind in view of the manly and noble bearing of Robert Pike; and that +if her sister were to live in this land, she would rather see her the +wife of him than of any other man therein. + + + +July 3. + +Sir Thomas took his leave to-day. Robert Pike hath been here to wish +Rebecca great joy and happiness in her prospect, which he did in so kind +and gentle a manner, that she was fain to turn away her head to hide her +tears. When Robert saw this, he turned the discourse, and did endeavor +to divert her mind in such sort that the shade of melancholy soon left +her sweet face, and the twain talked together cheerfully as had been +their wont, and as became their years and conditions. + + + +July 6. + +Yesterday a strange thing happened in the meeting-house. The minister +had gone on in his discourse, until the sand in the hour-glass on the +rails before the deacons had wellnigh run out, and Deacon Dole was about +turning it, when suddenly I saw the congregation all about me give a +great start, and look back. A young woman, barefooted, and with a +coarse canvas frock about her, and her long hair hanging loose like a +periwig, and sprinkled with ashes, came walking up the south aisle. +Just as she got near Uncle Rawson's seat she stopped, and turning round +towards the four corners of the house, cried out: "Woe to the +persecutors! Woe to them who for a pretence make long prayers! Humble +yourselves, for this is the day of the Lord's power, and I am sent as a +sign among you!" As she looked towards me I knew her to be the Quaker +maiden, Margaret Brewster. "Where is the constable?" asked Mr. +Richardson. "Let the woman be taken out." Thereupon the whole +congregation arose, and there was a great uproar, men and women climbing +the seats, and many crying out, some one thing and some another. In the +midst of the noise, Mr. Sewall, getting up on a bench, begged the people +to be quiet, and let the constable lead out the poor deluded creature. +Mr. Richardson spake to the same effect, and, the tumult a little +subsiding, I saw them taking the young woman out of the door; and, as +many followed her, I went out also, with my brother, to see what became +of her. + +We found her in the middle of a great crowd of angry people, who +reproached her for her wickedness in disturbing the worship on the +Lord's day, calling her all manner of foul names, and threatening her +with the stocks and the whipping-post. The poor creature stood still +and quiet; she was deathly pale, and her wild hair and sackcloth frock +gave her a very strange and pitiable look. The constable was about to +take her in charge until the morrow, when Robert Pike came forward, and +said he would answer for her appearance at the court the next day, and +besought the people to let her go quietly to her home, which, after some +parley, was agreed to. Robert then went up to her, and taking her hand, +asked her to go with him. She looked up, and being greatly touched by +his kindness, began to weep, telling him that it had been a sorrowful +cross to her to do as she had done; but that it had been long upon her +mind, and that she did feel a relief now that she had found strength for +obedience. He, seeing the people still following, hastened her, away, +and we all went back to the meeting-house. In the afternoon, Mr. +Richardson gave notice that he should preach, next Lord's day, from the +12th and 13th verses of Jude, wherein the ranters and disturbers of the +present day were very plainly spoken of. This morning she hath been had +before the magistrates, who, considering her youth and good behavior +hitherto, did not proceed against her so far as many of the people +desired. A fine was laid upon her, which both she and her father did +profess they could not in conscience pay, whereupon she was ordered to +be set in the stocks; but this Mr. Sewall, Robert Pike, and my brother +would by no means allow, but paid the fine themselves, so that she was +set at liberty, whereat the boys and rude women were not a little +disappointed, as they had thought to make sport of her in the stocks. +Mr. Pike, I hear, did speak openly in her behalf before the magistrates, +saying that it was all along of the cruel persecution of these people +that did drive them to such follies and breaches of the peace, Mr. +Richardson, who hath heretofore been exceeding hard upon the Quakers, +did, moreover, speak somewhat in excuse of her conduct, believing that +she was instigated by her elders; and he therefore counselled the court +that she should not be whipped, + + + +August 1. + +Captain Sewall, R. Pike, and the minister, Mr. Richardson, at our house +to-day. Captain Sewall, who lives mostly at Boston, says that a small +vessel loaded with negroes, taken on the Madagascar coast, came last +week into the harbor, and that the owner thereof had offered the negroes +for sale as slaves, and that they had all been sold to magistrates, +ministers, and other people of distinction in Boston and thereabouts. +He said the negroes were principally women and children, and scarcely +alive, by reason of their long voyage and hard fare. He thought it a +great scandal to the Colony, and a reproach to the Church, that they +should be openly trafficked, like cattle in the market. Uncle Rawson +said it was not so formerly; for he did remember the case of Captain +Smith and one Kesar, who brought negroes from Guinea thirty years ago. +The General Court, urged thereto by Sir Richard Saltonstall and many of +the ministers, passed an order that, for the purpose of "bearing a +witness against the heinous sin of man-stealing, justly abhorred of all +good and just men," the negroes should be taken back to their own +country at the charge of the Colony; which was soon after done. +Moreover, the two men, Smith and Kesar, were duly punished. + +Mr. Richardson said he did make a distinction between the stealing of +men from a nation at peace with us, and the taking of captives in war. +The Scriptures did plainly warrant the holding of such, and especially +if they be heathen. + +Captain Sewall said he did, for himself, look upon all slave-holding as +contrary to the Gospel and the New Dispensation. The Israelites had a +special warrant for holding the heathen in servitude; but he had never +heard any one pretend that he had that authority for enslaving Indians +and blackamoors. + +Hereupon Mr. Richardson asked him if he did not regard Deacon Dole as a +godly man; and if he had aught to say against him and other pious men +who held slaves. And he cautioned him to be careful, lest he should be +counted an accuser of the brethren. + +Here Robert Pike said he would tell of a matter which had fallen under +his notice. "Just after the war was over," said be, "owing to the loss +of my shallop in the Penobscot Bay, I chanced to be in the neighborhood +of him they call the Baron of Castine, who hath a strong castle, with +much cleared land and great fisheries at Byguyduce. I was preparing to +make a fire and sleep in the woods, with my two men, when a messenger +came from the Baron, saying that his master, hearing that strangers were +in the neighborhood, had sent him to offer us food and shelter, as the +night was cold and rainy. So without ado we went with him, and were +shown into a comfortable room in a wing of the castle, where we found a +great fire blazing, and a joint of venison with wheaten loaves on the +table. After we had refreshed ourselves, the Baron sent for me, and I +was led into a large, fair room, where he was, with Modockawando, who +was his father-in-law, and three or four other chiefs of the Indians, +together with two of his priests. The Baron, who was a man of goodly +appearance, received me with much courtesy; and when I told him my +misfortune, he said he was glad it was in his power to afford us a +shelter. He discoursed about the war, which he said had been a sad +thing to the whites as well as the Indians, but that he now hoped the +peace would be lasting. Whereupon, Modockawando, a very grave and +serious heathen, who had been sitting silent with his friends, got up +and spoke a load speech to me, which I did not understand, but was told +that he did complain of the whites for holding as slaves sundry Indian +captives, declaring that it did provoke another war. His own sister's +child, he said, was thus held in captivity. He entreated me to see the +great Chief of our people (meaning the Governor), and tell him that the +cries of the captives were heard by his young men, and that they were +talking of digging up the hatchet which the old men had buried at Casco. +I told the old savage that I did not justify the holding of Indians +after the peace, and would do what I could to have them set at liberty, +at which he seemed greatly rejoiced. Since I came back from Castine's +country, I have urged the giving up of the Indians, and many have been +released. Slavery is a hard lot, and many do account it worse than +death. When in the Barbadoes, I was told that on one plantation, in the +space of five years, a score of slaves had hanged themselves." + +"Mr. Atkinson's Indian," said Captain Sewall, "whom he bought of a +Virginia ship-owner, did, straightway on coming to his house, refuse +meat; and although persuasions and whippings were tried to make him eat, +he would not so much as take a sip of drink. I saw him a day or two +before he died, sitting wrapped up in his blanket, and muttering to +himself. It was a sad, sight, and I pray God I may never see the like +again. From that time I have looked upon the holding of men as slaves +as a great wickedness. The Scriptures themselves do testify, that he +that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity." + +After the company had gone, Rebecca sat silent and thoughtful for a +time, and then bade her young serving-girl, whom her father had bought, +about a year before, of the master of a Scotch vessel, and who had been +sold to pay the cost of her passage, to come to her. She asked her if +she had aught to complain of in her situation. The poor girl looked +surprised, but said she had not. "Are you content to live as a +servant?" asked Rebecca. "Would you leave me if you could?" She here +fell a-weeping, begging her mistress not to speak of her leaving. "But +if I should tell you that you are free to go or stay, as you will, would +you be glad or sorry?" queried her mistress. The poor girl was silent. +"I do not wish you to leave me, Effie," said Rebecca, "but I wish you to +know that you are from henceforth free, and that if you serve me +hereafter, as I trust you will, it will be in love and good will, and +for suitable wages." The bondswoman did not at the first comprehend the +design of her mistress, but, on hearing it explained once more, she +dropped down on her knees, and clasping Rebecca, poured forth her thanks +after the manner of her people; whereupon Rebecca, greatly moved, bade +her rise, as she had only done what the Scriptures did require, in +giving to her servant that which is just and equal. + +"How easy it is to make others happy, and ourselves also!" she said, +turning to me, with the tears shining in her eyes. + + + +August 8, 1678. + +Elnathan Stone, who died two days ago, was buried this afternoon. A +very solemn funeral, Mr. Richardson preaching a sermon from the 23d +psalm, 4th verse: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow +of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy +staff, they comfort me." Deacon Dole provided the wine and spirits, and +Uncle Rawson the beer, and bread, and fish for the entertainment, and +others of the neighbors did, moreover, help the widow to sundry matters +of clothing suitable for the occasion, for she was very poor, and, owing +to the long captivity and sickness of her son, she hath been much +straitened at times. I am told that Margaret Brewster hath been like an +angel of mercy unto her, watching often with the sick man, and helping +her in her work, so that the poor woman is now fain to confess that she +hath a good and kind heart. A little time before Elnathan died, he did +earnestly commend the said Margaret to the kindness of Cousin Rebecca, +entreating her to make interest with the magistrates, and others in +authority, in her behalf, that they might be merciful to her in her +outgoings, as he did verily think they did come of a sense of duty, +albeit mistaken. Mr. Richardson, who hath been witness to her gracious +demeanor and charity, and who saith she does thereby shame many of his +own people, hath often sought to draw her away from the new doctrines, +and to set before her the dangerous nature of her errors; but she never +lacketh answer of some sort, being naturally of good parts, and well +read in the Scriptures. + + + +August 10. + +I find the summer here greatly unlike that of mine own country. The +heat is great, the sun shining very strong and bright; and for more than +a month it hath been exceeding dry, without any considerable fall of +rain, so that the springs fail in many places, and the watercourses are +dried up, which doth bring to mind very forcibly the language of Job, +concerning the brooks which the drouth consumeth: "What time they wax +warm they vanish; when it is hot they are consumed out of their place. +The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing and perish." +The herbage and grass have lost much of the brightness which they did +wear in the early summer; moreover, there be fewer flowers to be seen. +The fields and roads are dusty, and all things do seem to faint and wax +old under the intolerable sun. Great locusts sing sharp in the hedges +and bushes, and grasshoppers fly up in clouds, as it were, when one +walks over the dry grass which they feed upon, and at nightfall +mosquitoes are no small torment. Whenever I do look forth at noonday, +at which time the air is all aglow, with a certain glimmer and dazzle +like that from an hot furnace, and see the poor fly-bitten cattle +whisking their tails to keep off the venomous insects, or standing in +the water of the low grounds for coolness, and the panting sheep lying +together under the shade of trees, I must needs call to mind the summer +season of old England, the cool sea air, the soft-dropping showers, the +fields so thick with grasses, and skirted with hedge-rows like green +walls, the trees and shrubs all clean and moist, and the vines and +creepers hanging over walls and gateways, very plenteous and beautiful +to behold. Ah me I often in these days do I think of Hilton Grange, +with its great oaks, and cool breezy hills and meadows green the summer +long. I shut mine eyes, and lo! it is all before me like a picture; I +see mine uncle's gray hairs beneath the trees, and my good aunt standeth +in the doorway, and Cousin Oliver comes up in his field-dress, from the +croft or the mill; I can hear his merry laugh, and the sound of his +horse's hoofs ringing along the gravel-way. Our sweet Chaucer telleth +of a mirror in the which he that looked did see all his past life; that +magical mirror is no fable, for in the memory of love, old things do +return and show themselves as features do in the glass, with a perfect +and most beguiling likeness. + +Last night, Deacon Dole's Indian--One-eyed Tom, a surly fellow--broke +into his master's shop, where he made himself drunk with rum, and, +coming to the house, did greatly fright the womenfolk by his threatening +words and gestures. Now, the Deacon coming home late from the church- +meeting, and seeing him in this way, wherreted him smartly with his +cane, whereupon he ran off, and came up the road howling and yelling +like an evil spirit. Uncle Rawson sent his Irish man-servant to see +what caused the ado; but he straightway came running back, screaming +"Murther! murther!" at the top of his voice. So uncle himself went to +the gate, and presently called for a light, which Rebecca and I came +with, inasmuch as the Irishman and Effie dared not go out. We found Tom +sitting on the horse-block, the blood running down his face, and much +bruised and swollen. He was very fierce and angry, saying that if he +lived a month, he would make him a tobacco-pouch of the Deacon's scalp. +Rebecca ventured to chide him for his threats, but offered to bind up +his head for him, which she did with her own kerchief. Uncle Rawson +then bade him go home and get to bed, and in future let alone strong +drink, which had been the cause of his beating. This he would not do, +but went off into the woods, muttering as far as one could hear him. + +This morning Deacon Dole came in, and said his servant Tom had behaved +badly, for which he did moderately correct him, and that he did +thereupon run away, and he feared he should lose him. He bought him, +he said, of Captain Davenport, who brought him from the Narragansett +country, paying ten pounds and six shillings for him, and he could ill +bear so great a loss. I ventured to tell him that it was wrong to hold +any man, even an Indian or Guinea black, as a slave. My uncle, who saw +that my plainness was not well taken, bade me not meddle with matters +beyond my depth; and Deacon Dole, looking very surly at me, said I was a +forward one; that he had noted that I did wear a light and idle look in +the meeting-house; and, pointing with his cane to my hair, he said I did +render myself liable to presentment by the Grand Jury for a breach of +the statute of the General Court, made the year before, against "the +immodest laying out of the hair," &c. He then went on to say that he +had lived to see strange times, when such as I did venture to oppose +themselves to sober and grave people, and to despise authority, and +encourage rebellion and disorder; and bade me take heed lest all such +be numbered with the cursed children which the Apostle did rebuke: "Who, +as natural brute beasts, speak evil of things they understand not, and +shall utterly perish in their corruption." My dear Cousin Rebecca here +put in a word in my behalf, and told the Deacon that Tom's misbehavior +did all grow out of the keeping of strong liquors for sale, and that he +was wrong to beat him so cruelly, seeing that he did himself place the +temptation before him. Thereupon the Deacon rose up angrily, bidding +uncle look well to his forward household. "Nay, girls," quoth mine +uncle, after his neighbor had left the house, "you have angered the good +man sorely."--"Never heed," said Rebecca, laughing and clapping her +hands, "be hath got something to think of more profitable, I trow, than +Cousin Margaret's hair or looks in meeting. He has been tything of mint +and anise and cummin long enough, and 't is high time for him to look +after the weightier matters of the law." + +The selling of beer and strong liquors, Mr. Ewall says, hath much +increased since the troubles of the Colony and the great Indian war. +The General Court do take some care to grant licenses only to discreet +persons; but much liquor is sold without warrant. For mine own part, I +think old Chaucer hath it right in his Pardoner's Tale:-- + + "A likerous thing is wine, and drunkenness + Is full of striving and of wretchedness. + O drunken man! disfigured is thy face, + Sour is thy breath, foul art then to embrace; + Thy tongue is lost, and all thine honest care, + For drunkenness is very sepulture + Of man's wit and his discretion." + + + +AGAMENTICUS, August 18. + +The weather being clear and the heat great, last week uncle and aunt, +with Rebecca and myself, and also Leonard and Sir Thomas, thought it a +fitting time to make a little journey by water to the Isles of Shoals, +and the Agamenticus, where dwelleth my Uncle Smith, who hath strongly +pressed me to visit him. One Caleb Powell, a seafaring man, having a +good new boat, with a small cabin, did undertake to convey us. He is a +drolling odd fellow, who hath been in all parts of the world, and hath +seen and read much, and, having a rare memory, is not ill company, +although uncle saith one must make no small allowance for his desire of +making his hearers marvel at his stories and conceits. We sailed with a +good westerly wind down the river, passing by the great salt marshes, +which stretch a long way by the sea, and in which the town's people be +now very busy in mowing and gathering the grass for winter's use. +Leaving on our right hand Plum Island (so called on account of the rare +plums which do grow upon it), we struck into the open sea, and soon came +in sight of the Islands of Shoals. There be seven of them in all, lying +off the town of Hampton on the mainland, about a league. We landed on +that called the Star, and were hospitably entertained through the day +and night by Mr. Abbott, an old inhabitant of the islands, and largely +employed in fisheries and trade, and with whom uncle had some business. +In the afternoon Mr. Abbott's son rowed us about among the islands, and +showed us the manner of curing the dun-fish, for which the place is +famed. They split the fishes, and lay them on the rocks in the sun, +using little salt, but turning them often. There is a court-house on +the biggest island, and a famous school, to which many of the planters +on the main-land do send their children. We noted a great split in the +rocks, where, when the Indians came to the islands many years ago, and +killed some and took others captive, one Betty Moody did hide herself, +and which is hence called Betty Moody's Hole. Also, the pile of rocks +set up by the noted Captain John Smith, when he did take possession of +the Isles in the year 1614. We saw our old acquaintance Peckanaminet +and his wife, in a little birch canoe, fishing a short way off. Mr. +Abbott says he well recollects the time when the Agawams were wellnigh +cut off by the Tarratine Indians; for that early one morning, hearing a +loud yelling and whooping, he went out on the point of the rocks, and +saw a great fleet of canoes filled with Indians, going back from Agawam, +and the noise they made he took to be their rejoicing over their +victory. + +In the evening a cold easterly wind began to blow, and it brought in +from the ocean a damp fog, so that we were glad to get within doors. +Sir Thomas entertained us by his lively account of things in Boston, and +of a journey he had made to the Providence plantations. He then asked +us if it was true, as he had learned from Mr. Mather, of Boston, that +there was an house in Newbury dolefully beset by Satan's imps, and that +the family could get no sleep because of the doings of evil spirits. +Uncle Rawson said he did hear something of it, and that Mr. Richardson +had been sent for to pray against the mischief. Yet as he did count +Goody Morse a poor silly woman, he should give small heed to her story; +but here was her near neighbor, Caleb Powell, who could doubtless tell +more concerning it. Whereupon, Caleb said it was indeed true that there +was a very great disturbance in Goodman Morse's house; doors opening and +shutting, household stuff whisked out of the room, and then falling down +the chimney, and divers other strange things, many of which he had +himself seen. Yet he did believe it might be accounted for in a natural +way, especially as the old couple had a wicked, graceless boy living +with them, who might be able to do the tricks by his great subtlety and +cunning. Sir Thomas said it might be the boy; but that Mr. Josselin, +who had travelled much hereabout, had told him that the Indians did +practise witchcraft, and that, now they were beaten in war, he feared +they would betake themselves to it, and so do by their devilish wisdom +what they could not do by force; and verily this did look much like the +beginning of their enchantments. "That the Devil helpeth the heathen in +this matter, I do myself know for a certainty," said Caleb Powell; "for +when I was at Port Royal, many years ago, I did see with mine eyes the +burning of an old negro wizard, who had done to death many of the +whites, as well as his own people, by a charm which he brought with him +from the Guinea, country." Mr. Hull, the minister of the place, who was +a lodger in the house, said he had heard one Foxwell, a reputable +planter at Saco, lately deceased, tell of a strange affair that did +happen to himself, in a voyage to the eastward. Being in a small +shallop, and overtaken by the night, he lay at anchor a little way off +the shore, fearing to land on account of the Indians. Now, it did +chance that they were waked about midnight by a loud voice from the +land, crying out, Foxwell, come ashore! three times over; whereupon, +looking to see from whence the voice did come, they beheld a great +circle of fire on the beach, and men and women dancing about it in a +ring. Presently they vanished, and the fire was quenched also. In the +morning he landed, but found no Indians nor English, only brands' ends +cast up by the waves; and he did believe, unto the day of his death, +that it was a piece of Indian sorcery. "There be strange stories told +of Passaconaway, the chief of the River Indians," he continued. "I have +heard one say who saw it, that once, at the Patucket Falls, this chief, +boasting of his skill in magic, picked up a dry skin of a snake, which +had been cast off, as is the wont of the reptile, and making some +violent motions of his body, and calling upon his Familiar, or Demon, he +did presently cast it down upon the rocks, and it became a great black +serpent, which mine informant saw crawl off into some bushes, very +nimble. This Passaconaway was accounted by his tribe to be a very +cunning conjurer, and they do believe that he could brew storms, make +water burn, and cause green leaves to grow on trees in the winter; and, +in brief, it may be said of him, that he was not a whit behind the +magicians of Egypt in the time of Moses." + +"There be women in the cold regions about Norway," said Caleb Powell, +"as I have heard the sailors relate, who do raise storms and sink boats +at their will." + +"It may well be," quoth Mr. Hull, "since Satan is spoken of as the +prince and power of the air." + +"The profane writers of old time do make mention of such sorceries," +said Uncle Rawson. "It is long since I have read any of then; but +Virgil and Apulius do, if I mistake not, speak of this power over the +elements." + +"Do you not remember, father," said Rebecca, "some verses of Tibullus, +in which he speaketh of a certain enchantress? Some one hath rendered +them thus:-- + + "Her with charms drawing stars from heaven, I, + And turning the course of rivers, did espy. + She parts the earth, and ghosts from sepulchres + Draws up, and fetcheth bones away from fires, + And at her pleasure scatters clouds in the air, + And makes it snow in summer hot and fair." + +Here Sir Thomas laughingly told Rebecca, that he did put more faith in +what these old writers did tell of the magic arts of the sweet-singing +sirens, and of Circe and her enchantments, and of the Illyrian maidens, +so wonderful in their beauty, who did kill with their looks such as they +were angry with. + +"It was, perhaps, for some such reason," said Rebecca, "that, as Mr. +Abbott tells me; the General Court many years ago did forbid women to +live on these islands." + +"Pray, how was that?" asked Sir Thomas. + +"You must know," answered our host, "that in the early settlement of +the Shoals, vessels coming for fish upon this coast did here make their +harbor, bringing hither many rude sailors of different nations; and the +Court judged that it was not a fitting place for women, and so did by +law forbid their dwelling on the islands belonging to the +Massachusetts." + +He then asked his wife to get the order of the Court concerning her stay +on the islands, remarking that he did bring her over from the Maine in +despite of the law. So his wife fetched it, and Uncle Rawson read it, +it being to this effect,--"That a petition having been sent to the +Court, praying that the law might be put in force in respect to John +Abbott his wife, the Court do judge it meet, if no further complaint +come against her, that she enjoy the company of her husband." Whereat +we all laughed heartily. + +Next morning, the fog breaking away early, we set sail for Agamenticus, +running along the coast and off the mouth of the Piscataqua River, +passing near where my lamented Uncle Edward dwelt, whose fame as a +worthy gentleman and magistrate is still living. We had Mount +Agamenticus before us all day,--a fair stately hill, rising up as it +were from the water. Towards night a smart shower came on, with +thunderings and lightnings such as I did never see or hear before; and +the wind blowing and a great rain driving upon us, we were for a time in +much peril; but, through God's mercy, it suddenly cleared up, and we +went into the Agamenticus River with a bright sun. Before dark we got +to the house of my honored uncle, where, he not being at home, his wife +and daughters did receive us kindly. + + + +September 10. + +I do find myself truly comfortable at this place. My two cousins, Polly +and Thankful, are both young, unmarried women, very kind and pleasant, +and, since my Newbury friends left, I have been learning of them many +things pertaining to housekeeping, albeit I am still but a poor scholar. +Uncle is Marshall of the Province, which takes him much from home; and +aunt, who is a sickly woman, keeps much in her chamber; so that the +affairs of the household and of the plantation do mainly rest upon the +young women. If ever I get back to Hilton Grange again, I shall have +tales to tell of my baking and brewing, of my pumpkin-pies, and bread +made of the flour of the Indian corn; yea, more, of gathering of the +wild fruit in the woods, and cranberries in the meadows, milking the +cows, and looking after the pigs and barnyard fowls. Then, too, we have +had many pleasant little journeys by water and on horseback, young Mr, +Jordan, of Spurwiuk, who hath asked Polly in marriage, going with us. +A right comely youth he is, but a great Churchman, as might be expected, +his father being the minister of the Black Point people, and very bitter +towards the Massachusetts and its clergy and government. My uncle, who +meddles little with Church' matters, thinks him a hopeful young man, and +not an ill suitor for his daughter. He hath been in England for his +learning, and is accounted a scholar; but, although intended for the +Church service, he inclineth more to the life of a planter, and taketh +the charge of his father's plantation at Spurwink. Polly is not +beautiful and graceful like Rebecca Rawson, but she hath freshness of +youth and health, and a certain good-heartedness of look and voice, and +a sweetness of temper which do commend her in the eyes of all. Thankful +is older by some years, and, if not as cheerful and merry as her sister, +it needs not be marvelled at, since one whom she loved was killed in the +Narragansett country two years ago. O these bloody wars. There be few +in these Eastern Provinces who have not been called to mourn the loss of +some near and dear friend, so that of a truth the land mourns. + + + +September 18. + +Meeting much disturbed yesterday,--a ranting Quaker coming in and +sitting with his hat on in sermon time, humming and groaning, and +rocking his body to and fro like one possessed. After a time he got up, +and pronounced a great woe upon the priests, calling them many hard +names, and declaring that the whole land stank with their hypocrisy. +Uncle spake sharply to him, and bid him hold his peace, but he only +cried out the louder. Some young men then took hold of him, and carried +him out. They brought him along close to my seat, he hanging like a bag +of meal, with his eyes shut, as ill-favored a body as I ever beheld. +The magistrates had him smartly whipped this morning, and sent out of +the jurisdiction. I was told he was no true Quaker; for, although a +noisy, brawling hanger-on at their meetings, he is not in fellowship +with the more sober and discreet of that people. + +Rebecca writes me that the witchcraft in William Morse's house is much +talked of; and that Caleb Powell hath been complained of as the wizard. +Mr. Jordan the elder says he does in no wise marvel at the Devil's power +in the Massachusetts, since at his instigation the rulers and ministers +of the Colony have set themselves, against the true and Gospel order of +the Church, and do slander and persecute all who will not worship at +their conventicles. + +A Mr. Van Valken, a young gentleman of Dutch descent, and the agent of +Mr. Edmund Andross, of the Duke of York's Territory, is now in this +place, being entertained by Mr. Godfrey, the late Deputy-Governor. He +brought a letter for me from Aunt Rawson, whom he met in Boston. He is +a learned, serious man, hath travelled a good deal, and hath an air of +high breeding. The minister here thinks him a Papist, and a Jesuit, +especially as he hath not called upon him, nor been to the meeting. He +goes soon to Pemaquid, to take charge of that fort and trading station, +which have greatly suffered by the war. + + + +September 30. + +Yesterday, Cousin Polly and myself, with young Mr. Jordan, went up to +the top of the mountain, which is some miles from the harbor. It is not +hard to climb in respect to steepness, but it is so tangled with bushes +and vines, that one can scarce break through them. The open places were +yellow with golden-rods, and the pale asters were plenty in the shade, +and by the side of the brooks, that with pleasing noise did leap down +the hill. When we got upon the top, which is bare and rocky, we had a +fair view of the coast, with its many windings and its islands, from the +Cape Ann, near Boston, to the Cape Elizabeth, near Casco, the Piscataqua +and Agamenticus rivers; and away in the northwest we could see the peaks +of mountains looking like summer clouds or banks of gray fog. These +mountains lie many leagues off in the wilderness, and are said to be +exceeding lofty. + +But I must needs speak of the color of the woods, which did greatly +amaze me, as unlike anything I had ever seen in old England. As far as +mine eyes could look, the mighty wilderness, under the bright westerly +sun, and stirred by a gentle wind, did seem like a garden in its season +of flowering; green, dark, and light, orange, and pale yellow, and +crimson leaves, mingling and interweaving their various hues, in a +manner truly wonderful to behold. It is owing, I am told, to the sudden +frosts, which in this climate do smite the vegetation in its full life +and greenness, so that in the space of a few days the colors of the +leaves are marvellously changed and brightened. These colors did remind +me of the stains of the windows of old churches, and of rich tapestry. +The maples were all aflame with crimson, the walnuts were orange, the +hemlocks and cedars were wellnigh black; while the slender birches, with +their pale yellow leaves, seemed painted upon them as pictures are laid +upon a dark ground. I gazed until mine eyes grew weary, and a sense of +the wonderful beauty of the visible creation, and of God's great +goodness to the children of men therein, did rest upon me, and I said in +mine heart, with one of old: "O Lord! how manifold are thy works in +wisdom hast thou made them all, and the earth is full of thy riches." + + + +October 6. + +Walked out to the iron mines, a great hole digged in the rocks, many +years ago, for the finding of iron. Aunt, who was then just settled in +housekeeping, told me many wonderful stories of the man who caused it to +be digged, a famous doctor of physic, and, as it seems, a great wizard +also. He bought a patent of land on the south side of the Saco River, +four miles by the sea, and eight miles up into the main-land of Mr. +Vines, the first owner thereof; and being curious in the seeking and +working of metals, did promise himself great riches in this new country; +but his labors came to nothing, although it was said that Satan helped +him, in the shape of a little blackamoor man-servant, who was his +constant familiar. My aunt says she did often see him, wandering about +among the hills and woods, and along the banks of streams of water, +searching for precious ores and stones. He had even been as far as the +great mountains, beyond Pigwackett, climbing to the top thereof, where +the snows lie wellnigh all the year, his way thither lying through +doleful swamps and lonesome woods. He was a great friend of the +Indians, who held him to be a more famous conjurer than their own +powahs; and, indeed, he was learned in all curious and occult arts, +having studied at the great College of Padua, and travelled in all parts +of the old countries. He sometimes stopped in his travels at my uncle's +house, the little blackamoor sleeping in the barn, for my aunt feared +him, as he was reputed to be a wicked imp. Now it so chanced that on +one occasion my uncle had lost a cow, and had searched the woods many +days for her to no purpose, when, this noted doctor coming in, he +besought him to find her out by his skill and learning; but he did +straightway deny his power to do so, saying he was but a poor scholar, +and lover of science, and had no greater skill in occult matters than +any one might attain to by patient study of natural things. But as mine +uncle would in no wise be so put off, and still pressing him to his art, +he took a bit of coal, and began to make marks on the floor, in a very +careless way. + +Then he made a black dot in the midst, and bade my uncle take heed that +his cow was lying dead in that spot; and my uncle looking at it, said he +Could find her, for he now knew where she was, inasmuch as the doctor +had made a fair map of the country round about for many miles. So he +set off, and found the cow lying at the foot of a great tree, close +beside a brook, she being quite dead, which thing did show that he was a +magician of no Mean sort. + +My aunt further said, that in those days there was great talk of mines +of gold and precious stones, and many people spent all their substance +in wandering about over the wilderness country seeking a fortune in this +way. There was one old man, who, she remembered, did roam about seeking +for hidden treasures, until he lost his wits, and might be seen filling +a bag with bright stones and shining sand, muttering and laughing to +himself. He was at last missed for some little time, when he was found +lying dead in the woods, still holding fast in his hands his bag of +pebbles. + +On my querying whether any did find treasures hereabout, my aunt +laughed, and said she never heard of but one man who did so, and that +was old Peter Preble of Saco, who, growing rich faster than his +neighbors, was thought to owe his fortune to the finding of a gold or +silver mine. When he was asked about it, he did by no means deny it, +but confessed he had found treasures in the sea as well as on the land; +and, pointing to his loaded fish-flakes and his great cornfields, said, +"Here are my mines." So that afterwards, when any one prospered greatly +in his estate, it was said of him by his neighbors, "He has been working +Peter Preble's mine." + + + +October 8. + +Mr. Van Valken, the Dutchman, had before Mr. Rishworth, one of the +Commissioners of the Province, charged with being a Papist and a Jesuit. +He bore himself, I am told, haughtily enough, denying the right to call +him in question, and threatening the interference of his friend and +ruler, Sir Edmund, on account of the wrong done him. + +My uncle and others did testify that he was a civil and courteous +gentleman, not intermeddling with matters of a religious nature; and +that they did regard it as a foul shame to the town that he should be +molested in this wise. But the minister put them to silence, by +testifying that he (Van Valken) had given away sundry Papist books; and, +one of them being handed to the Court, it proved to be a Latin Treatise, +by a famous Papist, intituled, "The Imitation of Christ." Hereupon, Mr. +Godfrey asked if there was aught evil in the book. The minister said it +was written by a monk, and was full of heresy, favoring both the Quakers +and the Papists; but Mr. Godfrey told him it had been rendered into the +English tongue, and printed some years before in the Massachusetts Bay; +and asked him if he did accuse such men as Mr. Cotton and Mr. Wilson, +and the pious ministers of their day, of heresy. "Nay," quoth the +minister, "they did see the heresy of the book, and, on their condemning +it, the General Court did forbid its sale." Mr. Rishworth hereupon said +he did judge the book to be pernicious, and bade the constable burn it +in the street, which he did. Mr. Van Valken, after being gravely +admonished, was set free; and he now saith he is no Papist, but that he +would not have said that much to the Court to save his life, inasmuch as +he did deny its right of arraigning him. Mr. Godfrey says the treatment +whereof he complains is but a sample of what the people hereaway are to +look for from the Massachusetts jurisdiction. Mr. Jordan, the younger, +says his father hath a copy of the condemned book, of the Boston +printing; and I being curious to see it, he offers to get it for me. + +Like unto Newbury, this is an old town for so new a country. It was +made a city in 1642, and took the name of Gorgeana, after that of the +lord proprietor, Sir Ferdinando Gorges. The government buildings are +spacious, but now falling into decay somewhat. There be a few stone +houses, but the major part are framed, or laid up with square logs. The +look of the land a little out of the town is rude and unpleasing, being +much covered with stones and stumps; yet the soil is said to be strong, +and the pear and apple do flourish well here; also they raise rye, oats, +and barley, and the Indian corn, and abundance of turnips, as well as +pumpkins, squashes, and melons. The war with the Indians, and the +troubles and changes of government, have pressed heavily upon this and +other towns of the Maine, so that I am told that there be now fewer +wealthy planters here than there were twenty years ago, and little +increase of sheep or horned cattle. The people do seem to me less sober +and grave, in their carriage and conversation, than they of the +Massachusetts,--hunting, fishing, and fowling more, and working on the +land less. Nor do they keep the Lord's Day so strict; many of the young +people going abroad, both riding and walking, visiting each other, and +diverting themselves, especially after the meetings are over. + + + +October 9. + +Goodwife Nowell, an ancient gossip of mine aunt's, looking in this +morning, and talking of the trial of the Dutchman, Van Valken, spake +of the coming into these parts many years ago of one Sir Christopher +Gardiner, who was thought to be a Papist. He sought lodgings at her +house for one whom he called his cousin, a fair young woman, together +with her serving girl, who did attend upon her. She tarried about a +month, seeing no one, and going out only towards the evening, +accompanied by her servant. She spake little, but did seem melancholy +and exceeding mournful, often crying very bitterly. Sir Christopher +came only once to see her, and Good wife Nowell saith she well remembers +seeing her take leave of him on the roadside, and come back weeping and +sobbing dolefully; and that a little time after, bearing that he had +gotten into trouble in Boston as a Papist and man of loose behavior, she +suddenly took her departure in a vessel sailing for the Massachusetts, +leaving to her, in pay for house-room and diet, a few coins, a gold +cross, and some silk stuffs and kerchiefs. The cross being such as the +Papists do worship, and therefore unlawful, her husband did beat it into +a solid wedge privately, and kept it from the knowledge of the minister +and the magistrates. But as the poor man never prospered after, but +lost his cattle and grain, and two of their children dying of measles +the next year, and he himself being sickly, and near his end, he spake +to her of he golden cross, saying that he did believe it was a great sin +to keep it, as he had done, and that it had wrought evil upon him, even +as the wedge of gold, and the shekels, and Babylonish garment did upon +Achan, who was stoned, with all his house, in the valley of Achor; and +the minister coming in, and being advised concerning it, he judged that +although it might be a sin to keep it hidden from a love of riches, it +might, nevertheless, be safely used to support Gospel preaching and +ordinances, and so did himself take it away. The goodwife says, that +notwithstanding her husband died soon after, yet herself and household +did from thenceforth begin to amend their estate and condition. + +Seeing me curious concerning this Sir Christopher and his cousin, +Goodwife Nowell said there was a little parcel of papers which she found +in her room after the young woman went away, and she thought they might +yet be in some part of her house, though she had not seen them for a +score of years. Thereupon, I begged of her to look for them, which she +promised to do. + + + +October 14. + +A strange and wonderful providence! Last night there was a great +company of the neighbors at my uncle's, to help him in the husking and +stripping of the corn, as is the custom in these parts. The barn-floor +was about half-filled with the corn in its dry leaves; the company +sitting down on blocks and stools before it, plucking off the leaves, +and throwing the yellow ears into baskets. A pleasant and merry evening +we had; and when the corn was nigh stripped, I went into the house with +Cousin Thankful, to look to the supper and the laying of the tables, +when we heard a loud noise in the barn, and one of the girls came +running in, crying out, "O Thankful! Thankful! John Gibbins has +appeared to us! His spirit is in the barn!" The plates dropt from my +cousin's hand, and, with a faint cry, she fell back against the wall for +a little space; when, hearing a man's voice without, speaking her name, +she ran to the door, with the look of one beside herself; while I, +trembling to see her in such a plight, followed her. There was a clear +moon, and a tall man stood in the light close to the door. + +"John," said my cousin, in a quick, choking voice, "is it You?" + +"Why, Thankful, don't you know me? I'm alive; but the folks in the barn +will have it that I 'm a ghost," said the man, springing towards her. + +With a great cry of joy and wonder, my cousin caught hold of him: "O +John, you are alive!" + +Then she swooned quite away, and we had a deal to do to bring her to +life again. By this time, the house was full of people, and among the +rest came John's old mother and his sisters, and we all did weep and +laugh at the same time. As soon as we got a little quieted, John told +us that he had indeed been grievously stunned by the blow of a tomahawk, +and been left for dead by his comrades, but that after a time he did +come to his senses, and was able to walk; but, falling into the hands of +the Indians, he was carried off to the French Canadas, where, by reason +of his great sufferings on the way, he fell sick, and lay for a long +time at the point of death. That when he did get about again, the +savage who lodged him, and who had taken him as a son, in the place of +his own, slain by the Mohawks, would not let him go home, although he +did confess that the war was at an end. His Indian father, he said, who +was feeble and old, died not long ago, and he had made his way home by +the way of Crown Point and Albany. Supper being ready, we all sat down, +and the minister, who had been sent for, offered thanks for the +marvellous preserving and restoring of the friend who was lost and now +was found, as also for the blessings of peace, by reason of which every +man could now sit under his own vine and fig-tree, with none to molest +or make him afraid, and for the abundance of the harvest, and the +treasures of the seas, and the spoil of the woods, so that our land +might take up the song of the Psalmist: "The Lord doth build up +Jerusalem; he gathereth the outcasts of Israel; he healeth the broken in +heart. Praise thy God, O Zion I For he strengtheneth the bars of thy +gates, he maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest +of wheat." Oh! a sweet supper we had, albeit little was eaten, for we +were filled fall of joy, and needed not other food. When the company +had gone, my dear cousin and her betrothed went a little apart, and +talked of all that had happened unto them during their long separation. +I left them sitting lovingly together in the light of the moon, and a +measure of their unspeakable happiness did go with me to my pillow. + +This morning, Thankful came to my bedside to pour out her heart to me. +The poor girl is like a new creature. The shade of her heavy sorrow, +which did formerly rest upon her countenance, hath passed off like a +morning cloud, and her eye hath the light of a deep and quiet joy. + +"I now know," said she, "what David meant when he said, 'We are like +them that dream; our mouth is filled with laughter, and our tongue with +singing; the Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad!'" + + + +October 18. + +A cloudy wet day. Goody Nowell brought me this morning a little parcel +of papers, which she found in the corner of a closet. They are much +stained and smoked, and the mice have eaten them sadly, so that I can +make little of them. They seem to be letters, and some fragments of +what did take place in the life of a young woman of quality from the +North of England. I find frequent mention made of Cousin Christopher, +who is also spoken of as a soldier in the wars with the Turks, and as a +Knight of Jerusalem. Poorly as I can make out the meaning of these +fragments, I have read enough to make my heart sad, for I gather from +them that the young woman was in early life betrothed to her cousin, and +that afterwards, owing, as I judge, to the authority of her parents, she +did part with him, he going abroad, and entering into the wars, in the +belief that she was to wed another. But it seemed that the heart of the +young woman did so plead for her cousin, that she could not be brought +to marry as her family willed her to do; and, after a lapse of years, +she, by chance hearing that Sir Christopher had gone to the New England, +where he was acting as an agent of his kinsman, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, +in respect to the Maine Province, did privately leave her home, and take +passage in a Boston bound ship. How she did make herself known to Sir +Christopher, I find no mention made; but, he now being a Knight of the +Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and vowed to forego marriage, as is the +rule of that Order, and being, moreover, as was thought, a priest or +Jesuit, her great love and constancy could meet with but a sorrowful +return on his part. It does appear, however, that he journeyed to +Montreal, to take counsel of some of the great Papist priests there, +touching the obtaining of a dispensation from the Head of the Church, +so that he might marry the young woman; but, getting no encouragement +therein, he went to Boston to find a passage for her to England again. +He was there complained of as a Papist; and the coming over of his +cousin being moreover known, a great and cruel scandal did arise from +it, and he was looked upon as a man of evil life, though I find nothing +to warrant such a notion, but much to the contrary thereof. What became +of him and the young woman, his cousin, in the end, I do not learn. + +One small parcel did affect me even unto tears. It was a paper +containing some dry, withered leaves of roses, with these words written +on it "To Anna, from her loving cousin, Christopher Gardiner, being the +first rose that hath blossomed this season in the College garden. St. +Omer's, June, 1630." I could but think how many tears had been shed +over this little token, and how often, through long, weary years, it did +call to mind the sweet joy of early love, of that fairest blossom of the +spring of life of which it was an emblem, alike in its beauty and its +speedy withering. + +There be moreover among the papers sundry verses, which do seem to have +been made by Sir Christopher; they are in the Latin tongue, and +inscribed to his cousin, bearing date many years before the twain were +in this country, and when he was yet a scholar at the Jesuits' College +of St. Omer's, in France. I find nothing of a later time, save the +verses which I herewith copy, over which there are, in a woman's +handwriting, these words: + +"VERSES + +"Writ by Sir Christopher when a prisoner among the Turks in Moldavia, +and expecting death at their hands. + +1. +"Ere down the blue Carpathian hills +The sun shall fall again, +Farewell this life and all its ills, +Farewell to cell and chain + +2. +"These prison shades are dark and cold, +But darker far than they +The shadow of a sorrow old +Is on mine heart alway. + +3. +"For since the day when Warkworth wood +Closed o'er my steed and I,-- +An alien from my name and blood,-- +A weed cast out to die; + +4. +"When, looking back, in sunset light +I saw her turret gleam, +And from its window, far and white, +Her sign of farewell stream; + +5. +"Like one who from some desert shore +Does home's green isles descry, +And, vainly longing, gazes o'er +The waste of wave and sky, + +6. +"So, from the desert of my fate, +Gaze I across the past; +And still upon life's dial-plate +The shade is backward cast + +7. +"I've wandered wide from shore to shore, +I've knelt at many a shrine, +And bowed me to the rocky floor +Where Bethlehem's tapers shine; + +8. +"And by the Holy Sepulchre +I've pledged my knightly sword, +To Christ his blessed Church, and her +The Mother of our Lord! + +9. +"Oh, vain the vow, and vain the strife +How vain do all things seem! +My soul is in the past, and life +To-day is but a dream. + +10. +"In vain the penance strange and long, +And hard for flesh to bear; +The prayer, the fasting, and the thong, +And sackcloth shirt of hair: + +11. +"The eyes of memory will not sleep, +Its ears are open still, +And vigils with the past they keep +Against or with my will. + +12. +"And still the loves and hopes of old +Do evermore uprise; +I see the flow of locks of gold, +The shine of loving eyes. + +13. +"Ah me! upon another's breast +Those golden locks recline; +I see upon another rest +The glance that once was mine! + +14. +"'O faithless priest! O perjured knight!' +I hear the master cry, + +'Shut out the vision from thy sight, +Let earth and nature die.' + +15. +"'The Church of God is now my spouse, +And thou the bridegroom art; +Then let the burden of thy vows +Keep down thy human heart.' + +16. +"In vain!--This heart its grief must know, +Till life itself hath ceased, +And falls beneath the self-same blow +The lover and the priest! + +17. +"O pitying Mother! souls of light, +And saints and martyrs old, +Pray for a weak and sinful knight, +A suffering man uphold. + +18. +"Then let the Paynim work his will, +Let death unbind my chain, +Ere down yon blue Carpathian hill +The sunset falls again!" + + +My heart is heavy with the thought of these unfortunates. Where be they +now? Did the knight forego his false worship and his vows, and so marry +his beloved Anna? Or did they part forever,--she going back to her +kinsfolk, and he to his companions of Malta? Did he perish at the hands +of the infidels, and does the maiden sleep in the family tomb, under her +father's oaks? Alas! who can tell? I must needs leave them, and their +sorrows and trials, to Him who doth not willingly afflict the children +of men; and whatsoever may have been their sins and their follies, my +prayer is, that they may be forgiven, for they loved much. + + + +October 20. + +I do purpose to start to-morrow for the Massachusetts, going by boat to +the Piscataqua River, and thence by horse to Newbury. + +Young Mr. Jordan spent yesterday and last night with us. He is a goodly +youth, of a very sweet and gentle disposition; nor doth he seem to me to +lack spirit, although his father (who liketh not his quiet ways and easy +temper, so contrary to his own, and who is sorely disappointed in that +he hath chosen the life of a farmer to that of a minister, for which he +did intend him) often accuseth him of that infirmity. Last night we had +much pleasant discourse touching the choice he hath made; and when I +told him that perhaps he might have become a great prelate in the +Church, and dwelt in a palace, and made a great lady of our cousin; +whereas now I did see no better prospect for him than to raise corn for +his wife to make pudding of, and chop wood to boil her kettle, he +laughed right merrily, and said he should never have gotten higher than +a curate in a poor parish; and as for Polly, he was sure she was more at +home in making puddings than in playing the fine lady. + +"For my part," he continued, in a serious manner, "I have no notion that +the pulpit is my place; I like the open fields and sky better than the +grandest churches of man's building; and when the wind sounds in the +great grove of pines on the hill near our house, I doubt if there be a +choir in all England so melodious and solemn. These painted autumn +woods, and this sunset light, and yonder clouds of gold and purple, do +seem to me better fitted to provoke devotional thoughts, and to awaken a +becoming reverence and love for the Creator, than the stained windows +and lofty arched roofs of old minsters. I do know, indeed, that there +be many of our poor busy planters, who, by reason of ignorance, ill- +breeding, and lack of quiet for contemplation, do see nothing in these +things, save as they do affect their crops of grain or grasses, or their +bodily comforts in one way or another. But to them whose minds have +been enlightened and made large and free by study and much reflection, +and whose eyes have been taught to behold the beauty and fitness of +things, and whose ears have been so opened that they can hear the +ravishing harmonies of the creation, the life of a planter is very +desirable even in this wilderness, and notwithstanding the toil and +privation thereunto appertaining. There be fountains gushing up in the +hearts of such, sweeter than the springs of water which flow from the +hillsides, where they sojourn; and therein, also, flowers of the summer +do blossom all the year long. The brutish man knoweth not this, neither +doth the fool comprehend it." + +"See, now," said Polly to me, "how hard he is upon us poor unlearned +folk." + +"Nay, to tell the truth," said he, turning towards me, "your cousin here +is to be held not a little accountable for my present inclinations; for +she it was who did confirm and strengthen them. While I had been busy +over books, she had been questioning the fields and the woods; and, as +if the old fables of the poets were indeed true, she did get answers +from them, as the priestesses and sibyls did formerly from the rustling +of leaves and trees, and the sounds of running waters; so that she could +teach me much concerning the uses and virtues of plants and shrubs, and +of their time of flowering and decay; of the nature and habitudes of +wild animals and birds, the changes of the air, and of the clouds and +winds. My science, so called, had given me little more than the names +of things which to her were familiar and common. It was in her company +that I learned to read nature as a book always open, and full of +delectable teachings, until my poor school-lore did seem undesirable and +tedious, and the very chatter of the noisy blackbirds in the spring +meadows more profitable and more pleasing than the angry disputes and +the cavils and subtleties of schoolmen and divines." + +My cousin blushed, and, smiling through her moist eyes at this language +of her beloved friend, said that I must not believe all he said; for, +indeed, it was along of his studies of the heathen poets that he had +first thought of becoming a farmer. And she asked him to repeat some of +the verses which he had at his tongue's end. He laughed, and said he +did suppose she meant some lines of Horace, which had been thus +Englished:-- + + "I often wished I had a farm, + A decent dwelling, snug and warm, + A garden, and a spring as pure + As crystal flowing by my door, + Besides an ancient oaken grove, + Where at my leisure I might rove. + + "The gracious gods, to crown my bliss, + Have granted this, and more than this,-- + They promise me a modest spouse, + To light my hearth and keep my house. + I ask no more than, free from strife, + To hold these blessings all my life!" + +Tam exceedingly pleased, I must say, with the prospect of my cousin +Polly. Her suitor is altogether a worthy young man; and, making +allowances for the uncertainty of all human things, she may well look +forward to a happy life with him. I shall leave behind on the morrow +dear friends, who were strangers unto me a few short weeks ago, but in +whose joys and sorrows I shall henceforth always partake, so far as I do +come to the knowledge of them, whether or no I behold their faces any +more in this life. + + + + +HAMPTON, October 24, 1678. + +I took leave of my good friends at Agamenticus, or York, as it is now +called, on the morning after the last date in my journal, going in a +boat with my uncle to Piscataqua and Strawberry Bank. It was a cloudy +day, and I was chilled through before we got to the mouth of the river; +but, as the high wind was much in our favor, we were enabled to make the +voyage in a shorter time than is common. We stopped a little at the +house of a Mr. Cutts, a man of some note in these parts; but he being +from home, and one of the children sick with a quinsy, we went up the +river to Strawberry Bank, where we tarried over night. The woman who +entertained us had lost her husband in the war, and having to see to the +ordering of matters out of doors in this busy season of harvest, it was +no marvel that she did neglect those within. I made a comfortable +supper of baked pumpkin and milk, and for lodgings I had a straw bed on +the floor, in the dark loft, which was piled wellnigh full with corn- +ears, pumpkins, and beans, besides a great deal of old household +trumpery, wool, and flax, and the skins of animals. Although tired of +my journey, it was some little time before I could get asleep; and it so +fell out, that after the folks of the house were all abed, and still, it +being, as I judge, nigh midnight, I chanced to touch with my foot a +pumpkin lying near the bed, which set it a-rolling down the stairs, +bumping hard on every stair as it went. Thereupon I heard a great stir +below, the woman and her three daughters crying out that the house was +haunted. Presently she called to me from the foot of the stairs, and +asked me if I did hear anything. I laughed so at all this, that it was +some time before I could speak; when I told her I did hear a thumping on +the stairs. "Did it seem to go up, or down?" inquired she, anxiously; +and on my telling her that the sound went downward, she set up a sad +cry, and they all came fleeing into the corn-loft, the girls bouncing +upon my bed, and hiding under the blanket, and the old woman praying and +groaning, and saying that she did believe it was the spirit of her poor +husband. By this time my uncle, who was lying on the settle in the room +below, hearing the noise, got up, and stumbling over the pumpkin, called +to know what was the matter. Thereupon the woman bade him flee up +stairs, for there was a ghost in the kitchen. "Pshaw!" said my uncle, +"is that all? I thought to be sure the Indians had come." As soon as I +could speak for laughing, I told the poor creature what it was that so +frightened her; at which she was greatly vexed; and, after she went to +bed again, I could hear her scolding me for playing tricks upon honest +people. + +We were up betimes in the morning, which was bright and pleasant. Uncle +soon found a friend of his, a Mr. Weare, who, with his wife, was to go +to his home, at Hampton, that day, and who did kindly engage to see me +thus far on my way. At about eight of the clock we got upon our horses, +the woman riding on a pillion behind her husband. Our way was for some +miles through the woods,--getting at times a view of the sea, and +passing some good, thriving plantations. The woods in this country are +by no means like those of England, where the ancient trees are kept +clear of bushes and undergrowth, and the sward beneath them is shaven +clean and close; whereas here they be much tangled with vines, and the +dead boughs and logs which have fallen, from their great age or which +the storms do beat off, or the winter snows and ices do break down. +Here, also, through the thick matting of dead leaves, all manner of +shrubs and bushes, some of them very sweet and fair in their flowering, +and others greatly prized for their healing virtues, do grow up +plenteously. In the season of them, many wholesome fruits abound in the +woods, such as blue and black berries. We passed many trees, well +loaded with walnuts and oilnuts, seeming all alive, as it were, with +squirrels, striped, red, and gray, the last having a large, spreading +tail, which Mr. Weare told me they do use as a sail, to catch the wind, +that it may blow them over rivers and creeks, on pieces of bark, in some +sort like that wonderful shell-fish which transformeth itself into a +boat, and saileth on the waves of the sea. We also found grapes, both +white and purple, hanging down in clusters from the trees, over which +the vines did run, nigh upon as large as those which the Jews of old +plucked at Eschol. The air was sweet and soft, and there was a clear, +but not a hot sun, and the chirping of squirrels, and the noise of +birds, and the sound of the waves breaking on the beach a little +distance off, and the leaves, at every breath of the wind in the tree- +tops, whirling and fluttering down about me, like so many yellow and +scarlet-colored birds, made the ride wonderfully pleasant and +entertaining. + +Mr. Weare, on the way, told me that there was a great talk of the +bewitching of Goodman Morse's house at Newbury, and that the case of +Caleb Powell was still before the Court, he being vehemently suspected +of the mischief. I told him I thought the said Caleb was a vain, +talking man, but nowise of a wizard. The thing most against him, Mr. +Weare said, was this: that he did deny at the first that the house was +troubled by evil spirits, and even went so far as to doubt that such +things could be at all. "Yet many wiser men than Caleb Powell do deny +the same," I said. "True," answered he; "but, as good Mr. Richardson, +of Newbury, well saith, there have never lacked Sadducees, who believe +not in angel or spirit." I told the story of the disturbance at +Strawberry Bank the night before, and how so silly a thing as a rolling +pumpkin did greatly terrify a whole household; and said I did not doubt +this Newbury trouble was something very like it. Hereupon the good +woman took the matter up, saying she had been over to Newbury, and had +seen with her own eyes, and heard with her own ears; and that she could +say of it as the Queen of Sheba did of Solomon's glory, "The half had +not been told her." She then went on to tell me of many marvellous and +truly unaccountable things, so that I must needs think there is an +invisible hand at work there. + +We reached Hampton about one hour before noon; and riding up the road +towards the meeting-house, to my great joy, Uncle Rawson, who had +business with the Commissioners then sitting, came out to meet me, +bidding me go on to Mr. Weare's house, whither he would follow me when +the Court did adjourn. He came thither accordingly, to sup and lodge, +bringing with him Mr. Pike the elder, one of the magistrates, a grave, +venerable man, the father of mine old acquaintance, Robert. Went in the +evening with Mistress Weare and her maiden sister to see a young girl in +the neighborhood, said to be possessed, or bewitched; but for mine own +part I did see nothing in her behavior beyond that of a vicious and +spoiled child, delighting in mischief. Her grandmother, with whom she +lives, lays the blame on an ill-disposed woman, named Susy Martin, +living in Salisbury. Mr. Pike, who dwells near this Martin, saith she +is no witch, although an arrant scold, as was her mother before her; and +as for the girl, he saith that a birch twig, smartly laid on, would cure +her sooner than the hanging of all the old women in the Colony. +Mistress Weare says this is not the first time the Evil Spirit hath been +at work in Hampton; for they did all remember the case of Goody +Marston's child, who was, from as fair and promising an infant as one +would wish to see, changed into the likeness of an ape, to the great +grief and sore shame of its parents; and, moreover, that when the child +died, there was seen by more than one person a little old woman in a +blue cloak, and petticoat of the same color, following on after the +mourners, and looking very like old Eunice Cole, who was then locked +fast in Ipswich jail, twenty miles off. Uncle Rawson says he has all +the papers in his possession touching the trial of this Cole, and will +let me see them when we get back to Newbury. There was much talk on +this matter, which so disturbed my fancy that I slept but poorly. This +afternoon we go over to Newbury, where, indeed, I do greatly long to be +once more. + + + +NEWBURY, October 26. + +Cousin Rebecca gone to Boston, and not expected home until next week. +The house seems lonely without her. R. Pike looked in upon us this +morning, telling us that there was a rumor in Boston, brought by way of +the New York Colony, that a great Papist Plot had been discovered in +England, and that it did cause much alarm in London and thereabout. +R. Pike saith he doubts not the Papists do plot, it being the custom of +their Jesuits so to do; but that, nevertheless, it would be no strange +thing if it should be found that the Bishops and the Government did set +this rumor a-going, for the excuse and occasion of some new persecutions +of Independents and godly people. + + + +October 27. + +Mr. Richardson preached yesterday, from Deuteronomy xviii. 10th, 11th, +and 12th verses. An ingenious and solid discourse, in which he showed +that, as among the heathen nations surrounding the Jews, there were +sorcerers, charmers, wizards, and consulters with familiar spirits, who +were an abomination to the Lord, so in our time the heathen nations of +Indians had also their powahs and panisees and devilish wizards, against +whom the warning of the text might well be raised by the watchmen on the +walls of our Zion. He moreover said that the arts of the Adversary were +now made manifest in this place in a most strange and terrible manner, +and it did become the duty of all godly persons to pray and wrestle with +the Lord, that they who have made a covenant with hell may be speedily +discovered in their wickedness, and cut off from the congregation. An +awful discourse, which made many tremble and quake, and did quite +overcome Goodwife Morse, she being a weakly woman, so that she had to be +carried out of the meeting. + +It being cold weather, and a damp easterly wind keeping me within doors, +I have been looking over with uncle his papers about the Hampton witch, +Eunice Cole, who was twice tried for her mischiefs; and I incline to +copy some of them, as I know they will be looked upon as worthy of, +record by my dear Cousin Oliver and mine other English friends. I find +that as long ago as the year 1656, this same Eunice Cole was complained +of, and many witnesses did testify to her wickedness. Here followeth +some of the evidence on the first trial:-- + +"The deposition of Goody Marston and Goodwife Susanna Palmer, who, being +sworn, sayeth, that Goodwife Cole saith that she was sure there was a +witch in town, and that she knew where he dwelt, and who they are, and +that thirteen years ago she knew one bewitched as Goodwife Marston's +child was, and she was sure that party was bewitched, for it told her +so, and it was changed from a man to an ape, as Goody Marston's child +was, and she had prayed this thirteen year that God would discover that +witch. And further the deponent saith not. + +"Taken on oath before the Commissioners of Hampton, the 8th of the 2nd +mo., 1656. + + "WILLIAM FULLER. + "HENRY DOW. + +"Vera copea: + "THOS. BRADBURY, Recorder. + +"Sworn before, the 4th of September, 1656, + +"EDWARD RAWSON. + + +"Thomas Philbrick testifieth that Goody Cole told him that if any of his +calves did eat of her grass, she hoped it would poison them; and it fell +out that one never came home again, and the other coming home died soon +after. + +"Henry Morelton's wife and Goodwife Sleeper depose that, talking about +Goody Cole and Marston's child, they did hear a great scraping against +the boards of the window, which was not done by a cat or dog. + +"Thomas Coleman's wife testifies that Goody Cole did repeat to another +the very words which passed between herself and her husband, in their +own house, in private; and Thomas Ormsby, the constable of Salisbury, +testifies, that when he did strip Eunice Cole of her shift, to be +whipped, by the judgment of the Court at Salisbury, he saw a witch's +mark under her left breast. Moreover, one Abra. Drake doth depose and +say, that this Goody Cole threatened that the hand of God would be +against his cattle, and forthwith two of his cattle died, and before the +end of summer a third also." + + +About five years ago, she was again presented by the Jury for the +Massachusetts jurisdiction, for having "entered into a covenant with the +Devil, contrary to the peace of our Sovereign Lord the King, his crown +and dignity, the laws of God and this jurisdiction"; and much testimony +was brought against her, tending to show her to be an arrant witch. For +it seems she did fix her evil eye upon a little maid named Ann Smith, to +entice her to her house, appearing unto her in the shape of a little old +woman, in a blue coat, a blue cap, and a blue apron, and a white +neckcloth, and presently changing into a dog, and running up a tree, and +then into an eagle flying in the air, and lastly into a gray cat, +speaking to her, and troubling her in a grievous manner. Moreover, the +constable of the town of Hampton testifies, that, having to supply Goody +Cole with diet, by order of the town, she being poor, she complained +much of him, and after that his wife could bake no bread in the oven +which did not speedily rot and become loathsome to the smell, but the +same meal baked at a neighbor's made good and sweet bread; and, further, +that one night there did enter into their chamber a smell like that of +the bewitched bread, only more loathsome, and plainly diabolical in its +nature, so that, as the constable's wife saith, "she was fain to rise in +the night and desire her husband to go to prayer to drive away the +Devil; and he, rising, went to prayer, and after that, the smell was +gone, so that they were not troubled with it." There is also the +testimony of Goodwife Perkins, that she did see, on the Lord's day, +while Mr. Dalton was preaching, an imp in the shape of a mouse, fall out +the bosom of Eunice Cole down into her lap. For all which, the County +Court, held at Salisbury, did order her to be sent to the Boston Jail, +to await her trial at the Court of Assistants. This last Court, I learn +from mine uncle, did not condemn her, as some of the evidence was old, +and not reliable. Uncle saith she was a wicked old woman, who had been +often whipped and set in the ducking-stool, but whether she was a witch +or no, he knows not for a certainty. + + + +November 8. + +Yesterday, to my great joy, came my beloved Cousin Rebecca from Boston. +In her company also came the worthy minister and doctor of medicine, Mr. +Russ, formerly of Wells, but now settled at a plantation near Cocheco. +He is to make some little tarry in this town, where at this present time +many complain of sickness. Rebecca saith he is one of the excellent of +the earth, and, like his blessed Lord and Master, delighteth in going +about doing good, and comforting both soul and body. He hath a +cheerful, pleasant countenance, and is very active, albeit he is well +stricken in years. He is to preach for Mr. Richardson next Sabhath, and +in the mean time lodgeth at my uncle's house. + +This morning the weather is raw and cold, the ground frozen, and some +snow fell before sunrise. A little time ago, Dr. Russ, who was walking +in the garden, came in a great haste to the window where Rebecca and I +were sitting, bidding us come forth. So, we hurrying out, the good man +bade us look whither he pointed, and to! a flock of wild geese, +streaming across the sky, in two great files, sending down, as it were, +from the clouds, their loud and sonorous trumpetings, "Cronk, cronk, +cronk!" These birds, the Doctor saith, do go northward in March to +hatch their broods in the great bogs and on the desolate islands, and +fly back again when the cold season approacheth. Our worthy guest +improved the occasion to speak of the care and goodness of God towards +his creation, and how these poor birds are enabled, by their proper +instincts, to partake of his bounty, and to shun the evils of adverse +climates. He never looked, he said, upon the flight of these fowls, +without calling to mind the query which was of old put to Job: "Doth the +hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south? Doth +the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?" + + + +November 12, 1678. + +Dr. Russ preached yesterday, having for his text 1 Corinthians, chap. +xiii. verse 5: "Charity seeketh not her own." He began by saying that +mutual benevolence was a law of nature,--no one being a whole of +himself, nor capable of happily subsisting by himself, but rather a +member of the great body of mankind, which must dissolve and perish, +unless held together and compacted in its various parts by the force of +that common and blessed law. The wise Author of our being hath most +manifestly framed and fitted us for one another, and ordained that +mutual charity shall supply our mutual wants and weaknesses, inasmuch +as no man liveth to himself, but is dependent upon others, as others be +upon him. It hath been said by ingenious men, that in the outward world +all things do mutually operate upon and affect each other; and that it +is by the energy of this principle that our solid earth is supported, +and the heavenly bodies are made to keep the rhythmic harmonies of their +creation, and dispense upon us their benign favors; and it may be said, +that a law akin to this hath been ordained for the moral world,--mutual +benevolence being the cement and support of families, and churches, and +states, and of the great community and brotherhood of mankind. It doth +both make and preserve all the peace, and harmony, and beauty, which +liken our world in some small degree to heaven, and without it all +things would rush into confusion and discord, and the earth would become +a place of horror and torment, and men become as ravening wolves, +devouring and being devoured by one another. + +Charity is the second great commandment, upon which hang all the Law +and the Prophets; and it is like unto the first, and cannot be separated +from it; for at the great day of recompense we shall be tried by these +commandments, and our faithfulness unto the first will be seen and +manifested by our faithfulness unto the last. Yea, by our love of one +another the Lord will measure our love of himself. "Inasmuch as ye have +done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto +me." The grace of benevolence is therefore no small part of our +meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light; it is the temper of +heaven; the air which the angels breathe; an immortal grace,--for when +faith which supporteth us here, and hope which is as an anchor to the +tossed soul, are no longer needed, charity remaineth forever, for it is +native in heaven, and partaketh of the divine nature, for God himself is +love. + +"Oh, my hearers," said the preacher, his venerable face brightening as +if with a light shining from within, "Doth not the Apostle tell us that +skill in tongues and gifts of prophecy, and mysteries of knowledge and +faith, do avail nothing where charity is lacking? What avail great +talents, if they be not devoted to goodness? On the other hand, where +charity dwelleth, it maketh the weak strong and the uncomely beautiful; +it sheddeth a glory about him who possesseth it, like that which did +shine on the face of Moses, or that which did sit upon the countenance +of Stephen, when his face was as the face of an angel. Above all, it +conformeth us to the Son of God; for through love he came among us, and +went about doing good, adorning his life with miracles of mercy, and at +last laid it down for the salvation of men. What heart can resist his +melting entreaty: 'Even as I have loved you, love ye also one another.' + +"We do all," he continued, "seek after happiness, but too often blindly +and foolishly. The selfish man, striving to live for himself, shutteth +himself up to partake of his single portion, and marvelleth that he +cannot enjoy it. The good things he hath laid up for himself fail to +comfort him; and although he hath riches, and wanteth nothing for his +soul of all that he desireth, yet hath he not power to partake thereof. +They be as delicates poured upon a mouth shut up, or as meats set upon a +grave. But he that hath found charity to be the temper of happiness, +which doth put the soul in a natural and easy condition, and openeth it +to the solaces of that pure and sublime entertainment which the angels +do spread for such as obey the will of their Creator, hath discovered a +more subtle alchemy than any of which the philosophers did dream,--for +he transmuteth the enjoyments of others into his own, and his large and +open heart partaketh of the satisfaction of all around him. Are there +any here who, in the midst of outward abundance, are sorrowful of +heart,--who go mourning on their way from some inward discomfort,---Who +long for serenity of spirit, and cheerful happiness, as the servant +earnestly desireth the shadow? Let such seek out the poor and forsaken, +they who have no homes nor estates, who are the servants of sin and evil +habits, who lack food for both the body and the mind. Thus shall they, +in rememering others, forget themselves; the pleasure they afford to +their fellow-creatures shall come back larger and fuller unto their own +bosoms, and they shall know of a truth how much the more blessed it is +to give than to receive. In love and compassion, God hath made us +dependent upon each other, to the end that by the use of our affections +we may find true happiness and rest to our souls. He hath united us so +closely with our fellows, that they do make, as it were, a part of our +being, and in comforting them we do most assuredly comfort ourselves. +Therein doth happiness come to us unawares, and without seeking, as the +servant who goeth on his master's errand findeth pleasant fruits and +sweet flowers overhanging him, and cool fountains, which he knew not of, +gushing up by the wayside, for his solace and refreshing." + +The minister then spake of the duty of charity towards even the sinful +and froward, and of winning them by love and good will, and making even +their correction and punishment a means of awakening them to repentance, +and the calling forth of the fruits meet for it. He also spake of self- +styled prophets and enthusiastic people, who went about to cry against +the Church and the State, and to teach new doctrines, saying that +oftentimes such were sent as a judgment upon the professors of the +truth, who had the form of godliness only, while lacking the power +thereof; and that he did believe that the zeal which had been manifested +against such had not always been enough seasoned with charity. It did +argue a lack of faith in the truth, to fly into a panic and a great rage +when it was called in question; and to undertake to become God's +avengers, and to torture and burn heretics, was an error of the Papists, +which ill became those who had gone out from among them. Moreover, he +did believe that many of these people, who had so troubled the Colony of +late, were at heart simple and honest men and women, whose heads might +indeed be unsound, but who at heart sought to do the will of God; and, +of a truth, all could testify to the sobriety and strictness of their +lives, and the justice of their dealings in outward things. He spake +also somewhat of the Indians, who, he said, were our brethren, and +concerning whom we would have an account to give at the Great Day. The +hand of these heathen people had been heavy upon the Colonies, and many +had suffered from their cruel slaughterings, and the captivity of +themselves and their families. Here the aged minister wept, for he +doubtless thought of his son, who was slain in the war; and for a time +the words did seem to die in his throat, so greatly was he moved. But +he went on to say, that since God, in his great and undeserved mercy, +had put an end to the war, all present unkindness and hard dealing +towards he poor benighted heathen was an offence in the eyes of Him who +respecteth not the persons of men, but who regardeth with an equal eye +the white and the red men, both being the workmanship of His hands. It +is our blessed privilege to labor to bring them to a knowledge of the +true God, whom, like the Athenians, some of them do ignorantly worship; +while the greater part, as was said of the heathen formerly, do not, +out of the good pings that are seen, know Him that is; neither by +considering the works do they acknowledge the workmaster, but deem the +fire or wind, or the swift air, or the circle of the stars, or the +violent water, or the lights of heaven, to be the gods who govern the +world. + +He counselled against mischief-makers and stirrers up of strife, and +such as do desire occasion against their brethren. He said that it did +seem as if many thought to atone for their own sins by their great heat +and zeal to discover wickedness in others; and that he feared such might +be the case now, when there was much talk of the outward and visible +doings of Satan in this place; whereas, the enemy was most to be feared +who did work privily in the heart; it being a small thing for him to +bewitch a dwelling made of wood and stone, who did so easily possess and +enchant the precious souls of men. + +Finally, he did exhort all to keep watch over their own spirits, and to +remember that what measure they do mete to others shall be measured to +them again; to lay aside all wrath, and malice, and evil-speaking; to +bear one another's burdens, and so make this Church in the wilderness +beautiful and comely, an example to the world of that peace and good +will to men, which the angels sang of at the birth of the blessed +Redeemer. + +I have been the more careful to give the substance of Mr. Russ's sermon, +as nearly as I can remember it, forasmuch as it hath given offence to +some who did listen to it. Deacon Dole saith it was such a discourse as +a Socinian or a Papist might have preached, for the great stress it laid +upon works; and Goodwife Matson, a noisy, talking woman,--such an one, +no doubt, as those busybodies whom Saint Paul did rebuke for +forwardness, and command to keep silence in the church,--says the +preacher did go out of his way to favor Quakers, Indians, and witches; +and that the Devil in Goody Morse's house was no doubt well pleased with +the discourse. R. Pike saith he does no wise marvel at her complaints; +for when she formerly dwelt at the Marblehead fishing-haven, she was one +of the unruly women who did break into Thompson's garrison-house, and +barbarously put to death two Saugus Indians, who had given themselves up +for safe keeping, and who had never harmed any, which thing was a great +grief and scandal to all well-disposed people. And yet this woman, who +scrupled not to say that she would as lief stick an Indian as a hog, and +who walked all the way from Marblehead to Boston to see the Quaker woman +hung, and did foully jest over her dead body, was allowed to have her +way in the church, Mr. Richardson being plainly in fear of her ill +tongue and wicked temper. + + + +November 13. + +The Quaker maid, Margaret Brewster, came this morning, inquiring for the +Doctor, and desiring him to visit a sick man at her father's house, a +little way up the river; whereupon he took his staff and went with her. +On his coming back, he said he must do the Quakers the justice to say, +that, with all their heresies and pestilent errors of doctrine, they +were a kind people; for here was Goodman Brewster, whose small estate +had been wellnigh taken from him in fines, and whose wife was a weak, +ailing woman, who was at this time kindly lodging and nursing a poor, +broken-down soldier, by no means likely to repay him, in any sort. As +for the sick man, he had been hardly treated in the matter of his wages, +while in the war, and fined, moreover, on the ground that he did profane +the holy Sabhath; and though he had sent a petition to the Honorable +Governor and Council, for the remission of the same, it had been to no +purpose. Mr. Russ said he had taken a copy of this petition, with the +answer thereto, intending to make another application himself to the +authorities; for although the petitioner might have been blamable, yet +his necessity did go far to excuse it. He gave me the papers to copy, +which are as followeth:-- + + +"To the Hon. the Governor and Council, now sitting in Boston, July 30, +1676. The Petition of Jonathan Atherton humbly showeth: + +"That your Petitioner, being a soldier under Captain Henchman, during +their abode at Concord, Captain H., under pretence of your petitioner's +profanation of the Sabhath, had sentenced your petitioner to lose a +fortnight's pay. Now, the thing that was alleged against your +petitioner was, that he cut a piece of an old hat to put in his shoes, +and emptied three or four cartridges. Now, there was great occasion and +necessity for his so doing, for his shoes were grown so big, by walking +and riding in the wet and dew, that they galled his feet so that he was +not able to go without pain; and his cartridges, being in a bag,--were +worn with continual travel, so that they lost the powder out, so that it +was dangerous to carry them; besides, he did not know how soon he should +be forced to make use of them, therefore he did account it lawful to do +the same; yet, if it be deemed a breach of the Sabhath, he desires to be +humbled before the Lord, and begs the pardon of his people for any +offence done to them thereby. And doth humbly request the favor of your +Honors to consider the premises, and to remit the fine imposed upon him, +and to give order to the committee for the war for the payment of his +wages. So shall he forever pray. . . . " + +11 Aug. 1676.--The Council sees no cause to grant the petitioner any +relief." + + + + +NEWBURY, November 18, 1678. + +Went yesterday to the haunted house with Mr. Russ and Mr. Richardson, +Rebecca and Aunt Rawson being in the company. Found the old couple in +much trouble, sitting by the fire, with the Bible open before them, and +Goody Morse weeping. Mr. Richardson asked Goodman Morse to tell what he +had seen and heard in the house; which he did, to this effect: That +there had been great and strange noises all about the house, a banging +of doors, and a knocking on the boards, and divers other unaccountable +sounds; that he had seen his box of tools turn over of itself, and the +tools fly about the room; baskets dropping down the chimney, and the +pots hanging over the fire smiting against each other; and, moreover, +the irons on the hearth jumping into the pots, and dancing on the table. +Goodwife Morse said that her bread-tray would upset of its own accord, +and the great woollen wheel would contrive to turn itself upside down, +and stand on its end; and that when she and the boy did make the beds, +the blankets would fly off as fast as they put them on, all of which the +boy did confirm. Mr. Russ asked her if she suspected any one of the +mischief; whereupon she said she did believe it was done by the seaman +Powell, a cunning man, who was wont to boast of his knowledge in +astrology and astronomy, having been brought tip under one Norwood, +who is said to have studied the Black Art. He had wickedly accused her +grandson of the mischief, whereas the poor boy had himself suffered +greatly from the Evil Spirit, having been often struck with stones and +bits of boards, which were flung upon him, and kept awake o' nights by +the diabolical noises. Goodman Morse here said that Powell, coming in, +and pretending to pity their lamentable case, told them that if they +would let him have the boy for a day or two, they should be free of the +trouble while he was with him; and that the boy going with him, they had +no disturbance in that time; which plainly showed that this Powell had +the wicked spirits in his keeping, and could chain them up, or let them +out, as he pleased. + +Now, while she was speaking, we did all hear a great thumping on the +ceiling, and presently a piece of a board flew across the room against +the chair on which Mr. Richardson was sitting; whereat the two old +people set up a dismal groaning, and the boy cried out, "That's the +witch!" Goodman Morse begged of Mr. Richardson to fall to praying, +which he presently did; and, when he had done, he asked Mr. Russ to +follow him, who sat silent and musing a little while, and then prayed +that the worker of the disturbance, whether diabolical or human, might +be discovered and brought to light. After which there was no noise +while we staid. Mr. Russ talked awhile with the boy, who did stoutly +deny what Caleb Powell charged upon him, and showed a bruise which he +got from a stick thrown at him in the cow-house. When we went away, +Mr. Richardson asked Mr. Russ what he thought of it. Mr. Russ said, +the matter had indeed a strange look, but that it might be, +nevertheless, the work of the boy, who was a cunning young rogue, and +capable beyond his years. Mr. Richardson said he hoped his brother was +not about to countenance the scoffers and Sadducees, who had all along +tried to throw doubt upon the matter. For himself, he did look upon it +as the work of invisible demons, and an awful proof of the existence of +such, and of the deplorable condition of all who fall into their bands; +moreover, he did believe that God would overrule this malice of the +Devil for good, and make it a means of awakening sinners and lukewarm +church-members to a sense of their danger. + +Last night, brother Leonard, who is studying with the learned Mr. Ward, +the minister at Haverbill, came down, in the company of the worshipful +Major Saltonstall, who hath business with Esquire Dummer and other +magistrates of this place. Mr. Saltonstall's lady, who is the daughter +of Mr. Ward, sent by her husband and my brother a very kind and pressing +invitation to Rebecca and myself to make a visit to her; and Mr. +Saltonstall did also urge the matter strongly. So we have agreed to go +with them the day after to-morrow. Now, to say the truth, I am not +sorry to leave Newbury at this time, for there is so much talk of the +bewitched house, and such dismal stories told of the power of invisible +demons, added to what I did myself hear and see yesterday, that I can +scarce sleep for the trouble and disquiet this matter causeth. Dr. +Russ, who left this morning, said, in his opinion, the less that was +said and done about the witchcraft the better for the honor of the +Church and the peace of the neighborhood; for it might, after all, turn +out to be nothing more than an "old wife's fable;" but if it were indeed +the work of Satan, it could, he did believe, do no harm to sincere and +godly people, who lived sober and prayerful lives, and kept themselves +busy in doing good. The doers of the Word seldom fell into the snare of +the Devil's enchantments. He might be compared to a wild beast, who +dareth not to meddle with the traveller who goeth straightway on his +errand, but lieth in wait for such as loiter and fall asleep by the +wayside. He feared, he said, that some in our day were trying to get a +great character to themselves, as the old monks did, by their skill in +discerning witcherafts, and their pretended conflicts with the Devil in +his bodily shape; and thus, while they were seeking to drive the enemy +out of their neighbors' houses, they were letting him into their own +hearts, in the guise of deceit and spiritual pride. Repentance and +works meet for it were the best exorcism; and the savor of a good life +driveth off Evil Spirits, even as that of the fish of Tobit, at +Ecbatana, drove the Devil from the chamber of the bride into the +uttermost parts of Egypt. "For mine own part," continued the worthy +man, "I believe the Lord and Master, whom I seek to serve, is over all +the powers of Satan; therefore do I not heed them, being afraid only of +mine own accusing conscience and the displeasure of God." + +We are all loath to lose the good Doctor's company. An Israelite +indeed! My aunt, who once tarried for a little time with him for the +benefit of his skill in physic, on account of sickness, tells me that +he is as a father to the people about him, advising them in all their +temporal concerns, and bringing to a timely and wise settlement all +their disputes, so that there is nowhere a more prosperous and loving +society. Although accounted a learned man, he doth not perplex his +hearers, as the manner of some is, with dark and difficult questions, +and points of doctrine, but insisteth mainly on holiness of life and +conversation. It is said that on one occasion, a famous schoolman and +disputer from abroad, coming to talk with him on the matter of the +damnation of infants, did meet him with a cradle on his shoulder, which +he was carrying to a young mother in his neighborhood, and when the man +told him his errand,--the good Doctor bade him wait until he got back, +"for," said he, "I hold it to be vastly more important to take care of +the bodies of the little infants which God in his love sends among us, +than to seek to pry into the mysteries of His will concerning their +souls." He hath no salary or tithe, save the use of a house and farm, +choosing rather to labor with his own hands than to burden his +neighbors; yet, such is their love and good-will, that in the busy +seasons of the hay and corn harvest, they all join together and help him +in his fields, counting it a special privilege to do so. + + + +November 19. + +Leonard and Mr. Richardson, talking upon the matter of the ministry, +disagreed not a little. Mr. Richardson says my brother hath got into +his head many unscriptural notions, and that he will never be of service +in the Church until he casts them off. He saith, moreover, that he +shall write to Mr. Ward concerning the errors of the young man. His +words troubling me, I straightway discoursed my brother as to the points +of difference between them; but he, smiling, said it was a long story, +but that some time he would tell me the substance of the disagreement, +bidding me have no fear in his behalf, as what had displeasured Mr. +Richardson had arisen only from tenderness of conscience. + + + + +HAVERHILL, November 22. + +Left Newbury day before yesterday. The day cold, but sunshiny, and not +unpleasant. Mr. Saltonstall's business calling him that way, we crossed +over the ferry to Salisbury, and after a ride of about an hour, got to +the Falls of the Powow River, where a great stream of water rushes +violently down the rocks, into a dark wooded valley, and from thence +runs into the Merrimac, about a mile to the southeast. A wild sight it +was, the water swollen by the rains of the season, foaming and dashing +among the rocks and the trees, which latter were wellnigh stripped of +their leaves. Leaving this place, we went on towards Haverhill. Just +before we entered that town, we overtook an Indian, with a fresh wolf's +skin hanging over his shoulder. As soon as he saw us, he tried to hide +himself in the bushes; but Mr. Saltonstall, riding up to him, asked him +if he did expect Haverhill folks to pay him forty shillings for killing +that Amesbury wolf? "How you know Amesbury wolf?" asked the Indian. +"Oh," said Mr. Saltonstall, "you can't cheat us again, Simon. You must +be honest, and tell no more lies, or we will have you whipped for your +tricks." The Indian thereupon looked sullen enough, but at length he +begged Mr. Saltonstall not to tell where the wolf was killed, as the +Amesbury folks did now refuse to pay for any killed in their town; and, +as he was a poor Indian, and his squaw much sick, and could do no work, +he did need the money. Mr. Saltonstall told him he would send his wife +some cornmeal and bacon, when he got home, if he would come for them, +which he promised to do. + +When we had ridden off, and left him, Mr. Saltonstall told us that this +Simon was a bad Indian, who, when in drink, was apt to be saucy and +quarrelsome; but that his wife was quite a decent body for a savage, +having long maintained herself and children and her lazy, cross husband, +by hard labor in the cornfields and at the fisheries. + +Haverhill lieth very pleasantly on the river-side; the land about hilly +and broken, but of good quality. Mr. Saltonstall liveth in a stately +house for these parts, not far from that of his father-in-law, the +learned Mr. Ward. Madam, his wife, is a fair, pleasing young woman, +not unused to society, their house being frequented by many of the first +people hereabout, as well as by strangers of distinction from other +parts of the country. We had hardly got well through our dinner (which +was abundant and savory, being greatly relished by our hunger), when two +gentlemen came riding up to the door; and on their coming in, we found +them to be the young Doctor Clark, of Boston, a son of the old Newbury +physician, and a Doctor Benjamin Thompson, of Roxbury, who I hear is not +a little famous for his ingenious poetry and witty pieces on many +subjects. He was, moreover, an admirer of my cousin Rebecca; and on +learning of her betrothal to Sir Thomas did write a most despairing +verse to her, comparing himself to all manner of lonesome things, so +that when Rebecca showed it to me, I told her I did fear the poor young +gentleman would put an end to himself, by reason of his great sorrow and +disquiet; whereat she laughed merrily, bidding me not fear, for she knew +the writer too well to be troubled thereat, for he loved nobody so well +as himself, and that under no provocation would he need the Apostle's +advice to the jailer, "Do thyself no harm." All which I found to be +true,--he being a gay, witty man, full of a fine conceit of himself, +which is not so much to be marvelled at, as he hath been greatly +flattered and sought after. + +The excellent Mr. Ward spent the evening with us; a pleasant, social old +man, much beloved by his people. He told us a great deal about the +early settlement of the town, and of the grievous hardships which many +did undergo the first season, from cold, and hunger, and sickness. He +thought, however, that, with all their ease and worldly prosperity, the +present generation were less happy and contented than their fathers; for +there was now a great striving to outdo each other in luxury and gay +apparel; the Lord's day was not so well kept as formerly; and the +drinking of spirits and frequenting of ordinaries and places of public +resort vastly increased. Mr. Saltonstall said the war did not a little +demoralize the people, and that since the soldiers cause back, there had +been much trouble in Church and State. The General Court, two years +ago, had made severe laws against the provoking evils of the times: +profaneness, Sabbath-breaking, drinking, and revelling to excess, loose +and sinful conduct on the part of the young and unmarried, pride in +dress, attending Quakers' meetings, and neglect of attendance upon +divine worship; but these laws had never been well enforced; and he +feared too many of the magistrates were in the condition of the Dutch +Justice in the New York Province, who, when a woman was brought before +him charged with robbing a henroost, did request his brother on the +bench to pass sentence upon her; for, said he, if I send her to the +whipping post, the wench will cry out against me as her accomplice. + +Doctor Clark said his friend Doctor Thompson had written a long piece on +this untoward state of our affairs, which he hoped soon to see in print, +inasmuch as it did hold the looking-glass to the face of this +generation, and shame it by a comparison with that of the generation +which has passed. Mr. Ward said he was glad to hear of it, and hoped +his ingenious friend had brought the manuscript with him; whereupon, the +young gentleman said he did take it along with him, in the hope to +benefit it by Mr. Ward's judgment and learning, and with the leave of +the company he would read the Prologue thereof. To which we all +agreeing, he read what follows, which I copy from his book:-- + + +"The times wherein old PUMPKIN was a saint, +When men fared hardly, yet without complaint, +On vilest cates; the dainty Indian maize +Was eat with clam-shells out of wooden trays, +Under thatched roofs, without the cry of rent, +And the best sauce to every dish, content,-- +These golden times (too fortunate to hold) +Were quickly sinned away for love of gold. +'T was then among the bushes, not the street, +If one in place did an inferior meet, +'Good morrow, brother! Is there aught you want? +Take freely of me what I have, you ha'n't.' +Plain Tom and Dick would pass as current now, +As ever since 'Your servant, sir,' and bow. +Deep-skirted doublets, puritanic capes, +Which now would render men like upright apes, +Was comelier wear, our wise old fathers thought, +Than the cast fashions from all Europe brought. +'T was in those days an honest grace would hold +Till an hot pudding grew at heart a-cold, +And men had better stomachs for religion, +Than now for capon, turkey-cock, or pigeon; +When honest sisters met to pray, not prate, +About their own and not their neighbors' state, +During Plain Dealing's reign, that worthy stud +Of the ancient planter-race before the Flood. + +"These times were good: merchants cared not a rush +For other fare than jonakin and mush. +And though men fared and lodged very hard, +Yet innocence was better than a guard. +'T was long before spiders and worms had drawn +Their dingy webs, or hid with cheating lawn +New England's beauties, which still seemed to me +Illustrious in their own simplicity. +'T was ere the neighboring Virgin Land had broke +The hogsheads of her worse than hellish smoke; +'T was ere the Islands sent their presents in, +Which but to use was counted next to sin; +'T was ere a barge had made so rich a freight +As chocolate, dust-gold, and bits of eight; +Ere wines from France and Muscovado too, +Without the which the drink will scarcely do. +From Western Isles, ere fruits and delicacies +Did rot maids' teeth and spoil their handsome faces, +Or ere these times did chance the noise of war +Was from our tines and hearts removed far, +Then had the churches rest: as yet, the coals +Were covered up in most contentious souls; +Freeness in judgment, union in affection, +Dear love, sound truth, they were our grand protection. +Then were the times in which our Councils sat, +These grave prognostics of our future state; +If these be longer lived, our hopes increase, +These wars will usher in a longer peace; +But if New England's love die in its youth, +The grave will open next for blessed truth. + +"This theme is out of date; the peaceful hours +When castles needed not, but pleasant bowers, +Not ink, but blood and tears now serve the turn +To draw the figure of New England's urn. +New England's hour of passion is at hand, +No power except Divine can it withstand. +Scarce hath her glass of fifty years run out, +Than her old prosperous steeds turn heads about; +Tracking themselves back to their poor beginnings, +To fear and fare upon the fruits of sinnings. +So that this mirror of the Christian world +Lies burnt to heaps in part, her streamers furled. +Grief sighs, joys flee, and dismal fears surprise, +Not dastard spirits only, but the wise. + +"Thus have the fairest hopes deceived the eye +Of the big-swoln expectants standing by +So the proud ship, after a little turn, +Sinks in the ocean's arms to find its urn: +Thus hath the heir to many thousands born +Been in an instant from the mother torn; +Even thus thy infant cheek begins to pale, +And thy supporters through great losses fail. +This is the Prologue to thy future woe-- +The Epilogue no mortal yet can know." + +Mr. Ward was much pleased with the verses, saying that they would do +honor to any writer. + +Rebecca thought the lines concerning the long grace at meat happy, and +said she was minded of the wife of the good Mr. Ames, who prided herself +on her skill in housewifery and cookery; and on one occasion, seeing a +nice pair of roasted fowls growing cold under her husband's long grace, +was fain to jog his elbow, telling him that if he did not stop soon, she +feared they would have small occasion for thankfulness for their spoiled +dinner. Mr. Ward said he was once travelling in company with Mr. +Phillips of Rowley, and Mr. Parker of Newbury, and stopping all night at +a poor house near the sea-shore, the woman thereof brought into the room +for their supper a great wooden tray, full of something nicely covered +up by a clean linen cloth. It proved to be a dish of boiled clams, in +their shells; and as Mr. Phillips was remarkable in his thanks for aptly +citing passages of Scripture with regard to whatsoever food was upon the +table before him, Mr. Parker and himself did greatly wonder what he +could say of this dish; but he, nothing put to it, offered thanks that +now, as formerly, the Lord's people were enabled to partake of the +abundance of the seas, and treasures hid in the sands. "Whereat," said +Mr. Ward, "we did find it so hard to keep grave countenances, that our +good hostess was not a little disturbed, thinking we were mocking her +poor fare; and we were fain to tell her the cause of our mirth, which +was indeed ill-timed." + +Doctor Clark spake of Mr. Ward's father, the renowned minister at +Ipswich, whose book of "The Simple Cobbler of Agawam," was much admired. +Mr. Ward said that some of the witty turns therein did give much offence +at the time of its printing, but that his father could never spoil his +joke for the sake of friends, albeit he had no malice towards any one, +and was always ready to do a good, even to his enemies. He once even +greatly angered his old and true friend, Mr. Cotton of Boston. "It fell +out in this wise," said Mr. Ward. "When the arch-heretic and fanatic +Gorton and his crew were in prison in Boston, my father and Mr. Cotton +went to the jail window to see them; and after some little discourse +with them, he told Gorton that if he had done or said anything which he +could with a clear conscience renounce, he would do well to recant the +same, and the Court, he doubted not, would be merciful; adding, that it +would be no disparagement for him to do so, as the best of men were +liable to err: as, for instance, his brother Cotton here generally did +preach that one year which he publicly repented of before his +congregation the next year." + +Mr. Saltonstall told another story of old Mr. Ward, which made us all +merry. There was a noted Antinomian, of Boston, who used to go much +about the country disputing with all who would listen to him, who, +coming to Ipswich one night, with another of his sort with him, would +fain have tarried with Mr. Ward; but he told them that he had scarce hay +and grain enough in his barn for the use of his own cattle, and that +they would do well to take their horses to the ordinary, where they +would be better cared for. But the fellow, not wishing to be so put +off, bade him consider what the Scripture said touching the keeping of +strangers, as some had thereby entertained angels unawares. "True, +my friend," said Mr. Ward, "but we don't read that the angels came +a-horseback!" + +The evening passed away in a very pleasant and agreeable manner. We had +rare nuts, and apples, and pears, of Mr. Saltonstall's raising, +wonderfully sweet and luscious. Our young gentlemen, moreover, seemed +to think the wine and ale of good quality; for, long after we had gone +to our beds, we could hear them talking and laughing in the great hall +below, notwithstanding that Mr. Ward, when he took leave, bade Doctor +Thompson take heed to his own hint concerning the: + + "Wines from France and Muscovado too;" + +to which the young wit replied, that there was Scripture warrant for his +drinking, inasmuch as the command was, to give wine to those that be of +heavy heart. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his +misery no more; and, for his part, he had been little better than +miserable ever since he heard of Rebecca's betrothal. A light, careless +man, but of good parts, and as brave a talker as I have heard since I +have been in the Colony. + + + +November 24. + +Mr. Ward's negro girl Dinah came for me yesterday, saying that her +master did desire to see me. So, marvelling greatly what he wanted, +I went with her, and was shown into the study. Mr. Ward said he had +sent for me to have some discourse in regard to my brother Leonard, who +he did greatly fear was likely to make shipwreck of the faith; and that +Mr. Richardson had written him concerning the young man, telling him +that he did visit the Quakers when at Newbury, and even went over to +their conventicle at Hampton, on the Lord's day, in the company of the +Brewster family, noted Quakers and ranters. He had the last evening had +some words with the lad, but with small satisfaction. Being sorely +troubled by this account, I begged him to send for Leonard, which he +did, and, when he did come into the room, Mr. Ward told him that he +might see by the plight of his sister (for I was in tears) what a great +grief he was like to bring upon his family and friends, by running out +into heresies. Leonard said he was sorry to give trouble to any one, +least of all to his beloved sister; that he did indeed go to the +Quakers' meeting, on one occasion, to judge for himself concerning this +people, who are everywhere spoken against; and that he must say he did +hear or see nothing in their worship contrary to the Gospel. There was, +indeed, but little said, but the words were savory and Scriptural. "But +they deny the Scriptures," cried Mr. Ward, "and set above them what they +call the Light, which I take to be nothing better than their own +imaginations." "I do not so understand them," said Leonard; "I think +they do diligently study the Scripture, and seek to conform their lives +to its teachings; and for the Light of which they speak, it is borne-- +witness to not only in the Bible, but by the early fathers and devout +men of all ages. I do not go to excuse the Quakers in all that they +have done, nor to defend all their doctrines and practices, many of +which I see no warrant in Scripture for, but believe to be pernicious +and contrary to good order; yet I must need look upon them as a sober, +earnest-seeking people, who do verily think themselves persecuted for +righteousness' sake." Hereupon Mr. Ward struck his cane smartly on the +floor, and, looking severely at my brother, bade him beware how he did +justify these canting and false pretenders. "They are," he said, +"either sad knaves, or silly enthusiasts,--they pretend to Divine +Revelation, and set up as prophets; like the Rosicrucians and Gnostics, +they profess to a knowledge of things beyond what plain Scripture +reveals. The best that can be said of them is, that they are befooled +by their own fancies, and the victims of distempered brains and ill +habits of body. Then their ranting against the Gospel order of the +Church, and against the ministers of Christ, calling us all manner of +hirelings, wolves, and hypocrites; belching out their blasphemies +against the ordinances and the wholesome laws of the land for the +support of a sound ministry and faith, do altogether justify the sharp +treatment they have met with; so that, if they have not all lost their +ears, they may thank our clemency rather than their own worthiness to +wear them. I do not judge of them ignorantly, for I have dipped into +their books, where, what is not downright blasphemy and heresy, is +mystical and cabalistic. They affect a cloudy and canting style, as if +to keep themselves from being confuted by keeping themselves from being +understood. Their divinity is a riddle, a piece of black art; the +Scripture they turn into allegory and parabolical conceits, and thus +obscure and debauch the truth. Argue with them, and they fall to +divining; reason with them, and they straightway prophesy. Then their +silent meetings, so called, in the which they do pretend to justify +themselves by quoting Revelation, 'There was silence in heaven;' whereas +they might find other authorities,--as, for instance in Psalm 115, where +hell is expressed by silence, and in the Gospel, where we read of a dumb +devil. As to persecuting these people, we have been quite too +charitable to them, especially of late, and they are getting bolder in +consequence; as, for example, the behavior of that shameless young wench +in Newbury, who disturbed Brother Richardson's church with her antics +not long ago. She should have been tied to the cart-tail and whipped +all the way to Rhode Island." + +"Do you speak of Margaret Brewster?" asked Leonard, his face all +a-crimson, and his lip quivering. "Let me tell you, Mr. Ward, that you +greatly wrong one of Christ's little ones." And he called me to testify +to her goodness and charity, and the blamelessness of her life. + +"Don't talk to me of the blameless life of such an one," said Mr. Ward, +in aloud, angry tone; "it is the Devil's varnish for heresy. The +Manichees, and the Pelagians, and Socinians, all did profess great +strictness and sanctity of life; and there never was heretic yet, from +they whom the Apostle makes mention of, who fasted from meats, giving +heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, down to the Quakers, +Dippers, and New Lights of this generation who have not, like their +fathers of old, put on the shape of Angels of Light, and lived severe +and over-strict lives. I grant that the Quakers are honest in their +dealings, making great show of sobriety and self-denial, and abhor the +practice of scandalous vices, being temperate, chaste, and grave in +their behavior, and thereby they win upon unstable souls, and make +plausible their damnable heresies. I warn you, young man, to take heed +of them, lest you be ensnared and drawn into their way." + +My brother was about to reply, but, seeing Mr. Ward so moved and vexed, +I begged of him to say no more; and, company coming in, the matter was +dropped, to my great joy. I went back much troubled and disquieted for +my brother's sake. + + + +November 28, 1678. + +Leonard hath left Mr. Ward, and given up the thought of fitting for the +ministry. This will be a heavy blow for his friends in England. He +tells me that Mr. Ward spake angrily to him after I left, but that, when +he come to part with him, the old man wept over him, and prayed that the +Lord would enable him to see his error, and preserve him from the +consequences thereof. I have discoursed with my brother touching his +future course of life, and he tells me he shall start in a day or two to +visit the Rhode Island, where he hath an acquaintance, one Mr. Easton, +formerly of Newbury. His design is to purchase a small plantation +there, and betake himself to fanning, of the which he hath some little +knowledge, believing that he can be as happy and do as much good to his +fellow-creatures in that employment as in any other. + +Here Cousin Rebecca, who was by, looking up with that sweet archness +which doth so well become her, queried with him whether he did think to +live alone on his plantation like a hermit, or whether he had not his +eye upon a certain fair-haired young woman, as suitable to keep him +company. Whereat he seemed a little disturbed; but she bade him not +think her against his prospect, for she had known for some weeks that he +did favor the Young Brewster woman, who, setting aside her enthusiastic +notions of religion, was worthy of any man's love; and turning to me, +she begged of me to look at the matter as she did, and not set myself +against the choice of my brother, which, in all respects save the one +she had spoken of, she could approve with all her heart. Leonard goes +back with us o-morrow to Newbury, so I shall have a chance of knowing +how matters stand with him. The thought of his marrying a Quaker would +have been exceedingly grievous to me a few months ago; but this Margaret +Brewster hath greatly won upon me by her beauty, gentleness, and her +goodness of heart; and, besides, I know that she is much esteemed by the +best sort of people in her neighborhood. + +Doctor Thompson left this morning, but his friend Doctor Clark goes with +us to Newbury. Rebecca found in her work-basket, after he had gone, +some verses, which amused us not a little, and which I here copy. + + "Gone hath the Spring, with all its flowers, + And gone the Summer's pomp and show + And Autumn in his leafless bowers + Is waiting for the Winter's snow. + + "I said to Earth, so cold and gray, + 'An emblem of myself thou art:' + 'Not so,' the earth did seem to say, + 'For Spring shall warm my frozen heart. + + "'I soothe my wintry sleep with dreams + Of warmer sun and softer rain, + And wait to hear the sound of streams + And songs of merry birds again. + + "'But thou, from whom the Spring hath gone, + For whom the flowers no longer blow, + Who standest, blighted and forlorn, + Like Autumn waiting for the snow. + + "'No hope is thine of sunnier hours, + Thy winter shall no more depart; + No Spring revive thy wasted flowers, + Nor Summer warm thy frozen heart.'" + +Doctor Clark, on hearing this read, told Rebecca she need not take its +melancholy to heart, for he could assure her that there was no danger of +his friend's acting on her account the sad part of the lover in the old +song of Barbara Allen. As a medical man, he could safely warrant him to +be heart-whole; and the company could bear him witness, that the poet +himself seemed very little like the despairing one depicted in his +verses. + +The Indian Simon calling this forenoon, Rebecca and I went into the +kitchen to see him. He looks fierce and cruel, but he thanked Madain +Saltonstall for her gifts of food and clothing, and, giving her in +return a little basket wrought of curiously stained stuff, he told her +that if there were more like her, his heart would not be so bitter. + +I ventured to ask him why he felt thus; whereupon he drew himself up, +and, sweeping about him with his arms, said: "This all Indian land. The +Great Spirit made it for Indians. He made the great river for them, and +birch-trees to make their canoes of. All the fish in the ponds, and all +the pigeons and deer and squirrels he made for Indians. He made land +for white men too; but they left it, and took Indian's land, because it +was better. My father was a chief; he had plenty meat and corn in his +wigwam. But Simon is a dog. When they fight Eastern Indians, I try to +live in peace; but they say, Simon, you rogue, you no go into woods to +hunt; you keep at home. So when squaw like to starve, I shoot one of +their hogs, and then they whip me. Look!" And he lifted the blanket +off from his shoulder, and showed the marks of the whip thereon. + +"Well, well, Simon," said Mr. Saltonstall, "you do know that our people +then were much frightened by what the Indians had done in other places, +and they feared you would join them. But it is all over now, and you +have all the woods to yourself to range in; and if you would let alone +strong drink, you would do well." + +"Who makes strong drink?" asked the Indian, with an ugly look. "Who +takes the Indian's beaver-skins and corn for it? Tell me that, +Captain." + +So saying, he put his pack on his back, and calling a poor, lean dog, +that was poking his hungry nose into Madam's pots and kettles, he went +off talking to himself. + + + +NEWBURY, December 6. + +We got back from Haverhill last night, Doctor Clark accompanying us, +he having business in Newbury. When we came up to the door, Effie met +us with a shy look, and told her mistress that Mrs. Prudence (uncle's +spinster cousin) had got a braw auld wooer in the east room; and surely +enough we found our ancient kinswoman and Deacon Dole, a widower of +three years' standing, sitting at the supper-table. We did take note +that the Deacon had on a stiff new coat; and as for Aunt Prudence (for +so she was called in the family), she was clad in her bravest, with a +fine cap on her head. They both did seem a little disturbed by our +coming, but plates being laid for us, we sat down with them. After +supper, Rebecca had a fire kindled in uncle's room, whither we did +betake ourselves; and being very merry at the thought of Deacon Dole's +visit, it chanced to enter our silly heads that it would do no harm to +stop the clock in the entry a while, and let the two old folks make a +long evening of it. After a time Rebecca made an errand into the east +room, to see how matters went, and coming back, said the twain were +sitting on the same settle by the fire, smoking--a pipe of tobacco +together. Moreover, our foolish trick did work well, for Aunt Prudence +coming at last into the entry to look at the clock, we heard her tell +the Deacon that it was only a little past eight, when in truth it was +near ten. Not long after there was a loud knocking at the door, and as +Effie had gone to bed, Rebecca did open it, when, whom did she see but +the Widow Hepsy Barnet, Deacon Dole's housekeeper, and with her the +Deacon's son, Moses, and the minister, Mr. Richardson, with a lantern in +his hand! "Dear me," says the woman, looking very dismal, "have you +seen anything of the Deacon?" By this time we were all at the door, the +Deacon and Aunt Prudence among the rest, when Moses, like a great lout +as he is, pulled off his woollen cap and tossed it up in the air, crying +out, "There, Goody Barnet, did n't I tell ye so! There's father now!" +And the widow, holding up both her hands, said she never did in all her +born days see the like of this, a man of the Deacon's years and station +stealing away without letting folks know where to look for him; and then +turning upon poor Mrs. Prudence, she said she had long known that some +folks were sly and artful, and she was glad Mr. Richardson was here to +see for himself. Whereupon Aunt Prudence, in much amazement, said, it +was scarce past eight, as they might see by the clock; but Mr. +Richardson, who could scarce keep a grave face, pulling out his watch, +said it was past ten, and bade her note that the clock was stopped. He +told Deacon Dole, that seeing Goody Barnet so troubled about him, he had +offered to go along with her a little way, and that he was glad to find +that the fault was in the clock. The Deacon, who had stood like one in +a maze, here clapped on his hat, and snatched up his cane and went off, +looking as guilty as if he had been caught a-housebreaking, the widow +scolding him all the way. Now, as we could scarce refrain from +laughing, Mr. Richardson, who tarried a moment, shook his head at +Rebecca, telling her he feared by her looks she was a naughty girl, +taking pleasure in other folk's trouble. We did both feel ashamed and +sorry enough for our mischief, after it was all over; and poor Mistress +Prudence is so sorely mortified, that she told Rebecca this morning not +to mention Deacon Dole's name to her again, and that Widow Hepsy is +welcome to him, since he is so mean-spirited as to let her rule him +as she doth. + + + +December 8. + +Yesterday I did, at my brother's wish, go with him to Goodman Brewster's +house, where I was kindly welcomed by the young woman and her parents. +After some little tarry, I found means to speak privily with her +touching my brother's regard for her, and to assure her that I did truly +and freely consent thereunto; while I did hope, for his sake as well as +her own, that she would, as far as might be consistent with her notion +of duty, forbear to do or say anything which might bring her into +trouble with the magistrates and those in authority. She said that she +was very grateful for my kindness towards her, and that what I said was +a great relief to her mind; for when she first met my brother, she did +fear that his kindness and sympathy would prove a snare to her; and that +she had been sorely troubled, moreover, lest by encouraging him she +should not only do violence to her own conscience, but also bring +trouble and disgrace upon one who was, she did confess, dear unto her, +not only as respects outward things, but by reason of what she did +discern of an innocent and pure inward life in his conversation and +deportment. She had earnestly sought to conform her conduct in this, +as in all things, to the mind of her Divine Master; and, as respected my +caution touching those in authority, she knew not what the Lord might +require of her, and she could only leave all in His hands, being +resigned even to deny herself of the sweet solace of human affection, +and to take up the cross daily, if He did so will. "Thy visit and kind +words," she continued, "have removed a great weight from me. The way +seems more open before me. The Lord bless thee for thy kindness." + +She said this with so much tenderness of spirit, and withal with such an +engaging sweetness of look and voice, that I was greatly moved, and, +pressing her in my arms, I kissed her, and bade her look upon me as her +dear sister. + +The family pressing us, we stayed to supper, and sitting down in silence +at the table, I was about to speak to my brother, but he made a sign to +check me, and I held my peace, although not then knowing wherefore. So +we all sat still for a little space of time, which I afterwards found is +the manner of these people at their meat. The supper was plain, but of +exceeding good relish: warm rye loaves with butter and honey, and bowls +of sweet milk, and roasted apples. Goodwife Brewster, who appeared much +above her husband (who is a plain, unlearned man) in her carriage and +discourse, talked with us very pleasantly, and Margaret seemed to grow +more at ease, the longer we stayed. + +On our way back we met Robert Pike, who hath returned from the eastward. +He said Rebecca Rawson had just told him how matters stood with Leonard, +and that he was greatly rejoiced to hear of his prospect. He had known +Margaret Brewster from a child, and there was scarce her equal in these +parts for sweetness of temper and loveliness of person and mind; and, +were she ten times a Quaker, he was free to say this in her behalf. +I am more and more confirmed in the belief that Leonard hath not done +unwisely in this matter, and do cheerfully accept of his choice, +believing it to be in the ordering of Him who doeth all things well. + + + +BOSTON, December 31. + +It wanteth but two hours to the midnight, and the end of the year. The +family are all abed, and I can hear nothing save the crackling of the +fire now burning low on the hearth, and the ticking of the clock in the +corner. The weather being sharp with frost, there is no one stirring in +the streets, and the trees and bushes in the yard, being stripped of +their leaves, look dismal enough above the white snow with which the +ground is covered, so that one would think that all things must needs +die with the year. But, from my window, I can see the stars shining +with marvellous brightness in the clear sky, and the sight thereof doth +assure me that God still watcheth over the work of His hands, and that +in due season He will cause the flowers to appear on the earth, and the +time of singing-birds to come, and-the voice of the turtle to be heard +in the land. And I have been led, while alone here, to think of the +many mercies which have been vouchsafed unto me in my travels and +sojourn in a strange land, and a sense of the wonderful goodness of God +towards me, and they who are dear unto me, both here and elsewhere, hath +filled mine heart with thankfulness; and as of old time they did use to +set up stones of memorial on the banks of deliverance, so would I at +this season set up, as it were, in my poor journal, a like pillar of +thanksgiving to the praise and honor of Him who hath so kindly cared for +His unworthy handmaid. + + + +January 16, 1679. + +Have just got back from Reading, a small town ten or twelve miles out of +Boston, whither I went along with mine Uncle and Aunt Rawson, and many +others, to attend the ordination of Mr. Brock, in the place of the +worthy Mr. Hough, lately deceased. The weather being clear, and the +travelling good, a great concourse of people got together. We stopped +at the ordinary, which we found wellnigh filled; but uncle, by dint of +scolding and coaxing, got a small room for aunt and myself, with a clean +bed, which was more than we had reason to hope for. The ministers, of +whom there were many and of note (Mr. Mather and Mr. Wilson of Boston, +and Mr. Corbet of Ipswich, being among them), were already together at +the house of one of the deacons. It was quite a sight the next morning +to see the people coming in from the neighboring towns, and to note +their odd dresses, which were indeed of all kinds, from silks and +velvets to coarsest homespun woollens, dyed with hemlock, or oil-nut +bark, and fitting so ill that, if they had all cast their clothes into a +heap, and then each snatched up whatsoever coat or gown came to hand, +they could not have suited worse. Yet they were all clean and tidy, and +the young people especially did look exceeding happy, it being with them +a famous holiday. The young men came with their sisters or their +sweethearts riding behind them on pillions; and the ordinary and all the +houses about were soon noisy enough with merry talking and laughter. +The meeting-house was filled long before the services did begin. There +was a goodly show of honorable people in the forward seats, and among +them that venerable magistrate, Simon Broadstreet, who acteth as Deputy- +Governor since the death of Mr. Leverett; the Honorable Thomas Danforth; +Mr. William Brown of Salem; and others of note, whose names I do not +remember, all with their wives and families, bravely apparelled. The +Sermon was preached by Mr. Higginson of Salem, the Charge was given by +Mr. Phillips of Rowley, and the Right Hand of Fellowship by Mr. Corbet +of Ipswich. When we got back to our inn, we found a great crowd of +young roysterers in the yard, who had got Mr. Corbet's negro man, Sam, +on the top of a barrel, with a bit of leather, cut in the shape of +spectacles, astride of his nose, where he stood swinging his arms, and +preaching, after the manner of his master, mimicking his tone and manner +very shrewdly, to the great delight and merriment of the young rogues +who did set him on. We stood in the door a while to hear him, and, to +say the truth, he did wonderfully well, being a fellow of good parts and +much humor. But, just as he was describing the Devil, and telling his +grinning hearers that he was not like a black but a white man, old Mr. +Corbet, who had come up behind him, gave him a smart blow with his cane, +whereupon Sam cried,-- + +"Dare he be now!" at which all fell to laughing. + +"You rascal," said Mr. Corbet, "get down with you; I'll teach you to +compare me to the Devil." + +"Beg pardon, massa!" said Sam, getting down from his pulpit, and rubbing +his shoulder. "How you think Sam know you? He see nothing; he only +feel de lick." + +"You shall feel it again," said his master, striking at him a great +blow, which Sam dodged. + +"Nay, Brother Corbet," said Mr. Phillips, who was with him, "Sam's +mistake was not so strange after all; for if Satan can transform himself +into an Angel of Light, why not into the likeness of such unworthy +ministers as you and I." + +This put the old minister in a good humor, and Sam escaped without +farther punishment than a grave admonition to behave more reverently for +the future. Mr. Phillips, seeing some of his young people in the crowd, +did sharply rebuke them for their folly, at which they were not a little +abashed. + +The inn being greatly crowded, and not a little noisy, we were not +unwilling to accept the invitation of the provider of the ordination- +dinner, to sit down with the honored guests thereat. I waited, with +others of the younger class, until the ministers and elderly people had +made an end of their meal. Among those who sat at the second table was +a pert, talkative lad, a son of Mr. Increase Mather, who, although but +sixteen years of age, graduated at the Harvard College last year, and +hath the reputation of good scholarship and lively wit. He told some +rare stories concerning Mr. Brock, the minister ordained, and of the +marvellous efficacy of his prayers. He mentioned, among other things, +that, when Mr. Brock lived on the Isles of Shoals, he persuaded the +people there to agree to spend one day in a month, beside the Sabhath, +in religious worship. Now, it so chanced that there was on one occasion +a long season of stormy, rough weather, unsuitable for fishing; and when +the day came which had been set apart, it proved so exceeding fair, that +his congregation did desire him to put off the meeting, that they might +fish. Mr. Brock tried in vain to reason with them, and show the duty of +seeking first the kingdom of God, when all other things should be added +thereto, but the major part determined to leave the meeting. Thereupon +he cried out after them: "As for you who will neglect God's worship, go, +and catch fish if you can." There were thirty men who thus left, and +only five remained behind, and to these he said: "I will pray the Lord +for you, that you may catch fish till you are weary." And it so fell +out, that the thirty toiled all day, and caught only four fishes; while +the five who stayed at meeting went out, after the worship was over, and +caught five hundred; and ever afterwards the fishermen attended all the +meetings of the minister's appointing. At another time, a poor man, who +had made himself useful in carrying people to meeting in his boat, lost +the same in a storm, and came lamenting his loss to Mr. Brock. "Go +home, honest man," said the minister. "I will mention your case to the +Lord: you will have your boat again to-morrow." And surely enough, the +very next day, a vessel pulling up its anchor near where the boat sank, +drew up the poor man's boat, safe and whole, after it. + +We went back to Boston after dinner, but it was somewhat of a cold ride, +especially after the night set in, a keen northerly wind blowing in +great gusts, which did wellnigh benumb us. A little way from Reading, +we overtook an old couple in the road; the man had fallen off his horse, +and his wife was trying to get him up again to no purpose; so young Mr. +Richards, who was with us, helped him up to the saddle again, telling +his wife to hold him carefully, as her old man had drank too much flip. +Thereupon the good wife set upon him with a vile tongue, telling him +that her old man was none other than Deacon Rogers of Wenham, and as +good and as pious a saint as there was out of heaven; and it did ill +become a young, saucy rake and knave to accuse him of drunkenness, and +it would be no more than his deserts if the bears did eat him before he +got to Boston. As it was quite clear that the woman herself had had a +taste of the mug, we left them and rode on, she fairly scolding us out +of hearing. When we got home, we found Cousin Rebecca, whom we did +leave ill with a cold, much better in health, sitting up and awaiting +us. + + + +January 21, 1679. + +Uncle Rawson came home to-day in a great passion, and, calling me to +him, he asked me if I too was going to turn Quaker, and fall to +prophesying? Whereat I was not a little amazed; and when I asked him +what he did mean, he said: "Your brother Leonard hath gone off to them, +and I dare say you will follow, if one of the ranters should take it +into his head that you would make him a proper wife, or company-keeper, +for there's never an honest marriage among them." Then looking sternly +at me, he asked me why I did keep this matter from him, and thus allow +the foolish young man to get entangled in the snares of Satan. Whereat +I was so greatly grieved, that I could answer never a word. + +"You may well weep," said my uncle, "for you have done wickedly. As to +your brother, he will do well to keep where he is in the plantations; +for if he come hither a theeing and thouing of me, I will spare him +never a whit; and if I do not chastise him myself, it will be because +the constable can do it better at the cart-tail. As the Lord lives, I +had rather he had turned Turk!" + +I tried to say a word for my brother, but he cut me straightway short, +bidding me not to mention his name again in his presence. Poor me! I +have none here now to whom I can speak freely, Rebecca having gone to +her sister's at Weymouth. My young cousin Grindall is below, with his +college friend, Cotton Mather; but I care not to listen to their +discourse, and aunt is busied with her servants in the kitchen, so that +I must even sit alone with my thoughts, which be indeed but sad company. + +The little book which I brought with me from the Maine, it being the +gift of young Mr. Jordan, and which I have kept close hidden in my +trunk, hath been no small consolation to me this day, for it aboundeth +in sweet and goodly thoughts, although he who did write it was a monk. +Especially in my low state, have these words been a comfort to me:-- + +"What thou canst not amend in thyself or others, bear thou with patience +until God ordaineth otherwise. When comfort is taken away, do not +presently despair. Stand with an even mind resigned to the will of God, +whatever shall befall, because after winter cometh the summer; after the +dark night the day shineth, and after the storm followeth a great calm. +Seek not for consolation which shall rob thee of the grace of penitence; +for all that is high is not holy, nor all that is pleasant good; nor +every desire pure; nor is what is pleasing to us always pleasant in the +sight of God." + + + +January 23. + +The weather is bitter cold, and a great snow on the ground. By a letter +from Newbury, brought me by Mr. Sewall, who hath just returned from that +place, I hear that Goodwife Morse hath been bound for trial as a witch. +Mr. Sewall tells me the woman is now in the Boston jail. As to Caleb +Powell, he hath been set at liberty, there being no proof of his evil +practice. Yet inasmuch as he did give grounds of suspicion by boasting +of his skill in astrology and astronomy, the Court declared that he +justly deserves to bear his own shame and the costs of his prosecution +and lodging in jail. + +Mr. Sewall tells me that Deacon Dole has just married his housekeeper, +Widow Barnet, and that Moses says he never knew before his father to get +the worst in a bargain. + + + +January 30. + +Robert Pike called this morning, bringing me a letter from my brother, +and one from Margaret Brewster. He hath been to the Providence +Plantations and Rhode Island, and reporteth well of the prospects of my +brother, who hath a goodly farm, and a house nigh upon finished, the +neighbors, being mostly Quakers, assisting him much therein. My +brother's letter doth confirm this account of his temporal condition, +although a great part of it is taken up with a defence of his new +doctrines, for the which he doth ingeniously bring to mind many passages +of Scripture. Margaret's letter being short, I here copy it:-- + +THE PLANTATIONS, 20th of the 1st mo., 1679. + +"DEAR FRIEND,--I salute thee with much love from this new country, where +the Lord hath spread a table for us in the wilderness. Here is a goodly +company of Friends, who do seek to know the mind of Truth, and to live +thereby, being held in favor and esteem by the rulers of the land, and +so left in peace to worship God according to their consciences. The +whole country being covered with snow, and the weather being extreme +cold, we can scarce say much of the natural gifts and advantages of our +new home; but it lieth on a small river, and there be fertile meadows, +and old corn-fields of the Indians, and good springs of water, so that I +am told it is a desirable and pleasing place in the warm season. My +soul is full of thankfulness, and a sweet inward peace is my portion. +Hard things are made easy to me; this desert place, with its lonely +woods and wintry snows, is beautiful in mine eyes. For here we be no +longer gazing-stocks of the rude multitude, we are no longer haled from +our meetings, and railed upon as witches and possessed people. Oh, how +often have we been called upon heretofore to repeat the prayer of one +formerly: 'Let me not fall into the hands of man.' Sweet, beyond the +power of words to express, hath been the change in this respect; and in +view of the mercies vouchsafed unto us, what can we do but repeat the +language of David, 'Praise is comely yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it +is to be thankful. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, to +sing praises unto thy name, O Most High! to show forth thy loving- +kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night.' + +"Thou hast doubtless heard that thy dear brother hath been favored to +see the way of truth, according to our persuasion thereof, and hath been +received into fellowship with us. I fear this hath been a trial to +thee; but, dear heart, leave it in the hands of the Lord, whose work I +do indeed count it. Nor needest thou to fear that thy brother's regard +for thee will be lessened thereby, for the rather shall it be increased +by a measure of that Divine love which, so far from destroying, doth but +purify and strengthen the natural affections. + +"Think, then, kindly of thy brother, for his love towards thee is very +great; and of me, also, unworthy as I am, for his sake. And so, with +salutations of love and peace, in which my dear mother joins, I remain +thy loving friend, MARGARET BREWSTER. + +"The Morse woman, I hear, is in your jail, to be tried for a witch. She +is a poor, weak creature, but I know no harm of her, and do believe her +to be more silly than wicked in the matter of the troubles in her house. +I fear she will suffer much at this cold season in the jail, she being +old and weakly, and must needs entreat thee to inquire into her +condition. + "M. B." + + + +February 10. + +Speaking of Goody Morse to-day, Uncle Rawson says she will, he thinks, +be adjudged a witch, as there be many witnesses from Newbury to testify +against her. Aunt sent the old creature some warm blankets and other +necessaries, which she stood much in need of, and Rebecca and I altered +one of aunt's old gowns for her to wear, as she hath nothing seemly of +her own. Mr. Richardson, her minister, hath visited her twice since she +hath been in jail; but he saith she is hardened in her sin, and will +confess nothing thereof. + + + +February 14. +The famous Mr. John Eliot, having business with my uncle, spent the last +night with us, a truly worthy man, who, by reason of his great labors +among the heathen Indians, may be called the chiefest of our apostles. +He brought with him a young Indian lad, the son of a man of some note +among his people, very bright and comely, and handsomely apparelled +after the fashion of his tribe. This lad hath a ready wit, readeth and +writeth, and hath some understanding of Scripture; indeed, he did repeat +the Lord's Prayer in a manner edifying to hear. + +The worshipful Major Gookins coming in to sup with us, there was much +discourse concerning the affairs of the Province: both the Major and his +friend Eliot being great sticklers for the rights and liberties of the +people, and exceeding jealous of the rule of the home government, and +in this matter my uncle did quite agree with them. In a special manner +Major Gookins did complain of the Acts of Trade, as injurious to the +interests of the Colony, and which he said ought not to be submitted to, +as the laws of England were bounded by the four seas, and did not justly +reach America. He read a letter which he had from Mr. Stoughton, one of +the agents of the Colony in England, showing how they had been put off +from time to time, upon one excuse or another, without being able to get +a hearing; and now the Popish Plot did so occupy all minds there, that +Plantation matters were sadly neglected; but this much was certain, the +laws for the regulating of trade must be consented to by the +Massachusetts, if we would escape a total breach. My uncle struck his +hand hard on the table at this, and said if all were of his mind they +would never heed the breach; adding, that he knew his rights as a free- +born Englishman, under Magna Charta, which did declare it the privilege +of such to have a voice in the making of laws; whereas the Massachusetts +had no voice in Parliament, and laws were thrust upon them by strangers. + +"For mine own part," said Major Gookins, "I do hold our brother Eliot's +book on the Christian Commonwealth, which the General Court did make +haste to condemn on the coming in of the king, to be a sound and +seasonable treatise, notwithstanding the author himself hath in some +sort disowned it." + +"I did truly condemn and deny the false and seditious doctrines charged +upon it," said Mr. Eliot, "but for the book itself, rightly taken, and +making allowance for some little heat of discourse and certain hasty +and ill-considered words therein, I have never seen cause to repent. +I quite agree with what my lamented friend and fellow-laborer, Mr. +Danforth, said, when he was told that the king was to be proclaimed at +Boston: 'Whatever form of government may be deduced from Scripture, that +let us yield to for conscience' sake, not forgetting at the same time +that the Apostle hath said, if thou mayest be free use it rather.'" + +My uncle said this was well spoken of Mr. Danforth, who was a worthy +gentleman and a true friend to the liberties of the Colony; and he asked +Rebecca to read some ingenious verses writ by him in one of his +almanacs, which she had copied not long ago, wherein he compareth New +England to a goodly tree or plant. Whereupon, Rebecca read them as +followeth:-- + + "A skilful husbandman he was, who brought + This matchless plant from far, and here hath sought + A place to set it in; and for its sake + The wilderness a pleasant land doth make. + + "With pleasant aspect, Phoebus smiles upon + The tender buds and blooms that hang thereon; + At this tree's root Astrea sits and sings, + And waters it, whence upright Justice springs, + Which yearly shoots forth laws and liberties + That no man's will or wit may tyrannize. + Those birds of prey that sometime have oppressed + And stained the country with their filthy nest, + Justice abhors, and one day hopes to find + A way, to make all promise-breakers grind. + On this tree's top hangs pleasant Liberty, + Not seen in Austria, France, Spain, Italy. + True Liberty 's there ripe, where all confess + They may do what they will, save wickedness. + Peace is another fruit which this tree bears, + The chiefest garland that the country wears, + Which o'er all house-tops, towns, and fields doth spread, + And stuffs the pillow for each weary head. + It bloomed in Europe once, but now 't is gone, + And glad to find a desert mansion. + Forsaken Truth, Time's daughter, groweth here,-- + More precious fruit what tree did ever bear,-- + Whose pleasant sight aloft hath many fed, + And what falls down knocks Error on the head." + +After a little time, Rebecca found means to draw the good Mr. Eliot into +some account of his labors and journeys among the Indians, and of their +manner of life, ceremonies, and traditions, telling him that I was a +stranger in these parts, and curious concerning such matters. So he did +address himself to me very kindly, answering such questions as I +ventured to put to him. And first, touching the Powahs, of whom I had +heard much, he said they were manifestly witches, and such as had +familiar spirits; but that, since the Gospel has been preached here, +their power had in a great measure gone from them. "My old friend, +Passaconaway, the Chief of the Merrimac River Indians," said he, "was, +before his happy and marvellous conversion, a noted Powah and wizard. +I once queried with him touching his sorceries, when he said he had done +wickedly, and it was a marvel that the Lord spared his life, and did not +strike him dead with his lightnings. And when I did press him to tell +me how he did become a Powah, he said he liked not to speak of it, but +would nevertheless tell me. His grandmother used to tell him many +things concerning the good and bad spirits, and in a special manner of +the Abomako, or Chepian, who had the form of a serpent, and who was the +cause of sickness and pain, and of all manner of evils. And it so +chanced that on one occasion, when hunting in the wilderness, three +days' journey from home, he did lose his way, and wandered for a long +time without food, and night coming on, he thought he did hear voices of +men talking; but, on drawing near to the place whence the noise came, he +could see nothing but the trees and rocks; and then he did see a light, +as from a wigwam a little way off, but, going towards it, it moved away, +and, following it, he was led into a dismal swamp, full of water, and +snakes, and briers; and being in so sad a plight, be bethought him of +all he had heard of evil demons and of Chepian, who, he doubted not was +the cause of his trouble. At last, coming to a little knoll in the +swamp, he lay down under a hemlock-tree, and being sorely tired, fell +asleep. And he dreamed a dream, which was in this wise:-- + +"He thought he beheld a great snake crawl up out of the marsh, and stand +upon his tail under a tall maple-tree; and he thought the snake spake to +him, and bade him be of good cheer, for he would guide him safe out of +the swamp, and make of him a great chief and Powah, if he would pray to +him and own him as his god. All which he did promise to do; and when he +awoke in the morning, he beheld before him the maple-tree under which he +had seen the snake in his dream, and, climbing to the top of it, he saw +a great distance off the smoke of a wigwam, towards which he went, and +found some of his own people cooking a plentiful meal of venison. When +he got back to Patucket, he told his dream to his grandmother, who was +greatly rejoiced, and went about from wigwam to wigwam, telling the +tribe that Chepian had appeared to her grandson. So they had a great +feast and dance, and he was thenceforth looked upon as a Powah. Shortly +after, a woman of the tribe falling sick, he was sent for to heal her, +which he did by praying to Chepian and laying his hands upon her; and at +divers other times the Devil helped him in his enchantments and +witcheries." + +I asked Mr. Eliot whether he did know of any women who were Powahs. +He confessed he knew none; which was the more strange, as in Christian +countries the Old Serpent did commonly find instruments of his craft +among the women. + +To my query as to what notion the heathen had of God and a future state, +he said that, when he did discourse them concerning the great and true +God, who made all things, and of heaven and hell, they would readily +consent thereto, saying that so their fathers had taught them; but when +he spake to them of the destruction of the world by fire, and the +resurrection of the body, they would not hear to it, for they pretend to +hold that the spirit of the dead man goes forthwith, after death, to the +happy hunting-grounds made for good Indians, or to the cold and dreary +swamps and mountains, where the bad Indians do starve and freeze, and +suffer all manner of hardships. + +There was, Mr. Eliot told us, a famous Powah, who, coming to Punkapog, +while he was at that Indian town, gave out among the people there that a +little humming-bird did come to him and peck at him when he did aught +that was wrong, and sing sweetly to him when he did a good thing, or +spake the right words; which coming to Mr. Eliot's ear, he made him +confess, in the presence of the congregation, that he did only mean, by +the figure of the bird, the sense he had of right and wrong in his own +mind. This fellow was, moreover, exceeding cunning, and did often ask +questions hard to be answered touching the creation of the Devil, and +the fall of man. + +I said to him that I thought it must be a great satisfaction to him to +be permitted to witness the fruit of his long labors and sufferings in +behalf of these people, in the hopeful conversion of so many of them to +the light and knowledge of the Gospel; to which he replied that his poor +labors had been indeed greatly blest, but it was all of the Lord's +doing, and he could truly say he felt, in view of the great wants of +these wild people, and their darkness and misery, that he had by no +means done all his duty towards them. He said also, that whenever he +was in danger of being puffed up with the praise of men, or the vanity +of his own heart, the Lord had seen meet to abase and humble him, by the +falling back of some of his people to their old heathenish practices. +The war, moreover, was a sore evil to the Indian churches, as some few +of their number were enticed by Philip to join him in his burnings and +slaughterings, and this did cause even the peaceful and innocent to be +vehemently suspected and cried out against as deceivers and murderers. +Poor, unoffending old men, and pious women, had been shot at and killed +by our soldiers, their wigwams burned, their families scattered, and +driven to seek shelter with the enemy; yea, many Christian Indians, he +did believe, had been sold as slaves to the Barbadoes, which he did +account a great sin, and a reproach to our people. Major Gookins said +that a better feeling towards the Indians did now prevail among the +people; the time having been when, because of his friendliness to them, +and his condemnation of their oppressors, he was cried out against and +stoned in the streets, to the great hazard of his life. + +So, after some further discourse, our guests left us, Mr. Eliot kindly +inviting me to visit his Indian congregation near Boston, whereby I +could judge for myself of their condition. + + + +February 22, 1679. + +The weather suddenly changing from a warm rain and mist to sharp, clear +cold, the trees a little way from the house did last evening so shine +with a wonderful brightness in the light of the moon, now nigh unto its +full, that I was fain to go out upon the hill-top to admire them. And +truly it was no mean sight to behold every small twig becrusted with +ice, and glittering famously like silver-work or crystal, as the rays of +the moon did strike upon them. Moreover, the earth was covered with +frozen snow, smooth and hard like to marble, through which the long +rushes, the hazels, and mulleins, and the dry blades of the grasses, did +stand up bravely, bedight with frost. And, looking upward, there were +the dark tops of the evergreen trees, such as hemlocks, pines, and +spruces, starred and bespangled, as if wetted with a great rain of +molten crystal. After admiring and marvelling at this rare +entertainment and show of Nature, I said it did mind me of what the +Spaniards and Portuguese relate of the great Incas of Guiana, who had a +garden of pleasure in the Isle of Puna, whither they were wont to betake +themselves when they would enjoy the air of the sea, in which they had +all manner of herbs and flowers, and trees curiously fashioned of gold +and silver, and so burnished that their exceeding brightness did dazzle +the eyes of the beholders. + +"Nay," said the worthy Mr. Mather, who did go with us, "it should +rather, methinks, call to mind what the Revelator hath said of the Holy +City. I never look upon such a wonderful display of the natural world +without remembering the description of the glory of that city which +descended out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, and her light +like unto a stone most precious, even like unto a jasper stone, clear as +crystal. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper, and the city +was pure gold like unto clear glass. And the twelve gates were twelve +pearls, every several gate was of one pearl, and the street of the city +was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. + +"There never was a king's palace lighted up and adorned like this," +continued Mr. Mather, as we went homewards. "It seemeth to be Gods +design to show how that He can glorify himself in the work of His hands, +even at this season of darkness and death, when all things are sealed +up, and there be no flowers, nor leaves, nor ruining brooks, to speak of +His goodness and sing forth His praises. Truly hath it been said, Great +things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend. For He saith to the snow, +Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain and the great rain of +His strength. He sealeth up the hand of every man, that all men may +know His work. Then the beasts go into their dens, and they remain in +their places. Out of the south cometh the whirlwind, and cold out of +the north. By the breath of God is the frost given, and the breadth of +the waters straitened." + + + +March 10. + +I have been now for many days afflicted with a great cold and pleurisy, +although, by God's blessing on the means used, I am wellnigh free from +pain, and much relieved, also, from a tedious cough. In this sickness I +have not missed the company and kind ministering of my dear Cousin +Rebecca, which was indeed a great comfort. She tells me to-day that the +time hath been fixed upon for her marriage with Sir Thomas, which did +not a little rejoice me, as I am to go back to mine own country in their +company. I long exceedingly to see once again the dear friends from whom +I have been separated by many months of time and a great ocean. + +Cousin Torrey, of Weymouth, coming in yesterday, brought with her a very +bright and pretty Indian girl, one of Mr. Eliot's flock, of the Natick +people. She was apparelled after the English manner, save that she wore +leggings, called moccasins, in the stead of shoes, wrought over daintily +with the quills of an animal called a porcupine, and hung about with +small black and white shells. Her hair, which was exceeding long and +black, hung straight down her back, and was parted from her forehead, +and held fast by means of a strip of birch back, wrought with quills and +feathers, which did encircle her head. She speaks the English well, and +can write somewhat, as well as read. Rebecca, for my amusement, did +query much with her regarding the praying Indians; and on her desiring +to know whether they did in no wise return to their old practices and +worships, Wauwoonemeen (for so she was called by her people) told us +that they did still hold their Keutikaw, or Dance for the Dead; and +that the ministers, although they did not fail to discourage it, had not +forbidden it altogether, inasmuch as it was but a civil custom of the +people, and not a religious rite. This dance did usually take place at +the end of twelve moons after the death of one of their number, and +finished the mourning. The guests invited bring presents to the +bereaved family, of wampum, beaver-skins, corn, and ground-nuts, and +venison. These presents are delivered to a speaker, appointed for the +purpose, who takes them, one by one, and hands them over to the +mourners, with a speech entreating them to be consoled by these tokens +of the love of their neighbors, and to forget their sorrows. After +which, they sit down to eat, and are merry together. + +Now it had so chanced that at a Keutikaw held the present winter, two +men had been taken ill, and had died the next day; and although Mr. +Eliot, when he was told of it, laid the blame thereof upon their hard +dancing until they were in a great heat, and then running out into the +snow and sharp air to cool themselves, it was thought by many that they +were foully dealt with and poisoned. So two noted old Powahs from +Wauhktukook, on the great river Connecticut, were sent for to discover +the murderers. Then these poor heathen got together in a great wigwam, +where the old wizards undertook, by their spells and incantations, to +consult the invisible powers in the matter. I asked Wauwoonemeen if she +knew how they did practise on the occasion; whereupon she said that none +but men were allowed to be in the wigwam, but that she could hear the +beating of sticks on the ground, and the groans and howlings and dismal +mutterings of the Powahs, and that she, with another young woman, +venturing to peep through a hole in the back of the wigwam, saw a great +many people sitting on the ground, and the two Powahs before the fire, +jumping and smiting their breasts, and rolling their eyes very +frightfully. + +"But what came of it?" asked Rebecca. "Did the Evil Spirit whom they +thus called upon testify against himself, by telling who were his +instruments in mischief?" + +The girl said she had never heard of any discovery of the poisoners, if +indeed there were such. She told us, moreover, that many of the best +people in the tribe would have no part in the business, counting it +sinful; and that the chief actors were much censured by the ministers, +and so ashamed of it that they drove the Powahs out of the village, the +women and boys chasing them and beating them with sticks and frozen +snow, so that they had to take to the woods in a sorry plight. + +We gave the girl some small trinkets, and a fair piece of cloth for an +apron, whereat she was greatly pleased. We were all charmed with her +good parts, sweetness of countenance, and discourse and ready wit, being +satisfied thereby that Nature knoweth no difference between Europe and +America in blood, birth, and bodies, as we read in Acts 17 that God hath +made of one blood all mankind. I was specially minded of a saying of +that ingenious but schismatic man, Mr. Roger Williams, in the little +book which he put forth in England on the Indian tongue:-- + + "Boast not, proud English, of thy birth and blood, + Thy brother Indian is by birth as good; + Of one blood God made him and thee and all, + As wise, as fair, as strong, as personal. + + "By nature wrath's his portion, thine, no more, + Till grace his soul and thine in Christ restore. + Make sure thy second birth, else thou shalt see + Heaven ope to Indians wild, but shut to thee!" + + + +March 15. + +One Master O'Shane, an Irish scholar, of whom my cousins here did learn +the Latin tongue, coming in last evening, and finding Rebecca and I +alone (uncle and aunt being on a visit to Mr. Atkinson's), was exceeding +merry, entertaining us rarely with his stories and songs. Rebecca tells +me he is a learned man, as I can well believe, but that he is too fond +of strong drink for his good, having thereby lost the favor of many of +the first families here, who did formerly employ him. There was one +ballad, which he saith is of his own making, concerning the selling of +the daughter of a great Irish lord as a slave in this land, which +greatly pleased me; and on my asking for a copy of it, he brought it to +me this morning, in a fair hand. I copy it in my Journal, as I know +that Oliver, who is curious in such things, will like it. + + +KATHLEEN. + +O NORAH, lay your basket down, +And rest your weary hand, +And come and hear me sing a song +Of our old Ireland. + +There was a lord of Galaway, +A mighty lord was he; +And he did wed a second wife, +A maid of low degree. + +But he was old, and she was young, +And so, in evil spite, +She baked the black bread for his kin, +And fed her own with white. + +She whipped the maids and starved the kern, +And drove away the poor; +"Ah, woe is me!" the old lord said, +"I rue my bargain sore!" + +This lord he had a daughter fair, +Beloved of old and young, +And nightly round the shealing-fires +Of her the gleeman sung. + +"As sweet and good is young Kathleen +As Eve before her fall;" +So sang the harper at the fair, +So harped he in the hall. + +"Oh, come to me, my daughter dear! +Come sit upon my knee, +For looking in your face, Kathleen, +Your mother's own I see!" + +He smoothed and smoothed her hair away, +He kissed her forehead fair; +"It is my darling Mary's brow, +It is my darling's hair!" + +Oh, then spake up the angry dame, +"Get up, get up," quoth she, +"I'll sell ye over Ireland, +I'll sell ye o'er the sea!" + +She clipped her glossy hair away, +That none her rank might know; +She took away her gown of silk, +And gave her one of tow, + +And sent her down to Limerick town +And to a seaman sold +This daughter of an Irish lord +For ten good pounds in gold. + +The lord he smote upon his breast, +And tore his beard so gray; +But he was old, and she was young, +And so she had her way. + +Sure that same night the Banshee howled +To fright the evil dame, +And fairy folks, who loved Kathleen, +With funeral torches came. + +She watched them glancing through the trees, +And glimmering down the hill; +They crept before the dead-vault door, +And there they all stood still! + +"Get up, old man! the wake-lights shine!" +"Ye murthering witch," quoth he, +"So I'm rid of your tongue, I little care +If they shine for you or me." + +"Oh, whoso brings my daughter back, +My gold and land shall have!" +Oh, then spake up his handsome page, +"No gold nor land I crave! + +"But give to me your daughter dear, +Give sweet Kathleen to me, +Be she on sea or be she on land, +I'll bring her back to thee." + +"My daughter is a lady born, +And you of low degree, +But she shall be your bride the day +You bring her back to me." + +He sailed east, he sailed west, +And far and long sailed he, +Until he came to Boston town, +Across the great salt sea. + +"Oh, have ye seen the young Kathleen, +The flower of Ireland? +Ye'll know her by her eyes so blue, +And by her snow-white hand!" + +Out spake an ancient man, "I know +The maiden whom ye mean; +I bought her of a Limerick man, +And she is called Kathleen. + +"No skill hath she in household work, +Her hands are soft and white, +Yet well by loving looks and ways +She doth her cost requite." + +So up they walked through Boston town, +And met a maiden fair, +A little basket on her arm +So snowy-white and bare. + +"Come hither, child, and say hast thou +This young man ever seen?" +They wept within each other's arms, +The page and young Kathleen. + +"Oh give to me this darling child, +And take my purse of gold." +"Nay, not by me," her master said, +"Shall sweet Kathleen be sold. + +"We loved her in the place of one +The Lord hath early ta'en; +But, since her heart's in Ireland, +We give her back again!" + +Oh, for that same the saints in heaven +For his poor soul shall pray, +And Mary Mother wash with tears +His heresies away. + +Sure now they dwell in Ireland; +As you go up Claremore +Ye'll see their castle looking down +The pleasant Galway shore. + +And the old lord's wife is dead and gone, +And a happy man is he, +For he sits beside his own Kathleen, +With her darling on his knee. +1849. + + + +March 27, 1679. + +Spent the afternoon and evening yesterday at Mr. Mather's, with uncle +and aunt, Rebecca and Sir Thomas, and Mr. Torrey of Weymouth, and his +wife; Mr. Thacher, the minister of the South Meeting, and Major Simon +Willard of Concord, being present also. There was much discourse of +certain Antinomians, whose loose and scandalous teachings in respect to +works were strongly condemned, although Mr. Thacher thought there might +be danger, on the other hand, of falling into the error of the +Socinians, who lay such stress upon works, that they do not scruple to +undervalue and make light of faith. Mr. Torrey told of some of the +Antinomians, who, being guilty of scandalous sins, did nevertheless +justify themselves, and plead that they were no longer under the law. +Sir Thomas drew Rebecca and I into a corner of the room, saying he was +a-weary of so much disputation, and began relating somewhat which befell +him in a late visit to the New Haven people. Among other things, he +told us that while he was there, a maid of nineteen years was put upon +trial for her life, by complaint of her parents of disobedience of their +commands, and reviling them; that at first the mother of the girl did +seem to testify strongly against her; but when she had spoken a few +words, the accused crying out with a bitter lamentation, that she should +be destroyed in her youth by the words of her own mother, the woman did +so soften her testimony that the Court, being in doubt upon the matter, +had a consultation with the ministers present, as to whether the accused +girl had made herself justly liable to the punishment prescribed for +stubborn and rebellious children in Deut. xxi. 20, 21. It was thought +that this law did apply specially unto a rebellious son, according to +the words of the text, and that a daughter could not be put to death +under it; to which the Court did assent, and the girl, after being +admonished, was set free. Thereupon, Sir Thomas told us, she ran +sobbing into the arms of her mother, who did rejoice over her as one +raised from the dead, and did moreover mightily blame herself for +putting her in so great peril, by complaining of her disobedience +to the magistrates. + +Major Willard, a pleasant, talkative man, being asked by Mr. Thacher +some questions pertaining to his journey into the New Hampshire, in the +year '52, with the learned and pious Mr. Edward Johnson, in obedience to +an order of the General Court, for the finding the northernmost part of +the river Merrimac, gave us a little history of the same, some parts of +which I deemed noteworthy. The company, consisting of the two +commissioners, and two surveyors, and some Indians, as guides and +hunters, started from Concord about the middle of July, and followed the +river on which Concord lies, until they came to the great Falls of the +Merrimac, at Patucket, where they were kindly entertained at the wigwam +of a chief Indian who dwelt there. They then went on to the Falls of +the Amoskeag, a famous place of resort for the Indians, and encamped at +the foot of a mountain, under the shade of some great trees, where they +spent the next day, it being the Sabhath. Mr. Johnson read a portion +of the Word, and a psalm was sung, the Indians sitting on the ground a +little way off, in a very reverential manner. They then went to +Annahookline, where were some Indian cornfields, and thence over a wild, +hilly country, to the head of the Merrimac, at a place called by the +Indians Aquedahcan, where they took an observation of the latitude, and +set their names upon a great rock, with that of the worshipful Governor, +John Endicott. Here was the great Lake Winnipiseogee, as large over as +an English county, with many islands upon it, very green with trees and +vines, and abounding with squirrels and birds. They spent two days at +the lake's outlet, one of them the Sabhath, a wonderfully still, quiet +day of the midsummer. "It is strange," said the Major, "but so it is, +that although a quarter of a century hath passed over me since that day, +it is still very fresh and sweet in my memory. Many times, in my +musings, I seem to be once more sitting under the beechen trees of +Aquedahcan, with my three English friends, and I do verily seem to see +the Indians squatted on the lake shore, round a fire, cooking their +dishes, and the smoke thereof curling about among the trees over their +heads; and beyond them is the great lake and the islands thereof, some +big and others exceeding small, and the mountains that do rise on the +other side, and whose woody tops show in the still water as in a glass. +And, withal, I do seem to have a sense of the smell of flowers, which +did abound there, and of the strawberries with which the old Indian +cornfield near unto us was red, they being then ripe and luscious to the +taste. It seems, also, as if I could hear the bark of my dog, and the +chatter of squirrels, and the songs of the birds, in the thick woods +behind us; and, moreover, the voice of my friend Johnson, as he did call +to mind these words of the 104th Psalm: 'Bless the Lord, O my soul! who +coverest thyself with light, as with a garment; who stretchest out the +heavens like a curtain; who layeth the beams of his chambers in the +waters; who maketh the clouds his chariot; and walketh upon the wings of +the wind!' Ah me! I shall never truly hear that voice more, unless, +through God's mercy, I be permitted to join the saints of light in +praise and thanksgiving beside stiller waters and among greener pastures +than are those of Aquedahcan." + +"He was a shining light, indeed," said Mr. Mather, "and, in view of his +loss and that of other worthies in Church and State, we may well say, as +of old, Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth!" + +Major Willard said that the works of Mr. Johnson did praise him, +especially that monument of his piety and learning, "The History of New +England; or, Wonder-Working Providence of Sion's Saviour," wherein he +did show himself in verse and in prose a workman not to be ashamed. +There was a piece which Mr. Johnson writ upon birchen bark at the head +of the Merrimac, during the journey of which he had spoken, which had +never been printed, but which did more deserve that honor than much of +the rhymes with which the land now aboundeth. Mr. Mather said he had +the piece of bark then in his possession, on which Mr. Johnson did +write; and, on our desiring to see it, he brought it to us, and, as we +could not well make out the writing thereon, he read it as followeth:-- + + +This lonesome lake, like to a sea, among the mountains lies, +And like a glass doth show their shapes, and eke the clouds and skies. +God lays His chambers' beams therein, that all His power may know, +And holdeth in His fist the winds, that else would mar the show. + +The Lord hath blest this wilderness with meadows, streams, and springs, +And like a garden planted it with green and growing things; +And filled the woods with wholesome meats, and eke with fowls the air, +And sown the land with flowers and herbs, and fruits of savor rare. + +But here the nations know him not, and come and go the days, +Without a morning prayer to Him, or evening song of praise; +The heathen fish upon the lake, or hunt the woods for meat, +And like the brutes do give no thanks for wherewithal to eat. + +They dance in shame and nakedness, with horrid yells to hear, +And like to dogs they make a noise, or screeching owls anear. +Each tribe, like Micah, doth its priest or cunning Powah keep; +Yea, wizards who, like them of old, do mutter and do peep. + +A cursed and an evil race, whom Satan doth mislead, +And rob them of Christ's hope, whereby he makes them poor indeed; +They hold the waters and the hills, and clouds, and stars to be +Their gods; for, lacking faith, they do believe but what they see. + +Yet God on them His sun and rain doth evermore bestow, +And ripens all their harvest-fields and pleasant fruits also. +For them He makes the deer and moose, for them the fishes swim, +And all the fowls in woods and air are goodly gifts from Him. + +Yea, more; for them, as for ourselves, hath Christ a ransom paid, +And on Himself, their sins and ours, a common burden laid. +By nature vessels of God's wrath, 't is He alone can give +To English or to Indians wild the grace whereby we live. + +Oh, let us pray that in these wilds the Gospel may be preached, +And these poor Gentiles of the woods may by its truth be reached; +That ransomed ones the tidings glad may sound with joy abroad, +And lonesome Aquedahcan hear the praises of the Lord! + + + +March 18. + +My cough still troubling me, an ancient woman, coming in yesterday, did +so set forth the worth and virtue of a syrup of her making, that Aunt +Rawson sent Effie over to the woman's house for a bottle of it. The +woman sat with us a pretty while, being a lively talking body, although +now wellnigh fourscore years of age. She could tell many things of the +old people of Boston, for, having been in youth the wife of a man of +some note and substance, and being herself a notable housewife and of +good natural parts, she was well looked upon by the better sort of +people. After she became a widow, she was for a little time in the +family of Governor Endicott, at Naumkeag, whom she describeth as a just +and goodly man, but exceeding exact in the ordering of his household, +and of fiery temper withal. When displeasured, he would pull hard at +the long tuft of hair which he wore upon his chin; and on one occasion, +while sitting in the court, he plucked off his velvet cap, and cast it +in the face of one of the assistants, who did profess conscientious +scruples against the putting to death of the Quakers. + +"I have heard say his hand was heavy upon these people," I said. + +"And well it might be," said the old woman, for more pestilent and +provoking strollers and ranters you shall never find than these same +Quakers. They were such a sore trouble to the Governor, that I do +believe his days were shortened by reason of them. For neither the +jail, nor whipping, nor cropping of ears, did suffice to rid him of +them. At last, when a law was made by the General Court, banishing them +on pain of death, the Governor, coming home from Boston, said that he +now hoped to have peace in the Colony, and that this sharpness would +keep the land free from these troublers. I remember it well, how the +next day he did invite the ministers and chief men, and in what a +pleasant frame he was. In the morning I had mended his best velvet +breeches for him, and he praised my work not a little, and gave me six +shillings over and above my wages; and, says he to me: 'Goody Lake,' +says he, 'you are a worthy woman, and do feel concerned for the good of +Zion, and the orderly carrying of matters in Church and State, and hence +I know you will be glad to hear that, after much ado, and in spite of +the strivings of evil-disposed people, the General Court have agreed +upon a law for driving the Quakers out of the jurisdiction, on pain of +death; so that, if any come after this, their blood be upon their own +heads. It is what I have wrestled with the Lord for this many a month, +and I do count it a great deliverance and special favor; yea, I may +truly say, with David: "Thou hast given me my heart's desire, and hast +not withholden the prayer of my lips. Thy hand shall find out all thine +enemies; thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine +anger; the Lord shall wallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall +devour them." You will find these words, Goody Lake,' says he, 'in the +21st Psalm, where what is said of the King will serve for such as be in +authority at this time.' For you must know, young woman, that the +Governor was mighty in Scripture, more especially in his prayers, +when you could think that he had it all at his tongue's end. + +"There was a famous dinner at the Governor's that day, and many guests, +and the Governor had ordered from his cellar some wine, which was a gift +from a Portuguese captain, and of rare quality, as I know of mine own +tasting, when word was sent to the Governor that a man wished to see +him, whom he bid wait awhile. After dinner was over, he went into the +hall, and who should be there but Wharton, the Quaker, who, without +pulling off his hat, or other salutation, cried out: 'John Endicott, +hearken to the word of the Lord, in whose fear and dread I am come. +Thou and thy evil counsellors, the priests, have framed iniquity by law, +but it shall not avail you. Thus saith the Lord, Evil shall slay the +wicked, and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate!' Now, when +the Governor did hear this, he fell, as must needs be, into a rage, and, +seeing me by the door, he bade me call the servants from the kitchen, +which I did, and they running up, he bade them lay hands on the fellow, +and take him away; and then, in a great passion, he called for his +horse, saying he would not rest until he had seen forty stripes save one +laid upon that cursed Quaker, and that he should go to the gallows yet +for his sauciness. So they had him to jail, and the next morning he was +soundly whipped, and ordered to depart the jurisdiction." + +I, being curious to know more concerning the Quakers, asked her if she +did ever talk with any of them who were dealt with by the authorities, +and what they said for themselves. + +"Oh, they never lacked words," said she, "but cried out for liberty of +conscience, and against persecution, and prophesied all manner of evil +upon such as did put in force the law. Some time about the year '56, +there did come two women of them to Boston, and brought with them +certain of their blasphemous books, which the constables burnt in the +street, as I well remember by this token, that, going near the fire, and +seeing one of the books not yet burnt, I stooped to pick it up, when one +of the constables gave me a smart rap with his staff, and snatched it +away. The women being sent to the jail, the Deputy-Governor, Mr. +Bellingham, and the Council, thinking they might be witches, were for +having them searched; and Madam Bellingham naming me and another woman +to her husband, he sent for us, and bade us go to the jail and search +them, to see if there was any witch-mark on their bodies. So we went, +and told them our errand, at which they marvelled not a little, and one +of them, a young, well-favored woman, did entreat that they might not be +put to such shame, for the jailer stood all the time in the yard, +looking in at the door; but we told them such was the order, and so, +without more ado, stripped them of their clothes, but found nothing save +a mole on the left breast of he younger, into which Goodwife Page thrust +her needle, at which the woman did give a cry as of pain, and the blood +flowed; whereas, if it had been witch's mark, she would not have felt +the prick, for would it have caused blood. So, finding nothing that did +look like witchcraft, we left them; and on being brought before the +Court, Deputy-Governor Bellingham asked us what we had to say concerning +the women. Whereupon Goodwife Page, being the oldest of us, told him +that we did find no appearance of witches upon their bodies, save the +mole on the younger woman's breast (which was but natural), but that +otherwise she was fair as Absalom, who had no blemish from the soles of +his feet to the crown of his head. Thereupon the Deputy-Governor +dismissed us, saying that it might be that the Devil did not want them +for witches, because they could better serve him as Quakers: whereat all +the Court fell to laughing." + +"And what did become of the women?" I asked. + +"They kept them in jail awhile," said Nurse Lake, "and then sent them +back to England. But the others that followed fared harder,--some +getting whipped at the cart-tail, and others losing their ears. The +hangman's wife showed me once the ears of three of them, which her +husband cut off in the jail that very morning." + +"This is dreadful!" said I, for I thought of my dear brother and sweet +Margaret Brewster, and tears filled mine eyes. + +"Nay; but they were sturdy knaves and vagabonds," answered Nurse Lake, +"although one of them was the son of a great officer in the Barbadoes, +and accounted a gentleman before he did run out into his evil practices. +But cropping of ears did not stop these headstrong people, and they +still coming, some were put to death. There were three of them to be +hanged at one time. I do remember it well, for it was a clear, warm day +about the last of October, and it was a brave sight to behold. There +was Marshal Michelson and Captain Oliver, with two hundred soldiers +afoot, besides many on horse of our chief people, and among them the +minister, Mr. Wilson, looking like a saint as he was, with a pleasant +and joyful countenance, and a great multitude of people, men, women, and +children, not only of Boston, but from he towns round about. I got +early on to the ground, and when they were going to the gallows I kept +as near to the condemned ones as I could. There were two young, well- +favored men, and a woman with gray hairs. As they walked hand in band, +the woman in the middle, the Marshal, who was riding beside them, and +who was a merry drolling man, asked her if she was n't ashamed to walk +hand in hand between two young men; whereupon, looking upon him +solemnly, she said she was not ashamed, for this was to her an hour of +great joy, and that no eye could see, no ear hear, no tongue speak, and +no heart understand, the sweet incomes and refreshings of the Lord's +spirit, which she did then feel. This she spake aloud, so that all +about could hear, whereat Captain Oliver bid the drums to beat and drown +her voice. Now, when they did come to the gallows ladder, on each side +of which the officers and chief people stood, the two men kept on their +hats, as is the ill manner of their sort, which so provoked Mr. Wilson, +the minister, that he cried out to them: 'What! shall such Jacks as you +come before authority with your hats on?' To which one of them said: +'Mind you, it is for not putting off our hats that we are put to death.' +The two men then went up the ladder, and tried to speak; but I could not +catch a word, being outside of the soldiers, and much fretted and +worried by the crowd. They were presently turned off, and then the +woman went up the ladder, and they tied her coats down to her feet, and +put the halter on her neck, and, lacking a handkerchief to tie over her +face, the minister lent the hangman his. Just then your Uncle Rawson +comes a-riding up to the gallows, waving his hand, and crying out, +'Stop! she is reprieved!' So they took her down, although she said she +was ready to die as her brethren did, unless they would undo their +bloody laws. I heard Captain Oliver tell her it was for her son's sake +that she was spared. So they took her to jail, and after a time sent +her back to her husband in Rhode Island, which was a favor she did in no +wise deserve; but good Governor Endicott, much as he did abhor these +people, sought not their lives, and spared no pains to get them +peaceably out the country; but they were a stubborn crew, and must needs +run their necks into the halter, as did this same woman; for, coming +back again, under pretence of pleading for the repeal of the laws +against Quakers, she was not long after put to death. The excellent Mr. +Wilson made a brave ballad on the hanging, which I have heard the boys +in the street sing many a time." + +A great number, both men and women, were--"whipped and put in the +stocks," continued the woman, "and I once beheld two of them, one a +young and the other an aged woman, in a cold day in winter, tied to the +tail of a cart, going through Salem Street, stripped to their waists as +naked as they were born, and their backs all covered with red whip- +marks; but there was a more pitiful case of one Hored Gardner, a young +married woman, with a little child and her nurse, who, coming to +Weymouth, was laid hold of and sent to Boston, where both were whipped, +and, as I was often at the jail to see the keeper's wife, it so chanced +that I was there at the time. The woman, who was young and delicate, +when they were stripping her, held her little child in her arms; and +when the jailer plucked it from her bosom, she looked round anxiously, +and, seeing me, said, 'Good woman, I know thou 't have pity on the +babe,' and asked me to hold it, which I did. She was then whipped with +a threefold whip, with knots in the ends, which did tear sadly into her +flesh; and, after it was over, she kneeled down, with her back all +bleeding, and prayed for them she called her persecutors. I must say I +did greatly pity her, and I spoke to the jailer's wife, and we washed +the poor creature's back, and put on it some famous ointment, so that +she soon got healed." + +Aunt Rawson now coming in, the matter was dropped; but, on my speaking +to her of it after Nurse Lake had left, she said it was a sore trial to +many, even those in authority, and who were charged with the putting in +force of the laws against these people. She furthermore said, that +Uncle Rawson and Mr. Broadstreet were much cried out against by the +Quakers and their abettors on both sides of the water, but they did but +their duty in the matter, and for herself she had always mourned over +the coming of these people, and was glad when the Court did set any of +them free. When the woman was hanged, my aunt spent the whole day with +Madam Broadstreet, who was so wrought upon that she was fain to take to +her bed, refusing to be comforted, and counting it the heaviest day of +her life. + +"Looking out of her chamber window," said Aunt Rawson, "I saw the people +who had been to the hanging coming back from the training-field; and +when Anne Broadstreet did hear the sound of their feet in the road, she +groaned, and said that it did seem as if every foot fell upon her heart. +Presently Mr. Broadstreet came home, bringing with him the minister, +Mr. John Norton. They sat down in the chamber, and for some little time +there was scarce a word spoken. At length Madam Broadstreet, turning to +her husband and laying her hand on his arm, as was her loving manner, +asked him if it was indeed all over. 'The woman is dead,' said he; 'but +I marvel, Anne, to see you so troubled about her. Her blood is upon her +own head, for we did by no means seek her life. She hath trodden under +foot our laws, and misused our great forbearance, so that we could do no +otherwise than we have done. So under the Devil's delusion was she, +that she wanted no minister or elder to pray with her at the gallows, +but seemed to think herself sure of heaven, heeding in no wise the +warnings of Mr. Norton, and other godly people.' + +"'Did she rail at, or cry out against any?' asked his wife. 'Nay, not to +my hearing,' he said, 'but she carried herself as one who had done no +harm, and who verily believed that she had obeyed the Lord's will.' + +"'This is very dreadful,' said she, 'and I pray that the death of that +poor misled creature may not rest heavy upon us.' + +"Hereupon Mr. Norton lifted up his head, which had been bowed down upon +his hand; and I shall never forget how his pale and sharp features did +seem paler than their wont, and his solemn voice seemed deeper and +sadder. 'Madam!' he said, 'it may well befit your gentleness and +sweetness of heart to grieve over the sufferings even of the froward and +ungodly, when they be cut off from the congregation of the Lord, as His +holy and just law enjoineth, for verily I also could weep for the +condemned one, as a woman and a mother; and, since her coming, I have +wrestled with the Lord, in prayer and fasting, that I might be His +instrument in snatching her as a brand from the burning. But, as a +watchman on the walls of Zion, when I did see her casting poison into +the wells of life, and enticing unstable souls into the snares and +pitfalls of Satan, what should I do but sound an alarm against her? And +the magistrate, such as your worthy husband, who is also appointed of +God, and set for the defence of the truth, and the safety of the Church +and the State, what can he do but faithfully to execute the law of God, +which is a terror to evil doers? The natural pity which we feel must +give place unto the duty we do severally owe to God and His Church, and +the government of His appointment. It is a small matter to be judged of +man's judgment, for, though certain people have not scrupled to call me +cruel and hard of heart, yet the Lord knows I have wept in secret places +over these misguided men and women. + +"'But might not life be spared?' asked Madam Broadstreet. 'Death is a +great thing.' + +"'It is appointed unto all to die,' said Mr. Norton, 'and after death +cometh the judgment. The death of these poor bodies is a bitter thing, +but the death of the soul is far more dreadful; and it is better that +these people should suffer than that hundreds of precious souls should +be lost through their evil communication. The care of the dear souls of +my flock lieth heavily upon me, as many sleepless nights and days of +fasting do bear witness. I have not taken counsel of flesh and blood in +this grave matter, nor yielded unto the natural weakness of my heart. +And while some were for sparing these workers of iniquity, even as Saul +spared Agag, I have been strengthened, as it were, to hew them in pieces +before the Lord in Gilgal. O madam, your honored husband can tell you +what travail of spirit, what sore trials, these disturbers have cost us; +and as you do know in his case, so believe also in mine, that what we +have done hath been urged, not by hardness and cruelty of heart, but +rather by our love and tenderness towards the Lord's heritage in this +land. Through care and sorrow I have grown old before my time; few and +evil have been the days of my pilgrimage, and the end seems not far off; +and though I have many sins and shortcomings to answer for, I do humbly +trust that the blood of the souls of the flock committed to me will not +then be found upon my garments.' + +"Ah, me! I shall never forget these words of that godly man," continued +my aunt, "for, as he said, his end was not far off. He died very +suddenly, and the Quakers did not scruple to say that it was God's +judgment upon him for his severe dealing with their people. They even +go so far as to say that the land about Boston is cursed because of the +hangings and whippings, inasmuch as wheat will not now grow here, as it +did formerly, and, indeed, many, not of their way, do believe the same +thing." + + + +April 24. + +A vessel from London has just come to port, bringing Rebecca's dresses +for the wedding, which will take place about the middle of June, as I +hear. Uncle Rawson has brought me a long letter from Aunt Grindall, +with one also from Oliver, pleasant and lively, like himself. No +special news from abroad that I hear of. My heart longs for Old England +more and more. + +It is supposed that the freeholders have chosen Mr. Broadstreet for +their Governor. The vote, uncle says, is exceeding small, very few +people troubling themselves about it. + + + +May 2. + +Mr. John Easton, a man of some note in the Providence Plantations, +having occasion to visit Boston yesterday, brought me a message from my +brother, to the effect that he was now married and settled, and did +greatly desire me to make the journey to his house in the company of his +friend, John Easton, and his wife's sister. I feared to break the +matter to my uncle, but Rebecca hath done so for me, and he hath, to my +great joy, consented thereto; for, indeed, he refuseth nothing to her. +My aunt fears for me, that I shall suffer from the cold, as the weather +is by no means settled, although the season is forward, as compared with +the last; but I shall take good care as to clothing; and John Easton +saith we shall be but two nights on the way. + + + +THE PLANTATIONS, May 10, 1679. + +We left Boston on the 4th, at about sunrise, and rode on at a brisk +trot, until we came to the banks of the river, along which we went near +a mile before we found a suitable ford, and even there the water was so +deep that we only did escape a wetting by drawing our feet up to the +saddle-trees. About noon, we stopped at a farmer's house, in the hope +of getting a dinner; but the room was dirty as an Indian wigwam, with +two children in it, sick with the measles, and the woman herself in a +poor way, and we were glad to leave as soon as possible, and get into +the fresh air again. Aunt had provided me with some cakes, and Mr. +Easton, who is an old traveller, had with him a roasted fowl and a good +loaf of Indian bread; so, coming to a spring of excellent water, we got +off our horses, and, spreading our napkins on the grass and dry leaves, +had a comfortable dinner. John's sister is a widow, a lively, merry +woman, and proved rare company for me. Afterwards we rode until the sun +was nigh setting, when we came to a little hut on the shore of a broad +lake at a place called Massapog. It had been dwelt in by a white family +formerly, but it was now empty, and much decayed in the roof, and as we +did ride up to it we saw a wild animal of some sort leap out of one of +its windows, and run into the pines. Here Mr. Easton said we must make +shift to tarry through the night, as it was many miles to the house of a +white man. So, getting off our horses, we went into the hut, which had +but one room, with loose boards for a floor; and as we sat there in the +twilight, it looked dismal enough; but presently Mr. Easton, coming in +with a great load of dried boughs, struck a light in the stone +fireplace, and we soon had a roaring fire. His sister broke off some +hemlock boughs near the door, and made a broom of them, with which she +swept up the floor, so that when we sat down on blocks by the hearth, +eating our poor supper, we thought ourselves quite comfortable and tidy. +It was a wonderful clear night, the moon rising, as we judged, about +eight of the clock, over the tops of the hills on the easterly side of +the lake, and shining brightly on the water in a long line of light, as +if a silver bridge had been laid across it. Looking out into the +forest, we could see the beams of the moon, falling here and there +through the thick tops of the pines and hemlocks, and showing their tall +trunks, like so many pillars in a church or temple. There was a +westerly wind blowing, not steadily, but in long gusts, which, sounding +from a great distance through the pine leaves, did make a solemn and not +unpleasing music, to which I listened at the door until the cold drove +me in for shelter. Our horses having been fed with corn, which Mr. +Easton took with him, were tied at the back of the building, under the +cover of a thick growth of hemlocks, which served to break off the night +wind. The widow and I had a comfortable bed in the corner of the room, +which we made of small hemlock sprigs, having our cloaks to cover us, +and our saddlebags for pillows. My companions were soon asleep, but the +exceeding strangeness of my situation did keep me a long time awake. +For, as I lay there looking upward, I could see the stars shining down a +great hole in the roof, and the moonlight streaming through the seams of +the logs, and mingling with the red glow of the coals on the hearth. I +could hear the horses stamping, just outside, and the sound of the water +on the lake shore, the cry of wild animals in the depth of the woods, +and, over all, the long and very wonderful murmur of the pines in the +wind. At last, being sore weary, I fell asleep, and waked not until I +felt the warm sun shining in my face, and heard the voice of Mr. Easton +bidding me rise, as the horses were ready. + +After riding about two hours we came upon an Indian camp, in the midst +of a thick wood of maples. Here were six spacious wigwams; but the men +were away, except two very old and infirm ones. There were five or six +women, and perhaps twice as many children, who all came out to see us. +They brought us some dried meat, as hard nigh upon as chips of wood, and +which, although hungry, I could feel no stomach for; but I bought of one +of the squaws two great cakes of sugar, made from the sap of the maples +which abound there, very pure and sweet, and which served me instead of +their unsavory meat and cakes of pounded corn, of which Mr. Easton and +his sister did not scruple to partake. Leaving them, we had a long and +hard ride to a place called Winnicinnit, where, to my great joy, we +found a comfortable house and Christian people, with whom we tarried. +The next day we got to the Plantations; and about noon, from the top of +a hill, Mr. Easton pointed out the settlement where my brother dwelt,-- +a fair, pleasant valley, through which ran a small river, with the +houses of the planters on either side. Shortly after, we came to a new +frame house, with a great oak-tree left standing on each side of the +gate, and a broad meadow before it, stretching down to the water. Here +Mr. Easton stopped; and now, who should come hastening down to us but my +new sister, Margaret, in her plain but comely dress, kindly welcoming +me; and soon my brother came up from the meadow, where he was busy with +his men. It was indeed a joyful meeting. + +The next day being the Sabhath, I went with my brother and his wife to +the meeting, which was held in a large house of one of their Quaker +neighbors. About a score of grave, decent people did meet there, +sitting still and quiet for a pretty while, when one of their number, +a venerable man, spake a few words, mostly Scripture; then a young +woman, who, I did afterwards learn, had been hardly treated by the +Plymouth people, did offer a few words of encouragement and exhortation +from this portion of the 34th Psalm: "The angel of the Lord encampeth +round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." When the meeting +was over, some of the ancient women came and spake kindly to me, +inviting me to their houses. In the evening certain of these people +came to my brother's, and were kind and loving towards me. There was, +nevertheless, a gravity and a certain staidness of deportment which I +could but ill conform unto, and I was not sorry when they took leave. +My Uncle Rawson need not fear my joining with them; for, although I do +judge them to be a worthy and pious people, I like not their manner of +worship, and their great gravity and soberness do little accord with my +natural temper and spirits. + + + +May 16. + +This place is in what is called the Narragansett country, and about +twenty miles from Mr. Williams's town of Providence, a place of no small +note. Mr. Williams, who is now an aged man, more than fourscore, was +the founder of the Province, and is held in great esteem by the people, +who be of all sects and persuasions, as the Government doth not molest +any in worshipping according to conscience; and hence you will see in +the same neighborhood Anabaptists, Quakers, New Lights, Brownists, +Antinomians, and Socinians,--nay, I am told there be Papists also. Mr. +Williams is a Baptist, and holdeth mainly with Calvin and Beza, as +respects the decrees, and hath been a bitter reviler of the Quakers, +although he hath ofttimes sheltered them from the rigor of the +Massachusetts Bay magistrates, who he saith have no warrant to deal in +matters of conscience and religion, as they have done. + +Yesterday came the Governor of the Rhode Island, Nicholas Easton, the +father of John, with his youngest daughter Mary, as fair and as ladylike +a person as I have seen for many a day. Both her father and herself do +meet with the "Friends," as they call themselves, at their great house +on the Island, and the Governor sometimes speaks therein, having, as one +of the elders here saith of him, "a pretty gift in the ministry." Mary, +who is about the age of my brother's wife, would fain persuade us to go +back with them on the morrow to the Island, but Leonard's business will +not allow it, and I would by no means lose his company while I tarry in +these parts, as I am so soon to depart for home, where a great ocean +will separate us, it may be for many years. Margaret, who hath been to +the Island, saith that the Governor's house is open to all new-comers, +who are there entertained with rare courtesy, he being a man of +substance, having a great plantation, with orchards and gardens, and +a stately house on an hill over-looking the sea on either hand, where, +six years ago, when the famous George Fox was on the Island, he did +entertain and lodge no less than fourscore persons, beside his own +family and servants. + +Governor Easton, who is a pleasant talker, told a story of a magistrate +who had been a great persecutor of his people. On one occasion, after +he had cast a worthy Friend into jail, he dreamed a dream in this wise: +He thought he was in a fair, delightsome place, where were sweet springs +of water and green meadows, and rare fruit-trees and vines with ripe +clusters thereon, and in the midst thereof flowed a river whose waters +were clearer than crystal. Moreover, he did behold a great multitude +walking on the river's bank, or sitting lovingly in the shade of the +trees which grew thereby. Now, while he stood marvelling at all this, +he beheld in his dream the man he had cast into prison sitting with his +hat on, side by side with a minister then dead, whom the magistrate had +held in great esteem while living; whereat, feeling his anger stirred +within him, he went straight and bade the man take off his hat in the +presence of his betters. Howbeit the twain did give no heed to his +words, but did continue to talk lovingly together as before; whereupon +he waxed exceeding wroth, and would have laid hands upon the man. But, +hearing a voice calling upon him to forbear, he did look about him, and +behold one, with a shining countenance, and clad in raiment so white +that it did dazzle his eyes to look upon it, stood before him. And the +shape said, "Dost thou well to be angry?" Then said the magistrate, +"Yonder is a Quaker with his hat on talking to a godly minister." +"Nay," quoth the shape, "thou seest but after the manner of the world +and with the eyes of flesh. Look yonder, and tell me what thou seest." +So he looked again, and lo! two men in shining raiment, like him who +talked with him, sat under the tree. "Tell me," said the shape, "if thou +canst, which of the twain is the Quaker and which is the Priest?" And +when he could not, but stood in amazement confessing he did see neither +of them, the shape said, "Thou sayest well, for here be neither Priest +nor Quaker, Jew nor Gentile, but all are one in the Lord." Then he +awoke, and pondered long upon his dream, and when it was morning he went +straightway to the jail, and ordered the man to be set free, and hath +ever since carried himself lovingly towards the Quakers. + +My brother's lines have indeed fallen unto him in a pleasant, place. +His house is on a warm slope of a hill, looking to the southeast, with a +great wood of oaks and walnuts behind it, and before it many acres of +open land, where formerly the Indians did plant their corn, much of +which is now ploughed and seeded. From the top of the hill one can see +the waters of the great Bay; at the foot of it runs a small river +noisily over the rocks, making a continual murmur. Going thither this +morning, I found a great rock hanging over the water, on which I sat +down, listening to the noise of the stream and the merriment of the +birds in the trees, and admiring the green banks, which were besprinkled +with white and yellow flowers. I call to mind that sweet fancy of the +lamented Anne Broadstreet, the wife of the new Governor of +Massachusetts, in a little piece which she nameth "Contemplations," +being written on the banks of a stream, like unto the one whereby I was +then sitting, in which the writer first describeth the beauties of the +wood, and the flowing water, with the bright fishes therein, and then +the songs of birds in the boughs over her head, in this sweet and +pleasing verse, which I have often heard repeated by Cousin Rebecca:-- + + "While musing thus, with contemplation fed, + And thousand fancies buzzing in my brain, + A sweet-tongued songster perched above my head, + And chanted forth her most melodious strain; + Which rapt me so with wonder and delight, + I judged my hearing better than my sight, + And wished me wings with her a while to take my flight. + + "O merry bird! said I, that fears no snares, + That neither toils nor hoards up in the barn, + Feels no sad thoughts, nor cruciating cares, + To gain more good, or shun what might thee harm. + Thy clothes ne'er wear, thy meat is everywhere, + Thy bed a bough, thy drink the water clear, + Reminds not what is past, nor what's to come dost fear. + + "The dawning morn with songs thou dost prevent, + Sets hundred notes unto thy feathered crew, + So each one tunes his pretty instrument, + And, warbling out the old, begins the new. + And thus they pass their youth in summer season, + Then follow thee unto a better region, + Where winter's never felt by that sweet airy legion." + +Now, while I did ponder these lines, hearing a step in the leaves, I +looked up, and behold there was an old Indian close beside me; and, +being much affrighted, I gave a loud cry, and ran towards the house. +The old man laughed at this, and, calling after me, said he would not +harm me; and Leonard, hearing my cries, now coming up, bade me never +fear the Indian, for he was a harmless creature, who was well known to +him. So he kindly saluted the old man, asking me to shake hands with +him, which I did, when he struck across the field to a little cleared +spot on the side of the hill. My brother bidding me note his actions, +I saw him stoop down on his knees, with his head to the ground, for some +space of time, and then, getting up, he stretched out his hands towards +the southwest, as if imploring some one whom I could not see. This he +repeated for nigh upon half an hour, when he came back to the house, +where he got some beer and bread to eat, and a great loaf to carry away. +He said but little until he rose to depart, when he told my brother that +he had been to see the graves of his father and his mother, and that he +was glad to find them as he did leave them the last year; for he knew +that the spirits of the dead would be sore grieved, if the white man's +hoe touched their bones. + +My brother promised him that the burial-place of his people should not +be disturbed, and that he would find it as now, when he did again visit +it. + +"Me never come again," said the old Indian. "No. Umpachee is very old. +He has no squaw; he has no young men who call him father. Umpachee is +like that tree;" and he pointed, as he spoke, to a birch, which stood +apart in the field, from which the bark had fallen, and which did show +no leaf nor bud. + +My brother hereupon spake to him of the great Father of both white and +red men, and of his love towards them, and of the measure of light which +he had given unto all men, whereby they might know good from evil, and +by living in obedience to which they might be happy in this life and in +that to come; exhorting him to put his trust in God, who was able to +comfort and sustain him in his old age, and not to follow after lying +Powahs, who did deceive and mislead him. + +"My young brother's talk is good," said the old man. "The Great Father +sees that his skin is white, and that mine is red. He sees my young +brother when he sits in his praying-house, and me when me offer him corn +and deer's flesh in the woods, and he says good. Umpachee's people have +all gone to one place. If Umpachee go to a praying-house, the Great +Father will send him to the white man's place, and his father and his +mother and his sons will never see him in their hunting-ground. No. +Umpachee is an old beaver that sits in his own house, and swims in his +own pond. He will stay where he is, until his Father calls him." + +Saying this, the old savage went on his way. As he passed out of the +valley, and got to the top of the hill on the other side, we, looking +after him, beheld him standing still a moment, as if bidding farewell to +the graves of his people. + + + +May 24. + +My brother goes with me to-morrow on my way to Boston. I am not a +little loath to leave my dear sister Margaret, who hath greatly won upon +me by her gentleness and loving deportment, and who doth at all times, +even when at work in ordering her household affairs, and amidst the +cares and perplexities of her new life, show forth that sweetness of +temper and that simplicity wherewith I was charmed when I first saw her. +She hath naturally an ingenious mind, and, since her acquaintance with +my brother, hath dipped into such of his studies and readings as she had +leisure and freedom to engage in, so that her conversation is in no wise +beneath her station. Nor doth she, like some of her people, especially +the more simple and unlearned, affect a painful and melancholy look and +a canting tone of discourse, but lacketh not for cheerfulness and a +certain natural ease and grace of demeanor; and the warmth and goodness +of her heart doth at times break the usual quiet of her countenance, +like to sunshine and wind on a still water, and she hath the sweetest +smile I ever saw. I have often thought, since I have been with her, +that if Uncle Rawson could see and hear her as I do for a single day, +he would confess that my brother might have done worse than to take a +Quaker to wife. + + + +BOSTON, May 28, 1679. + +Through God's mercy, I got here safe and well, saving great weariness, +and grief at parting with my brother and his wife. The first day we +went as far as a place they call Rehoboth, where we tarried over night, +finding but small comfort therein; for the house was so filled, that +Leonard and a friend who came with us were fain to lie all night in the +barn, on the mow before their horses; and, for mine own part, I had to +choose between lying in the large room, where the man of the house and +his wife and two sons, grown men, did lodge, or to climb into the dark +loft, where was barely space for a bed,--which last I did make choice +of, although the woman thought it strange, and marvelled not a little at +my unwillingness to sleep in the same room with her husband and boys, +as she called them. In the evening, hearing loud voices in a house near +by, we inquired what it meant, and were told that some people from +Providence were holding a meeting there, the owner of the house being +accounted a Quaker. Whereupon, I went thither with Leonard, and found +nigh upon a score of people gathered, and a man with loose hair and +beard speaking to them. My brother whispered to me that he was no +Friend, but a noted ranter, a noisy, unsettled man. He screamed +exceeding loud, and stamped with his feet, and foamed at the mouth, like +one possessed with an evil spirit, crying against all order in State or +Church, and declaring that the Lord had a controversy with Priests and +Magistrates, the prophets who prophesy falsely, and the priests who bear +rule by their means, and the people who love to have it so. He spake of +the Quakers as a tender and hopeful people in their beginning, and while +the arm of the wicked was heavy upon them; but now he said that they, +even as the rest, were settled down into a dead order, and heaping up +worldly goods, and speaking evil of the Lord's messengers. They were a +part of Babylon, and would perish with their idols; they should drink of +the wine of God's wrath; the day of their visitation was at hand. After +going on thus for a while, up gets a tall, wild-looking woman, as pale +as a ghost, and trembling from head to foot, who, stretching out her +long arms towards the man who had spoken, bade the people take notice +that this was the angel spoken of in Revelation, flying through the +midst of heaven, and crying, Woe! woe! to the inhabitants of the earth! +with more of the like wicked rant, whereat I was not a little +discomposed, and, beckoning my brother, left them to foam out their +shame to themselves. + +The next morning, we got upon our horses at an early hour, and after a +hard and long ride reached Mr. Torrey's at Weymouth, about an hour after +dark. Here we found Cousin Torrey in bed with her second child, a boy, +whereat her husband is not a little rejoiced. My brother here took his +leave of me, going back to the Plantations. My heart is truly sad and +heavy with the great grief of parting. + + + +May 30. + +Went to the South meeting to-day, to hear the sermon preached before the +worshipful Governor, Mr. Broadstreet, and his Majesty's Council, it +being the election day. It was a long sermon, from Esther x. 3. Had +much to say concerning the duty of Magistrates to support the Gospel and +its ministers, and to put an end to schism and heresy. Very pointed, +also, against time-serving Magistrates. + + + +June 1. + +Mr. Michael Wigglesworth, the Malden minister, at uncle's house last +night. Mr. Wigglesworth told aunt that he had preached a sermon against +the wearing of long hair and other like vanities, which he hoped, with +God's blessing, might do good. It was from Isaiah iii. 16, and so on +to the end of the chapter. Now, while he was speaking of the sermon, +I whispered Rebecca that I would like to ask him a question, which he +overhearing, turned to me, and bade me never heed, but speak out. So I +told him that I was but a child in years and knowledge, and he a wise +and learned man; but if he would not deem it forward in me, I would fain +know whether the Scripture did anywhere lay down the particular fashion +of wearing the hair. + +Mr. Wigglesworth said that there were certain general rules laid down, +from which we might make a right application to particular cases. The +wearing of long hair by men is expressly forbidden in 1 Corinthians xi. +14, 15; and there is a special word for women, also, in 1 Tim. ii. 9. + +Hereupon Aunt Rawson told me she thought I was well answered; but I +(foolish one that I was), being unwilling to give up the matter so, +ventured further to say that there were the Nazarites, spoken of in +Numbers vi. 5, upon whose heads, by the appointment of God, no razor +was to come. + +"Nay," said Mr. Wigglesworth, "that was by a special appointment only, +and proveth the general rule and practice." + +Uncle Rawson said that long hair might, he judged, be lawfully worn, +where the bodily health did require it, to guard the necks of weakly +people from the cold. + +"Where there seems plainly a call of nature for it," said Mr. +Wigglesworth, "as a matter of bodily comfort, and for the warmth of the +head and neck, it is nowise unlawful. But for healthy, sturdy young +people to make this excuse for their sinful vanity doth but add to their +condemnation. If a man go any whit beyond God's appointment and the +comfort of nature, I know not where he will stop, until he grows to be +the veriest ruffian in the world. It is a wanton and shameful thing for +a man to liken himself to a woman, by suffering his hair to grow, and +curling and parting it in a seam, as is the manner of too many. It +betokeneth pride and vanity, and causeth no small offence to godly, +sober people. + +"The time hath been," continued Mr. Wigglesworth, "when God's people +were ashamed of such vanities, both in the home country and in these +parts; but since the Bishops and the Papists have had their way, and +such as feared God are put down from authority, to give place to +scorners and wantons, there hath been a sad change." + +He furthermore spake of the gay apparel of the young women of Boston, +and their lack of plainness and modesty in the manner of wearing and +ordering their hair; and said he could in no wise agree with some of his +brethren in the ministry that this was a light matter, inasmuch as it +did most plainly appear from Scripture that the pride and haughtiness of +the daughters of Zion did provoke the judgments of the Lord, not only +upon them, but upon the men also. Now, the special sin of women is +pride and haughtiness, and that because they be generally more ignorant, +being the weaker vessel; and this sin venteth itself in their gesture, +their hair and apparel. Now, God abhors all pride, especially pride in +base things; and hence the conduct of the daughters of Zion does greatly +provoke his wrath, first against themselves, secondly their fathers and +husbands, and thirdly against the land they do inhabit. + +Rebecca here roguishly pinched my arm, saying apart that, after all, we +weaker vessels did seem to be of great consequence, and nobody could +tell but that our head-dresses would yet prove the ruin of the country. + + + +June 4 + +Robert Pike, coming into the harbor with his sloop, from the Pemaquid +country, looked in upon us yesterday. Said that since coming to the +town he had seen a Newbury man, who told him that old Mr. Wheelwright, +of Salisbury, the famous Boston minister in the time of Sir Harry Vane +and Madam Hutchinson, was now lying sick, and nigh unto his end. Also, +that Goodman Morse was so crippled by a fall in his barn, that he cannot +get to Boston to the trial of his wife, which is a sore affliction to +him. The trial of the witch is now going on, and uncle saith it looks +much against her, especially the testimony of the Widow Goodwin about +her child, and of John Gladding about seeing one half of the body of +Goody Morse flying about in the sun, as if she had been cut in twain, or +as if the Devil did hide the lower part of her. Robert Pike said such +testimony ought not to hang a cat, the widow being little more than a +fool; and as for the fellow Gladding, he was no doubt in his cups, for +he had often seen him in such a plight that he could not have told Goody +Morse from the Queen of Sheba. + + + +June 8. + +The Morse woman having been found guilty by the Court of Assistants, +she was brought out to the North Meeting, to hear the Thursday Lecture, +yesterday, before having her sentence. The house was filled with +people, they being curious to see the witch. The Marshal and the +constables brought her in, and set her in, front of the pulpit; the old +creature looking round her wildly, as if wanting her wits, and then +covering her face with her dark wrinkled hands; a dismal sight! The +minister took his text in Romans xiii. 3, 4, especially the last clause +of the 4th verse, relating to rulers: For he beareth not the sword in +vain, &c. He dwelt upon the power of the ruler as a Minister of God, +and as a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil; and showeth +that the punishment of witches and such as covenant with the Devil is +one of the duties expressly enjoined upon rulers by the Word of God, +inasmuch as a witch was not to be suffered to live. + +He then did solemnly address himself to the condemned woman, quoting 1 +Tim. v. 20: "Them that sin, rebuke before all, that others also may +fear." The woman was greatly moved, for no doubt the sharp words of the +preacher did prick her guilty conscience, and the terrors of hell did +take hold of her, so that she was carried out, looking scarcely alive. +They took her, when the lecture was over, to the Court, where the +Governor did pronounce sentence of death upon her. But uncle tells me +there be many who are stirring to get her respited for a time, at least, +and he doth himself incline to favor it, especially as Rebecca hath +labored much with him to that end, as also hath Major Pike and Major +Saltonstall with the Governor, who himself sent for uncle last night, +and they had a long talk together, and looked over the testimony against +the woman, and neither did feel altogether satisfied with it. Mr. +Norton adviseth for the hanging; but Mr. Willard, who has seen much of +the woman, and hath prayed with her in the jail, thinks she may be +innocent in the matter of witchcraft, inasmuch as her conversation was +such as might become a godly person in affliction, and the reading of +the Scripture did seem greatly to comfort her. + + + +June 9. + +Uncle Rawson being at the jail to-day, a messenger, who had been sent to +the daughter of Goody Morse, who is the wife of one Hate Evil Nutter, on +the Cocheco, to tell her that her mother did greatly desire to see her +once more before she was hanged, coming in, told the condemned woman +that her daughter bade him say to her, that inasmuch as she had sold +herself to the Devil, she did owe her no further love or service, and +that she could not complain of this, for as she had made her bed, so she +must lie. Whereat the old creature set up a miserable cry, saying that +to have her own flesh and blood turn against her was more bitter than +death itself. And she begged Mr. Willard to pray for her, that her +trust in the Lord might not be shaken by this new affliction. + + + +June 10. + +The condemned woman hath been reprieved by the Governor and the +Magistrates until the sitting of the Court in October. Many people, +both men and women, coming in from the towns about to see the hanging, +be sore disappointed, and do vehemently condemn the conduct of the +Governor therein. For mine own part, I do truly rejoice that mercy hath +been shown to the poor creature; for even if she is guilty, it affordeth +her a season for repentance; and if she be innocent, it saveth the land +from a great sin. The sorrowful look of the old creature at the Lecture +hath troubled me ever since, so forlorn and forsaken did she seem. +Major Pike (Robert's father), coming in this morning, says, next to the +sparing of Goody Morse's life, it did please him to see the bloodthirsty +rabble so cheated out of their diversion; for example, there was Goody +Matson, who had ridden bare-backed, for lack of a saddle, all the way +from Newbury, on Deacon Dole's hard-trotting horse, and was so galled +and lame of it that she could scarce walk. The Major said he met her at +the head of King Street yesterday, with half a score more of her sort, +scolding and railing about the reprieve of the witch, and prophesying +dreadful judgments upon all concerned in it. He said he bade her shut +her mouth and go home, where she belonged; telling her that if he heard +any more of her railing, the Magistrates should have notice of it, and +she would find that laying by the heels in the stocks was worse than +riding Deacon Dole's horse. + + + +June 14. + +Yesterday the wedding took place. It was an exceeding brave one; most +of the old and honored families being at it, so that the great house +wherein my uncle lives was much crowded. Among them were Governor +Broadstreet and many of the honorable Magistrates, with Mr. Saltonstall +and his worthy lady; Mr. Richardson, the Newbury minister, joining the +twain in marriage, in a very solemn and feeling manner. Sir Thomas was +richly apparelled, as became one of his rank, and Rebecca in her white +silk looked comely as an angel. She wore the lace collar I wrought for +her last winter, for my sake, although I fear me she had prettier ones +of her own working. The day was wet and dark, with an easterly wind +blowing in great gusts from the bay, exceeding cold for the season. + +Rebecca, or Lady Hale, as she is now called, had invited Robert Pike +to her wedding, but he sent her an excuse for not coming, to the effect +that urgent business did call him into the eastern country as far as +Monhegan and Pemaquid. His letter, which was full of good wishes for +her happiness and prosperity, I noted saddened Rebecca a good deal; and +she was, moreover, somewhat disturbed by certain things that did happen +yesterday: the great mirror in the hall being badly broken, and the +family arms hanging over the fire-place thrown down, so that it was +burned by the coals kindled on the hearth, on account of the dampness; +which were looked upon as ill signs by most people. Grindall, a +thoughtless youth, told his sister of the burning of the arms, and that +nothing was left save the head of the raven in the crest, at which she +grew very pale, and said it was strange, indeed, and, turning to me, +asked me if I did put faith in what was said of signs and prognostics. +So, seeing her troubled, I laughed at the matter, although I secretly +did look upon it as an ill omen, especially as I could never greatly +admire Sir Thomas. My brother's wife, who seemed fully persuaded that +he is an unworthy person, sent by me a message to Rebecca, to that +effect; but I had not courage to speak of it, as matters had gone so +far, and uncle and aunt did seem so fully bent upon making a great lady +of their daughter. + +The vessel in which we are to take our passage is near upon ready for +the sea. The bark is a London one, called "The Three Brothers," and is +commanded by an old acquaintance of Uncle Rawson. I am happy with the +thought of going home, yet, as the time of departure draws nigh, I do +confess some regrets at leaving this country, where I have been so +kindly cared for and entertained, and where I have seen so many new and +strange things. The great solemn woods, as wild and natural as they +were thousands of years ago, the fierce suns of the summer season and +the great snows of the winter, and the wild beasts, and the heathen +Indians,--these be things the memory whereof will over abide with me. +To-day the weather is again clear and warm, the sky wonderfully bright; +the green leaves flutter in the wind, and the birds are singing sweetly. +The waters of the bay, which be yet troubled by the storm of last night, +are breaking in white foam on the rocks of the main land, and on the +small islands covered with trees and vines; and many boats and sloops +going out with the west wind, to their fishing, do show their white +sails in the offing. How I wish I had skill to paint the picture of all +this for my English friends! My heart is pained, as I look upon it, +with the thought that after a few days I shall never see it more. + + + +June 18. + +To-morrow we embark for home. Wrote a long letter to my dear brother +and sister, and one to my cousins at York. Mr. Richardson hath just +left us, having come all the way from Newbury to the wedding. The +excellent Governor Broadstreet hath this morning sent to Lady Hale a +handsome copy of his first wife's book, entitled "Several Poems by a +Gentlewoman of New England," with these words on the blank page thereof, +from Proverbs xxxi. 30, "A woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be +praised," written in the Governor's own hand. All the great folks +hereabout have not failed to visit my cousin since her marriage; but I +do think she is better pleased with some visits she hath had from poor +widows and others who have been in times past relieved and comforted by +her charities and kindness, the gratitude of these people affecting her +unto tears. Truly it may be said of her, as of Job: "When the ear heard +her then it blessed her, and when the eye saw her it gave witness to +her: because she delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and +him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to +perish came upon her; and she caused the widow's heart to sing for joy." + +[Here the diary ends somewhat abruptly. It appears as if some of the +last pages have been lost. Appended to the manuscript I find a note, in +another handwriting, signed "R. G.," dated at Malton Rectory, 1747. One +Rawson Grindall, M. A., was curate of Malton at this date, and the +initials are undoubtedly his. The sad sequel to the history of the fair +Rebecca Rawson is confirmed by papers now on file in the State-House at +Boston, in which she is spoken of as "one of the most beautiful, polite, +and accomplished young ladies in Boston."--Editor.] + +"These papers of my honored and pious grandmother, Margaret Smith, who, +soon after her return from New England, married her cousin, Oliver +Grindall, Esq., of Hilton Grange, Crowell, in Oxfordshire (both of whom +have within the last ten years departed this life, greatly lamented by +all who knew them), having cone into my possession, I have thought it +not amiss to add to them a narrative of what happened to her friend and +cousin, as I have had the story often from her own lips. + +"It appears that the brave gallant calling himself Sir Thomas Hale, +for all his fair seething and handsome address, was but a knave and +impostor, deceiving with abominable villany Rebecca Rawson and most of +her friends (although my grandmother was never satisfied with him, as is +seen in her journal). When they got, to London, being anxious, on +account of sea-sickness and great weariness, to leave the vessel as soon +as possible, they went ashore to the house of a kinsman to lodge, +leaving their trunks and clothing on board. Early on the next morning, +he that called himself Sir Thomas left his wife, taking with him the +keys of her trunks, telling her he would send them up from the vessel in +season for her to dress for dinner. The trunks came, as he said, but +after waiting impatiently for the keys until near the dinner-hour, and +her husband not returning, she had them broken open, and, to her grief +and astonishment, found nothing therein but shavings and other +combustible matter. Her kinsman forthwith ordered his carriage, and +went with her to the inn where they first stopped on landing from the +vessel, where she inquired for Sir Thomas Hale. The landlord told her +there was such a gentleman, but he had not seen him for some days. +'But he was at your house last night,' said the astonished young woman. +'He is my husband, and I was with him.' The landlord then said that one +Thomas Rumsey was at his house, with a young lady, the night before, but +she was not his lawful wife, for he had one already in Kent. At this +astounding news, the unhappy woman swooned outright, and, being taken +back to her kinsman's, she lay grievously ill for many days, during +which time, by letters from Kent, it was ascertained that this Rumsey +was a graceless young spendthrift, who had left his wife and his two +children three years before, and gone to parts unknown. + +"My grandmother, who affectionately watched over her, and comforted her +in her great affliction, has often told me that, on coming to herself, +her poor cousin said it was a righteous judgment upon her, for her pride +and vanity, which had led her to discard worthy men for one of great +show and pretensions, who had no solid merit to boast of. She had +sinned against God, and brought disgrace upon her family, in choosing +him. She begged that his name might never be mentioned again in her +hearing, and that she might only be known as a poor relative of her +English kinsfolk, and find a home among them until she could seek out +some employment for her maintenance, as she could not think of going +back to Boston, to become the laughing-stock of the thoughtless and the +reproach of her father's family. + +"After the marriage of my grandmother, Rebecca was induced to live with +her for some years. My great-aunt, Martha Grindall, an ancient +spinster, now living, remembers her well at that time, describing her as +a young woman of a sweet and gentle disposition, and much beloved by all +the members of the family. Her father, hearing of her misfortunes, +wrote to her, kindly inviting her to return to New England, and live +with him, and she at last resolved to do so. My great-uncle, Robert, +having an office under the government at Port Royal, in the island of +Jamaica, she went out with him, intending to sail from thence to Boston. +From that place she wrote to my grandmother a letter, which I have also +in my possession, informing her of her safe arrival, and of her having +seen an old friend, Captain Robert Pike, whose business concerns had +called him to the island, who had been very kind and considerate in his +attention to her, offering to take her home in his vessel, which was to +sail in a few days. She mentions, in a postscript to her letter, that +she found Captain Pike to be much improved in his appearance and +manners,--a true natural gentleman; and she does not forget to notice +the fact that he was still single. She had, she said, felt unwilling to +accept his offer of a passage home, holding herself unworthy of such +civilities at his hands; but he had so pressed the matter that she had, +not without some misgivings, consented to it. + +"But it was not according to the inscrutable wisdom of Providence that +she should ever be restored to her father's house. Among the victims of +the great earthquake which destroyed Port Royal a few days after the +date of her letter, was this unfortunate lady. It was a heavy blow to +my grandmother, who entertained for her cousin the tenderest affection, +and, indeed, she seems to have been every way worthy of it,--lovely in +person, amiable in deportment, and of a generous and noble nature. She +was, especially after her great trouble, of a somewhat pensive and +serious habit of mind, contrasting with the playfulness and innocent +light-heartedness of her early life, as depicted in the diary of my +grandmother, yet she was ever ready to forget herself in ministering to +the happiness and pleasures of others. She was not, as I learn, a +member of the church, having some scruples in respect to the rituals, as +was natural from her education in New England, among Puritanic +schismatics; but she lived a devout life, and her quiet and +unostentatious piety exemplified the truth of the language of one of the +greatest of our divines, the Bishop of Down and Connor 'Prayer is the +peace of our spirit, the stillness of our thoughts, the issue of a quiet +mind, the daughter of charity, and the sister of meekness.' Optimus +animus est pulcherrimus Dei cultus. + +"R. G." + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, MARGARET SMITH'S JOURNAL *** +By John Greenleaf Whittier + +******* This file should be named 9587.txt or 9587.zip ******* + +This eBook was produced by David Widger [widger@cecomet.net] + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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