COLLECTIONS
OF THE
Committee of Publication.
GEORGE E. ELLIS.
WILLIAM H.
WHITMORE.
HENRY WARREN
TORREY.
JAMES RUSSELL
LOWELL.
Electronic Version Prepared by
Dr. Ted Hildebrandt 4/6/2002
COLLECTIONS
OF
THE
Vol.
VI. -- FIFTH SERIES.
PUBLISHED
BY THE SOCIETY.
M.DCCCLXXIX
UNIVERSITY PRESS:
JOHN WILSON AND SON,
SECOND EDITION.
PRE FACE.
THE Publishing Committee herewith presents
to the Society
the second
volume of the Diary of Samuel Sewall, Printed from
the
Manuscript in its Cabinet. The text of
the volume in-
cludes the
period from January 14, 1699-1700, to April 14,
1714. Another volume in print will complete the
publication
of the
manuscript Diary. The Judge's
Letter-Book will furnish
the
materials for a fourth volume.
The Committee has continued the same
system of annotating
the text
which was adopted in the first volume.
Resisting the
prompting or
opportunity to explain or illustrate the many in-
teresting
references which the Judge makes to matters of his-
torical
importance, to an extent which would expand the notes
beyond the
text, the method pursued, as the reader will observe,
has been
restricted to occasional comments, and to genealogical
and local
particulars and references, without quoting authorities
easily
accessible to the students of our history. The connection
between
Judge Sewall's family and that of Governor Dudley
evidently
embarrassed the former, alike in his official position as
a
magistrate, and in making entries in his diary concerning mat-
ters in
which they were occasionally at variance.
That Sewall
should also
have drawn upon himself the hostility of Cotton
Mather, who,
with his father, the President of the College, was
in violent
feud with
of the
Judge's position and course even when he seems to have
tried to act
as a moderator or an umpire. The
Committee has
therefore
thought it advisable to reprint three very rare pam-
phlets
which, as fully presenting matters of bitter strife in rela-
tion to the
parties just named, will make annotation upon it
unnecessary. A few fragmentary and miscellaneous papers in
Sewall's
hand precede these Tracts.
As the indices of names at the close of
the volumes are neces-
sarily so
crowded, tables of the notes in both of them are here
given for
convenience of reference.
EDS.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS OF
NOTES.
VOL.
I.
PAGE PAGE
1.
Biographical.
3. Urian
Oakes. 70.
King James II. proclaimed.
5. John
Bowles. 71.
Apsoon.
5.
Fessendens. 71.
Francis Bond.
7.
7. Batters. 72.
Sewall's walk around Beacon
8. Sewall's
birth-place. Hill.
8. Thomas
Parker. 76.
Benjamin Eliot.
9. Almanacs.
86.
Veal and Graham, the pirates.
10. "
87.
Colonel Piercy Kirk.
11. " 89.
George Monk and the Blue An-
12. " chor
Tavern.
15. James,
the printer. 92.
Adams and Richards families.
16.
Almanacs. 98.
Rev. Laurence Vandenbosk.
24. " 104.
Lady Alice Lisle and the Ushers.
25. Tempore
post meridian 105.
Thanksgivings and Fasts.
28.
31. John
Reyuer, Jr. 108.
James Mudge.
32.
Almanacs. 108.
Susanna Vertigoose and the
33. " Mother Goose
fable.
37. Coney's
Street or Lane. 108.
Roxbury Gate.
38.
43.
Almanacs. 112.
John Odlin.
45.
Antapologia. 119.
Peter Butler.
47. Robert
Walker. 122.
Mather's " Arrow against Danc-
48. Almanac.
ing."
56. Death of
Mrs. Brattle. 126.
Execution of James Morgan.
59.
60. Governor
Endicott's house. 133.
Warner Wesendunk.
161.
62-65.
Cotton-Hill and other
lands. 143. The form of
taking an oath.
68. Election
day. 145.
William Johnson.
ii TABLE
OF CONTENTS OF
NOTES IN VOL. I.
PAGE PAGE
147.
Cotton's arguments about the 212.
Elizabeth Woodmansey
cross. 213.
Deodat Lawson.
148. Rev.
Samuel Lee and his family. 219. Sir
William Phips's chaplain.
152. David
Jeffries. 221.
Sir William Phips's house.
153. Mr.
Brightman. 229.
Letter to Rev. Increase Mather
155. Charles
Morton. from S. Sewall.
158. Thomas
Jenner. 231.
The King's chapel,
160. Town
House of
162. Madam
Taylor. 250.
Cotton Mather's sermons.
167. Shrove
Tuesday. 251.
Lord Wharton.
168. Elijah
Corlet. 252.
Thomas Papilliori.
168.
Preservation of the Colonial 253.
Lockier's Monument.
Records. 255.
Richard Wharton.
169. Hez.
Usher's house. 256.
"Considerations," &c., a politi-
170. Anthony
Stoddard. cal
pamphlet.
170. Daniel
Gookin. 261.
The revolution at
174. Summary
of
ment. 263.
Penny posts.
177. Richard
Walker. 264.
Thomas Saffin's epitaph.
179. Robert
Walker. 266.
Theophilus Pool.
182. Wan [or
Wanton or Harris]. 269.
"
182.
Allerton's Point. pamphlet.
182. Andrew
Bordman. 270.
The quaternion.
183. Affray
at
186.
Blackstone's Point. 291.
The Faneuils.
186. King
James's first Declaration 293.
Sewall's notes in
of Indulgence. an
almanac.
186.
Benjamin Eliot. 309.
Tho. Johnson, and other pirates.
189.
Hole. 315.
190. Mr.
Gibbs. 315-317.
Commissioners for the war.
190.
Disturbances about taxes. 320.
Sewall's letter about the war.
192. Lady
Andros. 321.
Sir William Props's expedition.
193. Sir
William Phips. 322.
Captain Frary.
193.
Woodcock's
194. The
fort on Fort Hill. 332.
First
196. Wing's
Tavern or the Castle 334.
Indian chiefs.
Tavern. 336.
Governor Menevall, of Acadie.
197. Colonel
Robert Gibbs's house. 340.
Captain Francis Johnson.
198. Edmund
Randolph's suit against 350. John
Nelson.
Increase Mather. 355.
Mrs. Hamlen.
202.
Governor Andros's house. 356.
Mrs. Elisa Pool.
203. Lady
Andros's tomb. 358.
203. Sir
William Phips. 360.
The Council Records.
206. Michael
Shaller. 361.
Captain John Alden.
209. Rev.
Increase Mather's escape 362.
from
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OF NOTES IN
VOL. I. iii
PAGE PAGE
368. Oyer
and Terminer. 439.
Cotton Mather's proclamation
373. Law
relating to ministers. for
a fast.
376.
Mehitable, meaning of the 442.
An act to incorporate Harvard
name. College.
377.
Wheeler's Pond. 442.
The cold winter of 1696.
378.
379. Elisha
Cooke. 447.
Rev. John Harvard.
386.
Non-resident representatives 452.
Richard Wilkins.
forbidden. 453.
Blue
389.
"Whig and Torey;" a pam- taverns.
phlet. 455.
Neals of
394. Phips's
administration. 456.
Hezekiah Usher's will.
395. Sarah;
meaning of the name. 457.
Salt works on Boston Neck.
395. William
Stoughton. 458.
Discovery of limestone.
400. Corunna.
460.
Rev. John Cotton, Jr.
401.
Wheeler's pond and Sewall's 461.
Blue Anchor tavern.
trees. 464.
Rev. John Higginson.
402. Colonel
Archdall. 470.
404. Sir
William Phips's monument.
405. Driving
a nail or pin. 474.
Sewall's town-offices.
406.
Symond's estate called Argilla. 474.
Seth Perry.
407.
Marriage with a deceased wife's 477.
Richard Coote, Earl of
sister. monte
412.
Sewall's house. 478.
The Province House.
414. Thomas
Maule. 480.
An
424.
Shrimpton family. bridge.
425. Eliot
family; estates and suits. 482.
The Wishing Stone on
427. Vagum. Common.
429. Laws to
be accepted by the 482.
Wait-Still
Crown. 488.
Colonel Romer.
430. Dr.
Benjamin Bullivant. 491.
Huguenot church in
430.
Association to sustain King 496.
William Paterson.
William. 496.
John Borland.
430. Rev.
William Veazie. 499.
Nathaniel Higginson.
431.
Navigation Act. 506.
The Virginals.
431. Rev.
George Burroughs. 506.
Brattle Street manifesoo.
432. Mrs.
Martha Oakes. 507.
Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe.
433. Captain
Chubb's surrender. mela.
433.
Association to sustain King 508.
Measurements of Sewall's lands.
William 509.
Flavel's sermons
TABLE
OF CONTENTS OF
NOTES.
VOL. II.
PAGE PAGE
1. Joseph
Arnold. 52.
Thomas Venner.
2. Andrew
Rivet. 55.
3.
3. Andrew
Hamilton. 58.
Thomas Povey.
3. William
Kidd. 58.
George Keith.
5. Mary
Belcher. 60.
Richard Sibbes.
6. Rev.
Thos. Thornton. 61.
Mrs. Rock.
6. James
Gillam. 62.
7. Kidd's
treasure. 68.
Anthony Checkley.
10. Sunday
at
11. Rev.
John Cotton. 72.
13. John
Toland. 74.
Rev. Jabez Fox.
16.
Anti-slavery tract. 76.
Holliston farm.
21.
Love-letter. 84.
College Corporation.
23. Frary
family. 90.
Excise troubles.
23.
24. Guy
Fawkes's Day. 97.
Accord pond.
24. Francis
Hudson. 98.
Gibbs family.
25. Joseph
Eliot. 100.
27. Cushing
family. 104.
Captain Larrimore.
31. John
Usher, 106.
Trial of Pirates.
32. Turell. 113.
Brightman's pasture.
33. Earl of
Bellomont. 117.
Mary Tuthill.
35. Ancient
and Honorable Artil- 117.
Zadori.
lery Company. 118.
Richard Wilkins.
39.
Lieutenant-Governor
40. Council
Supreme. 120.
Emmons family.
40. Colonel
Romer. 121.
Sewall's portrait.
43. Sir
Constantine Phips. 125.
George Lason.
43. Richard
Wilkins. 126.
45. Crown
officers. 128.
Trees planted.
48. John
Joyliffe.
ii TABLE
OF CONTENTS OF NOTES IN VOL. II.
PAGE PAGE
129.
130. Balston
family. 239.
Samuel Clap.
132. Rev.
Michael Wigglesworth. 242.
Thomas Odell.
133.
Captain's islaud. 260.
Acadie.
134. John
Bonner. 261.
Mohawk chief.
140.
142. Colonel
Vetch. 263.
Whiting's oration.
143.
Marriage laws. 264.
Robert Reynolds.
144.
countrymen. 267.
Ashurst family.
148. Roger
Mompesson. 269.
Cold day.
149. Sir
Charles Hobby. 269.
Thomas Lechmere.
154.
Salutation tavern. 272.
John Hubbard.
154. Caucus.
286.
King's Chapel enlarged.
158.
Meeting-house Hill. 288.
Previous question.
159.
Green-Dragon Tavern. 294.
Fifty-eighth Psalm.
169.
Blackstone's river. 300.
Foster family.
169. Simeon
Stoddard. 306.
Marriage with deceased wife's
170. Thomas
Child, painter
sister.
171. Rev.
James Bayley. 308.
North burying-ground.
174.
Bellomont's house. 309.
Old- Fortification on
175.
Spare-rib. Neck,
&c.
176. Banbury
cakes. 313.
Admiral Walker and the Ex-
177. Caryl
on Job. pedition
against
180. Mary
Eliot. 320.
182.
Williams's Captivity.
184.
188. Sir
John Davie. 324.
Mary Ardell.
189.
192. Mrs.
Leverett. 338.
Newbury Episcopalians.
196. John
Jekyll. 350.
Wade family.
197.
198. First
magistrate born in New 355.
William Whiston.
199.
203.
205.
208.
Mather's letters. 371.
Mather's Circular.
210. Mellows
family. 374.
Eunice Williams.
211. Coney
family. 379.
Mock-sermon.
212. Indian
converts. 380.
Import of slaves.
217. Private
fast-day. 384.
Bread-riot.
219. Arthur
Mason. 386.
Anniversary week.
220.
Countryman. 392.
Sewall's book on Prophecies and
225.
232. Quaker
meeting-house. 396.
Salutation tavern.
233. Byfield
family. 399.
Jeffries family.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS OF NOTES IN VOL. II. iii
PAGE PAGE
404. Colonel
Banks. 415.
Phillips fami1y.
406. Mrs.
Cotton Mather. 416.
408. Copp's
Hill. 417.
Bowling-Green.
410. Fitch
family. 419.
Alchitny or occamy.
413. An angel.
419.
Lord's-Day travel.
413. Bowdoin
family. 428.
Sewall's interest in the Indians.
414. Bennet
family. 437.
Richard Sarson.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
[Miscellaneous
Entries on the Cover of the Journal.]
[The reference is to the "Bill"
put up by Sewall on the Fast Day,
Jan., 1697.
See p. 445.]
See p. 159 of this booke.
P. 163. Mr. Rogers, May 1697.
[Sept.
26, 1686.]
[References to his Captaincy of the Artillery Company.]
244. 6.
Mr. Cotton 168.
Comons Address against Profaneness &c
agreed to Nemine con-
tradicente. Feb. 15. 97. pag.
221. Bill about regulating the Press,
rejected, p.
225-21 Feb. 1697, p. 246. Feby. 16. 170 2/3.
A Bill to naturalize the Children of such
officers and Souldiers,
and others,
the natural born subjects of this Realm, who have been
born,
abroad, during the war; the Parents of such children having
been in the
service of this Government, read a 2d time and comitted.
Mr. Eyre's Son dyed Apr. 18. 1700.
1697.
June, 1. Mr. Thomas Graves
buried.
weigh'd
fol. 244 [?]
8* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
July 4. Mr. Moodey dyes.
November 8.
Mr. Saml. Hooker,
Decr 12. Mr. John Baily dies
Brothers children fol. 245 Feb. 3,
Jany 8 dear Unkle Quinsey dies
170 2/3
Febr.
9. Col. S. Shrimpton dies of an
Apoplexy.
March, 1.
Col. Barthol, Gedny dies.
April, 11.
Mr. Morton dies
Decr. 7. 1692. Judges chosen
Ap. 2. 1694.
Judge Richards dyes.
March, 6,
169 4/5 Elisha Cooke Esqr chosen a
Judge.
9r. 5. 1699. Judge Danforth
dyes.
June, 7.
1700. John Walley esqr made a Judge
July 7,
1701. Lt. Govr.
Augt. 1. 1701. John Saffin esqr
made Judge
Augt. 15. 1702. John Hathorne
Leverett Esq made Judge.
An Elegie on Mrs. Alicia Lisle, which for
high Treason was be-
headed at
Let Rebels both and Loyalists draw nigh
And view this Object of Disloyalty,
A Lady which by a Rebellious Crew
Was forc't in hast to bid the World adieu,
And pay her head to Justice for her Crime
Comitted now when she had pass'd her
Prime.
Not zeal blindfolded, nor the CAUSE, the
CAUSE
Can overturn Religion and the Laws.
&c. &C.
EPITAPH.
Here lies Madam Lisle dead,
Which for Treason lost her Head.
She patroniz'd the CAUSE, the CAUSE,
Against the Church and stablish'd Laws,
Let all her Sex; both great and small
Take here Example by her Fall:
And henceforth ever Shunn to be
Entangled by Presbytery;
Which changeth into several shapes
And hath brought forth
1 See Vol. I. p. 104.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 9*
Which have set
But now she is gone off the stage
Then here she is, and Let her Lie
A Beacon unto Loyalty.
This may be Printed R. L. S.
To be sold by Randal Taylor
Survey your Ground first, Jest your great
Design
End in a Quagmire, or a hollow Mine.
Submit to Fate, turn Loyal now (for shame)
And strive no more to swim against the
stream.
Aug. 30, 1686. Speech to the South Company.
GENTLEMEN, -- The reason of my being here,
is not to comand you
my self, but
to commend you for your complying with the command
of the
honourable Council, and our Lieut. Mr.
Elizur Holyoke, which
I earnestly
perswade you to persist in : by so doing you will exceed-
ingly honour
your selves and gratify me. So that if
any of you
study to
shew me respect, let it be in that way.
There are many
Reasons with
me why I inform'd the honourable Council of my in-
ability to sustain
that Character which somtime I have done in this
Company;
which, as it would not be proper, so I have not now
time to
relate. I heartily thank you for the
Respect I have had
from you,
which has been beyond my value. Am truly
sorry for any
inconvenience
I have been the occasion of the last week to our Lieut.
or any of
the officers, and ask your pardon for it.
The Drums have
lately cost
somthing the fitting, which I shall take care to discharge,
that the
Company be not in debt about it. And I
have left with the
Lieut for the refreshment of the privat Souldiers, of which I crave
your
Acceptance.
And so wishing you a good day, I take
Leave.
To JOSEPH
DUDLEY, Esqr., Presdt.
HONOURED Sir, -- My not being at home
when the Messenger
came to my
house yesterday gives the occasion of these Lines. In-
deed I had
then no expectation of any such thing; but suposed on
Thorsday it
might have been. Am truly thankfull to
your Honour
for the
respect you have put on me in nominating me for the keeping
the
Peace: but you shall still further
oblige me in letting of it rest
in a
Nomination. What station I formerly had
in the Government
10* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
of this.
p1ace it hath pleased God to cast me out of it just after
the taking
of a solemn Oath, which probably I had not done so soon
had not some
small Circumstances turn'd the scale.
And many of
the Council
reside in
for one, are
so aged and worthy, that now I am upon even ground,
and in age
his son, shall be perpetually asham'd to take place of him
as a senior
Justice, and shall be pleased to see him have his health
and sit on
the Bench. Besides, my Mother and wife
are incessantly
importunat
with me to accept at least of part of that Retirement
which God
hath dismissed me to. I am glad that my
Unkle Quinsey
hath sworn
and so, for ought I see, his sister is too: wish I may hear
the like of
other good men up and down the Country, which as have
oportunity,
I shall further. On1y as I have serv'd
this People as
a Constable,
and as a Justice of Peace, so now am desirous of mak-
ing an
Experiment, whether standing in the middle between those
two Offices,
be the hapier Life, as I think I have heard K. James the
first should
affirm. Have been willing to signify
thus much, that so
my
non-acceptance may be managed by your Prudence for the best.
I am your
Hons humble
Servt S. S.
JUNE 2,
1686.
To make a Salt-Petre Bed. Imprs. All the sword of the Ground
is to be
taken off or trenched in, and the Stones to be taken clean out
as deep as
the Trench. Then get the best and
richest mould you
can, and
fill up the Trench according as you will make it in great-
ness --
Length or depth, as you see cause. When the
ground is
made clean
and fitting, turn over the ground and trench it in again,
and as you
trench it in mix it with strong Lime about a 10th. or sixth
part; and
the Seed-Petre, or Mother of Petre, and Hen, or Pigeon's
Dung as much
as you can get, the more the better. And
after 'tis
trenched in
as above, Let all the Butchers Blood and Lees of Wine
be mixed
often with the uper part of the mould about half a foot
down, that
it be not lost or run away from the Bed or Bank. Let
the Bank be
made upon rising Ground, and a ditch about it, that the
water rest
not, nor run into the Petre-Bed; with a dry House over it,
to keep it
from Rain.
Jany 24th. 170 6/7 James Bayley
Esqr. Ring and Glov[es]
April, 23.
feria quarta, The Reverd and pious Mr. Samuel
Torrey; Gloves.
86. May,
12,1707. Mrs.
years old
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 11*
69. Decr 4.
1707. The Honble F. J. Winthrop, Governour of Con-
ecticut. Scarf, Ring, Gloves, Escutcheon. Gov. W. Tomb.
Decr. 12.
Mrs. Mary Eliot, widow of my dear friend Capt.
75. Jacob Eliot, and her self a very good
woman. Scarf and
Gloves. 75.
64. March, 22. 170 7/8 Mrs. Sarah Noves; Scarf and Gloves.
54. Augt. 17.
1708. Mrs. Mary Stoddard; Scarf and
Ring.
73. Octobr. 20.
1708. Capt. Anthony Checkley, Scarf and
Gloves.
76. Febr. 11th. 170 8/9 Mrs. Hanah Glover, Scarf and Gloves.
69. April, 30. 1709. James Russel Esqr. Scarf and Gloves.
May, 6. Mrs. Abigail Russel his
widow. Scarf, Gloves.
64. May, 9. Major Thomas Brown, of
80. May, 26. Mrs. Sarah Pemberton, Scarf and
Gloves.
74. June, 8. Mrs. Ruth Wyllys, Scarf, Gloves.
55. July, 26. Mr. Thomas Banister, Scarf and Gloves.
61. January, 10 1709/10 Mr. John Hubbard; Scarf
and Gloves.
63. Mrs. Elizabeth Savage, April, 16, 1710,
Scarf and Gloves.
84. Madam -- Stoddard, July, 19, 1710. Scarf and Gloves.
72. Isaac Goose, Decr. 2. 1710. Scarf and
Gloves.
58. John Foster esqr, Febr. 15. Scarf, Ring, Gloves, Escutcheon.
40. Mrs. Anne Allen, Febr. 28 1710/11, Scarf and Gloves.
68. Mrs. Abigail Foster; March, 8. 1710/11, Scarf, Ring, Gloves, Escut.
57. Mrs. Sarah Banister, July, 3. 1711. Scarf and Ring, Gloves.
60. Mr. Elizur Holyoke, Augt. 14. 1711. Scarf and
Gloves.
72. Mrs. Mary Ardel, Octobr. 20. 1711. Scarf and
Gloves.
Mr. John Pole, Novr. 10. 1711. Scarf, Glove,
Escutcheon.
Mrs. Margaret Corwin Decr. 3. Scarvs and Gloves.
73. Mrs. M. -- Atkinson, Jany. 4. Scarvs and Gloves.
69. Jno
Walley Esqr., Jany. 17.
Scarf, Ring, Gloves, Escutcheon.
77. John Fayerwether, Capt. Scarf and Gloves.
Apr. 14. 1712.
Mrs. Elisa Whetcomb Augt 20. 1712. Scarf and
Gloves.
80. Mrs. Sarah More, Novr. 26. Scarf and Gloves.
70. Samuel Hayman esqr, Decr. 18. Scarf and Gloves.
70. Mrs. Elisa Hutchinson Feb. 7. 1712, 13. Scarf, Ring, Gloves,
Escut. Funl. Sermon.
76. Mrs. Elisa. Addington, March, 5th. Scarf, Ring, Gloves.
6- Mrs. Elisa. Stoddard Apr. 22. 1713. Scarf,
good Ring, Gloves,
Scutcheon.
6 - Mrs. Martha Patteshall Apr. 23. Scarf and Gloves. Old B.
place
Mr. Thomas Brattle May, 21.
Col. Hunt.
12* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
SEWALL'S COMMONPLACE BOOK.
[In our first volume, pp. 56, 57, note, we
called attention to pre-
sumed
extracts from Sewall's Diary for a period (1677-85) for which
we possessed
no original. So also, we learn, there is
a citation in
Palfrey's
History, III. p. 348, 349, about Mrs. Randolph, of this
date.
We are now able to show that all these
quotations are from Sew-
all's
Commonplace Book, a volume in the possession of this Society,
and we are
thus relieved from the fear that some portion of the Diary
might have
been lost of late years. We are yet
unable to trace the
following
quotation from Palfrey, III. 348. "May 2, [1681] Had
discourse
about putting the cross into colors.
Captain Hall opposed,
and said he
would not till the Major [
spoke with
the Major, it seems, that afternoon, and Mr. Mather was
with him,
who judged it not convenient to be done at this time. So
is put a
stop to it at present."
Again, "July 11, Captain Walley,
instead of having no cross at
all, as I
supposed, had it unveiled. . . . Captain Henchman's company
and Townsend
hindered Captain Walley's lodging their colors, stop-
ping them at
the bridge."
Still, we trust, these citations will
prove to be taken from some
almanac or
note-book or letter.]
[Sewall's Commonplace book contains
various extracts from books
arranged
under appropriate heads. Most of the
following are placed
under that
of "De Omene," and contain cross-references. A few
items,
however, occur separately, and we have endeavored to ar-
range them
chronologically.
The book contains the following note of
its beginning: "Samuel
Sewall, his
Booke, Decemb. 29, 1677. Bound by Jno.
Ratcliff."
On the cover is this memorandum: -- ]
March 1, 77-8. Mr. Tho. Walley, Pastour of Barnst. Chh. dyed.
Ap. 16, 1678. Mr. Noah Newman, Pastour of
Rehoboth Chh. dyed.
May 9.
Mr. Joseph Brown, Fellow of Harvard Colledge dyed.
11. An House, 2 Women and 2
Children burnt at
June 22.
Mr. Edm. Brown, Pastour of
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. l3*
Oct. 11.
Sam1 Simons, Esq. Dep. Gr. buried.
16. Mr. Tho. Thacher, Pastr. 3d. Chh.
Bost. dyed.
Nov. 24. Mr. Joseph Rowlandson, Preacher
at
Jany. 4. Mr. Danl.
Russell, Preacher at
23. Mr. Peter Hubbard, Pastour of
Hingham Chh buried.
Feb. 1. Mr. Ami-Ruhamah Corlett, Fellow of
Harv.
[Then we find a family record as follows:
-- ]
(P.87.)
John Sewall, the son of Samuel and Hallah S. was Born
Apr. 2,
1677.1
Was Baptized Ap. 8 in the South-Meeting-House by
the Reverend
Mr. Thomas Thacher. I held the child
when Bap-
tized. Dyed Sept. 11, 1678, and lyeth buried in the
New burying
place, on
the South side of the grave of his great Grandfather, Mr.
Robert Hull.
June 11, 1678. Samuel Sewall, second son of S. and Han. S.
was
Born. Baptized p. Mr. Thomas Thacher June 16. I held him up.
Feb. 3, 1679. Hanah Sewall was Born, just after a great
snow.
Baptized
Feb. 8 in the New-Meeting-House, p. Mr. Samuel Willard.
held her
up. Mr. Thacher dyed in the Autumn,
1678.
May, 21, 1680. I carry Sam. to Newbury, where his
Grandmother
nurses him
till May 81, to see if change of air would help him against
Convulsions;
which hope it did, for hath had none there, nor since
his coming
home.
1681.
Thursday, December 29th, Elisabeth, Daughter of Samll.
and Hanah
Sewall is Born. N. Two of the chief
Gentlewomen in
Town dyed
next Friday night, viz. Mrs. Mary Davis and Mrs. Eliza.
Sargent.
Sabbath-day, January 1, 1681. Elisabeth is Baptized p. Mr. Sam-
uel Willard,
I holding her up. Elisabeth Weeden was
Midwife to
my Wife
bringing forth the four mentioned children.
[We next extract a few notes which are not
in the consecutive
entries: --]
(P.8 ½ .) Mr. Nath. Higginson in a Letter
of 4 Mar. 1679-80
writes Dr.
Godwin dyed about a fortnight agoe.
1 "Mr. Thomas Parker dyes that
April." Marginal note. -- EDS.
14* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
(P.12.) De Autophonia. 1677, Nov. 16. Friday, day after pub-
lick
Thanksgiving, Jno. Tomlin Hanged himself in his Garret in
the
day time,
fastning his Rope to a pin that held the Rafters at the pot.
Nov.
18. Sabbathday one Williams, an old Man,
the Winisimet
Ferry man
cut his own Throat. Via Diar.
Nov. 7, 1680. A Negro Man and Woman murdered themselves.
A certain dweller in the Town of
In his bosom
was a Writing to this effect that God did show mercy
on great,
grievous and desperat Siners; and therefore he said that he
hoped of
mercy though he hanged himself.
(P. 12 ½.) 1678, Apr. 5th.
Mr. Josiah Allen, a young Merchant
of a very
good estate and Account, was slain on board of Benj. Gillam's
ship by the
accidental firing of a fowling piece, out of a Boat of Joss.
Gillam, as
they were going from the jolly Ship.
vid. Diar.
(P. 77 ½.)
Mr. Edmund Quinsey married Mrs. Eliza. Eliot before
Tho.
Danforth, Esq. Dec. 8, 1680.
Decr. 18,
1680. Josiah Winslow, Esq. Govr. of
after sore
Pain with the Gout and Griping. His
flesh was opened to
the bone
on's leggs before he dyed. Thorsday Xr.
23, buried.
Wednesday Xr. 22, '80. John Russell, the Anabaptist minister is
buried,
scarce having time to read his Print in favour of that Sect;
come over in
the last ships, Jener or Foy.
Friday, January 14, 1680-1. Benjamin Thwing, Carpenter, one
of the
South-Church, was goeing from Mount-Hope to Rhode-Island
in a Canoo
with an Indian, was overset by the wind and Ice, drowned.
The Indian
escaped.
Tuesday, Feb. 22. Eclips of the Moon. N. Mr. Samuel Wor-
ster, Deputy
for
he was
within ¼ Mile of the first Houses of Lin, dyed: Mr. Gidney
coming down
from
House where
were two Men that first saw him; so gave a Warrant
for a Jury
and his Burial.
Tuesday, March 8, 1680-1. Mr. Edward Mitchelson,
General is
Buried.
Sabbath-day, March 20, 1680-1. Tho.
Major William Hathorn dyes April --.
The Reverend Mr. Urian Oakes dyeth, July
24, 1681, Sabbath-
day night,
suddainly, as to most, who are startled at the newes, being
just before
the Comencement and he so Learned, Godly, Orthodox a
Man and so
Discerning of the Times.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 15*
[On p. 38 is an account of Mrs. Dyer's
monstrolls birth, Oct. 17,
1638,
"taken out of my Father Sewall's Copy." Also an account of
a similar
birth, Jany 10, 1679-80, to the wife of Samuel Dible, of
[We next transcribe that portion which
is continued through
several
pages, an seems to form a Diary for that period.]
(P. 60.)
Thorsday, June 21, 1677. Mr.
Torrey of Roxbury as he
was in the
Meetinghouse in Selmon-Time gave a Suddain and amaz-
ing Cry,
being taken with a Fit of the Falling Sickness.
It greatly
disturbed
the whole Assembly so that Mr. Allen was fain to cease
from
preaching or a while.
July 8, 1677. Sabbath-Day.
South-Meeting House, mane.
In
Sermon-Time
a female Quaker slipt in covered with a Canvas Frock,
having her
hair dishevelled and Loose, and powdered with Ashes re-
sembling a
flaxen or white Perriwigg, her face as black as Ink, being
led by two
Quakers and followed by two more. It
occasioned a
great and
very amazing Uproar.
June 3, 1680. Mr. Torrey hath another sore Fit in
Lectur-time,
old Mr.
Eliot Preaching.
July 8, two Indians Kill'd and severall
carlied away by the
hauks from
Spy-Pond at
Morn. In the afternoon a Whirlwind ariseth (at
first in a small
Body) near
Sam1 Stones.
Passeth on to Mat. Bridge (P.73).
Pass-
eth by Mat.
Bridges, (taking part of Stones Barn with it) Kills John
Robbins who
was at Hoe, breaking his Arm and jaw-bone.
It hurled
stones and
brake off and transported Trees in an unusual maner.
Vid. Xr.
16. Mis. Rllssell in Sermon-Time.
1680-1.
Jany. 25,1680-1. Tuesday. Thos. Eams drops down
dead in the
Morning at Mr. Pain's stable, as he and others saw Hay
thrown
before their Horses. He was come to
Court about Sherborn
Controversy
with respect to their Meeting House, its Situation.
Feb 1.
Schollars get sooner out of School than ordinary by rea-
son of the
House where
it begun.
Last night one Dyer of Braintrey shot an
Indian to death as he
was breaking
his window and attempting to get into his House
against his
will, Saying he would shoot him a Dogg, bec. would not
let him come
in to light his Pipe. Man was abed. Indian's gun
found
charg'd, cockt and prim'd in his Hand.
Tuesday night Febr. 1. Pet. Codnar an honest Fisherman goeing
to come over
the Draw-Bridge, (as is suposed), missed it and was
16* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
Drowned: For Feb. 2, his dark Lantern was taken up out
of the
Crick by the
wharf at Low-water. He is suposed to
have fallen in
about 7. the
Tuesday night. Hath left a wife and
Children.
Feb. 3.
Lectr. Newes is brought of Mr.
Deans son Robinson,
his Killing
a Lion with his Axe at
a young man
at New-Cambridge was Kill'd by a Tree himself Felled.
Thorsday
Feb. 10. See Mr. Eliot's Sermon.
Tuesday Feb. 22. Ecclips of the Moon. Mr. Samuel Worster,
Deputy for
Rode about
¼ Mile short of the House at the end of
the Town next
dead at
Pigeon-Iland near Shelter Iland: 't is
feared it may be Jer-
emiah
Vid. p. 79. Sylvanus Davis went out on Saturday to carry
Corn
and other
necessaryes to the Fort at Casco, is driven on the Sand,
essaying to
put in again in the Sabbath day storm.
So the Corn
lost and
Souldiers disapointed. Men saved.
(P.78 ½.)
Thorsday, Feb. 24, 1680-1. This
morn, the Wife of Mr.
Elias Row is
found dead in her bed; much blood about her, so some
think she
was choak'd with it. A Jury was
impanelled and 6 grave
matrons and
a Chirurg[eon], to view the Corps to see if any Violence
had been
offered her: found none; she and her
Husband seldom lay
together;
she was given to Drink and quarrelling.
Her death puts
in mind of
the Proverb wherein we say such an one hath drunk more
than he hath
bled to-day.
Friday Feb. 18. Mr. Saml Legg
cast away, was bound for Barba-
dos.
Monday March 14. Mr. Noah Floid tells that 3 men essaying to
goe from
Mount-Hope to
about 3
weeks agoe.
Sabbath-day, March 20, 1680-1. Thomas Woodbridge is so burnt
in his own
Fire, that he Dyeth of the insupportable Torment in about
12 Houres
time. Newbury.
Not long agoe an Irish woman living by my
Father Hull's Pas-
ture, was
found dead, without dore, having her forehead on her
hands, as
she lay on the ground. Great Rumours and
Fears of
trouble with
the Indians. Persons to Carry a
competent number of
Arms to
Meeting.
N.
At Conecticot the Noise of a Drumme in the air, Vollies of
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 17*
Shot, Report
of Cannons have been Heard by divers; as pr. Letters
rec'd this
week. Ap. 1. '81.
Mr. Philip Nelson of Rowley wanders away
and is lost from Ap. 5,
to Satterday
Ap. 9. Rowley and Newbury seeking him;
on Satter-
day is
found, having walked out of his place to take the air; it was
between two
Rocks on Crane-Neck. See Bro.
Longfellow's Letter.
Goodwife Everit, Winthrop, and Capt.
Richard Woode dye
suddainly, vid. Diar. P. 102.
Sabbath-day, May the first, 1681. Mr. Angier of Cambridg, his
Tenant dyes
very suddainly and unexpectedly, having been at meet-
ing and
riding home with his Neighbour, Agur &c.
Look in and
smil'd on
his wife through the Window, but sunk down before he
got in at
the doore, and his wife hearing a noise came out; but her
Husband
scarce spoke ten words before he utterly ceased to speak.
The Newes of
it came to us yesterday as we were at Diner.
About
3 weeks agoe
a little Boy of Braintrey playing with a bean,
[P. 84]
in 's mouth,
got it into his wind-Pipe, of which in six or seven dayes he dyed.
Monday, May 2. Mr. Richard Hubbard of Ipswich Farms, dyeth
suddainly in
the afternoon, goeing to ly on's Bed after diner was
there found
dead by his daughter accidentally goeing in thether. teste
Guil.
Gerrish, senr. (p. me?)
Satterday, May 7th, there was a Hurrican
at Newbury, which
blew down
Rich.
at the uper
end of
Sabbath-day-night, July 24, 1681. The Reverend. Mr. Urian
Oakes,
President of the College, and Pastour of
Died; scarce
any Knowing of his Sickness till his Death was sadly
told up and
down the street, Monday July 25. vid.
Diar. p. 109.
Thorsday, Xr. 1, 1681. The well-accomplish'd mercht. and Ac-
comptant,
Mr. Paul Dudley dyed, being little above 30 yeers old.
Xr. 13, '81. Jonathan Jackson's wife hangs herself in the
lower
room of her
dwelling House near my Father's ware-House.
Xr. 17.
Foye arrives, in whom Mr. Randolph and his new wife
and family.
Xr. 25.
They sit in Mr. Joyliff's Pue; and Mrs. Randolph is ob-
served to
make a curtesy at Mr. Willard s naming Jesus, even m
Prayer
time. Since dwells in Hez. Usher's
House, where Ministers
used to
meet.
Satterday, Feb. 11. Is a bloody-colour'd Eclips of the Moon, onely
middle of
the uper part of a duskish dark.
Feb. 15.
Tuesday, 14, past midnight, or Wednesday morn; --
of the Day
the General Court was to sit upon adjournment,-- Major
18* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
Tho. Savage
dyeth suddenly, very suddenly, having been well at the
Wedding on
Tuesday, and sup'd well at home afterward, and slept
well till
midnight or past.
Feb. 15, Wednesday. 2 Houses and Barns burnt at
Dept. Govr. hardly escaped. Sometime in the Court's sitting, there is
a child born
near the north Meeting-House, which hath no Tongue at
all; or the
Tongue grown fast to the roof of the Mouth; one finger
too much on
one Hand, and one too little on the other:
And the
Heels right
opposite one to another, the (P. 88 ½) Toes standing to
the Right
and left outward.
Mar. 24, '81-2. Goodw.
Fox dyes suddenly. The Town was
sadly
alarm'd the Tuesday night before at the Fire at Mr. Wing's,
which, had
the Wind promoted, a great part of the Town had been
consumed, it
being near or in the Center.
Thorsday, Novemb. 9, 1682. Cous. Dan1.
Quinsey Marries Mrs.
Anne Shepard
Before John Hull, esq. Sam1 Nowell, esq. and many
Persons
present, almost Capt. Brattle's great Hall full; Capt. B and
Mrs. Brattle
there for two. Mr. Willard begun with
Prayer. Mr.
Tho. Shepard
concluded; as he was Praying, Cous. Savage, Mother
Cake and
drunk Wine and Beer plentifully, we were called into the
Hall again
to Sing. In Singing Time Mrs. Brattle
goes out being
ill; Most of the Compa. goe away, thinking it a qualm or some Fit;
But she
grows worse, speaks not a word, and so dyes away in her
chair, I
holding her feet (for she had slipt down).
At length out of
the Kitching
we carry the chair and Her in it, into the Wedding
Hall; and
after a while lay the Corps of the dead Aunt in the Bride-
Bed: So that
now the strangeness and horror of the thing filled the
(just now)
joyous House with Ejulation: The
Bridegroom and Bride
lye at Mr.
Airs, son in law to the deceased, going away like Persons
put to
flight in Battel.
Satterday night, Novr. 11. Twelve Jurors come
before my Father,
to give Oath
as to the Cause and Manner of one Johnson, a Turnour,
his imature
death; which was by letting a Barrel of Cider into a
Trap-dore
Cellar;1 the Board he stood on gave way, he fell
in, and
the end of
the Barrel upon his Jaw and Kill'd him outright. Jury
came to
swear about eight a clock.
One Blood of Concord about 7 days since or
less was found dead
in the
woods, leaning his
ing some
Creatures. Oh! what strange work is the
Lord about to
bring to
Pass.
1 "Just by Cous. Quinsey's."
Marginal note. -- EDS.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 21*
The Wednesday fortnight before Mrs.
Brattles Death, Mr. Wid-
ener of
after
Lecture to open it, as he was hanging up a net of Cotton-wor.
fell down
dead over his Threshold: which made a great Hubbub.
Novr. 12,
at night or even, Capt. Benj. Gillam's Mate is drowned
off the
outward wharf.
Friday, Novr. 17. one Smith is drowned,
coming up from Mr.
Edwards,
sailing for Lond[on]. Not many weeks
before, a Man fell
into the
Dock, up by my Father's Ware-House, and was drowned:
and Josiah
Belcher, Senr was drowned at
Sabbath-day, Novr. 19. Mr. Edw. Winslow,
Ship Mr., dyed sud-
denly: He took Physick the Friday before and John
Alcock dis-
cours'd with
him, he seeming to him no iller than Men ordinarily are when
taking
Physick. A Woman dyed suddenly at the
North end of the Town.
Tuesday, Novr. 28, '82. One Horton
coming from
the Land
this day, and stands in; but the Rain and Snow take him
so that in
the night drives him over Rocks and Sholes, cast Anchor;
but all
Cables break. So about 3 a clock at
night, that violent Storm
strands the
Ship on
Pulling
Point Gut; the Ship about 100 Tun.
Persons on Board 13,
3 whereof
drowned; 4 perished in the Cold, not being able to grope
out the way
to Mr. Winthrops: and 6 onely escaped: 3
of the above
if not all
four, lay frozen like sticks, in a heap.
One of the six was
of so frozen
that will hardly escape. Very little
goods saved. About
200 £ in P
8/8 lost.
Febr.
9. 1682-3. A considerable deal of
Snow being on the
Ground,
there falls such plenty of warm Rain as that the Waters
swell so as
to do much damage. Ipswich Dam and
Blidge is carried
away by the
Flood and Ice violently coming down; so that they
now go over
in a Boat, Horse, and Men. Rowly Mill
Dam also
spoyled, and
generally much harm done in (P. 90) Dams and Bridges;
so that 'tis
judged many Thousands will scarce repair the Loss.
persons on
it; so that a woman was near drowning.
Satterday; March 22, 1683-4, there was an extraordinary
high
Tide, which
did much hurt at
Houses and
Ware-Houses that stood low. All that I
hear of at
bridge,
Charl. and here, say 'tis higher than ever any was known before.
Wednesday, Octr. 29, a Maid's Brains shot out, her head broke all
to pieces,
at
Friday Novr. 28, 1684. Wm.
Allen, a Plumer, receives a blow by
a piece that
was used for a Scaffold falling on's head, of which he
18* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
Tho at
night.
Winary at
and
dies. About that time Jn° Poor of
Newbury perrisheth
in the Snow,
near the Fresh-Meadows, about a Mile from my Father's
Farm.
(P.90 ½) Wednesday, Novr. 15, 1682. Mr. Sherman
Ordains Mr.
Nath. Gookin
Pastor of Cambridge-Church: Mr. Eliot gives the
Right hand
of Fellowship, first reading the Scripture that warrants
it. Mr. Sherman, Eliot and Mather laid on
Hands. Then Mr.
Gookin
ordain'd Deacon Stone and Mr. Clark Ruling Elders. The
Presence of
God seem'd to be with his People. Mr.
Jonathan Dan-
forth, the
Dept. Governours onely Son, lay by the Wall,
having de-
parted on
Monday Morn, of a Consumption. Tis a
comfortable day
and much
People at the. Ordination. I go and come on foot in
Compa. of Mr. Zadori, the Hungarian, whom I find to be an Armi-
nian.
(p.92.)
Wednesday, Apr. 25, 1688. I went
to Govr. Bradstreet,
to enquire
about the Custom of Swearing in
me That of
lifting up the Hand had been the Ceremony from the
begining;
that He and some others did so swear on board the Ship,
1630. And that He never Knew an Oath administred
any other way
after he
came on Shoar.
Sir, it is all one to touch a Book and
swear by a Book. Fox.
Martyrol. Henry the 4th, p. 702 and 701. &c &c &c. [Various au-
thorities
are cited, the passage above being among other citations
under the
head of "De Juramento."]
(P.108 ½.)
Mr. Joshua Gee, sometime Captive in Algeer, tells me
June 11,
1694, that the Turks observe an Hebdomadal Revolution as
we do; Our
first day of the week is their first day of the week; And
they call
the days by their Order in the Week; One, Two &c. If
they have
any notable piece of work to doe, they chuse to begin it
upon the
first day of the Week, bec. God began his Works on that
day.
[There is also a full account of the trial
of Rev. Thomas Chiever,
Jr., of
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 21*
(P 132 of orig.) At
A Council of the, 3 Chhs. of Chrt. in
Mr. James
Allin, Joshua Moody, John Wiswall, Mr. Elisha Cook, Mr.
Isaac
Addington, Mr. Henry Allin, Mr. Increase Mather, Mr. Cotton
Mather,
Major John Richards, Mr. Adam Winthrop, Mr. Daniel Stone,
of Father
Green; Mr. Allin went to Prayer, when discoursed whether should
have 2
Moderators or one; Mr. Allin put it to vote, and carried for one,
being but a
small Company. Then voted for a
Moderator by Papers.
Mr. Increase
Mather was chosen, had more than ten votes and but 15
Persons ill
all. Discoursed of our work, then went
into the Publick.
Mr.
Moderator prayed. When had heard some Debates there, went to our
Quarters,
had the witnesses and Mr. Tho. Chiever face to face. Mr. Chiever,
the Father,
desired to be present, was admitted and bid wellcom, except
when Council
debated in private all alone (Mr. Sam. Parris present
through-out,
though not of the Council).
In the evening Mr. Chiever the Pastor was
sent for, Mr. Moodey
and others
acquainted him how grievous his carriage had been and
that day not
so humble and in such a frame as ought; told him ex-
pected not
an Answer, but that should sleep on't.
Debated consider-
ably what to
do till about 10 at night Mr. Moderator pray'd, went to
Bed. Mr. Moderator and his son to Mr.
Wigglesworth's, some to
Mr. Chiever,
Major Richards and self Kept the House.
In the
Morn,
Thorsday, Ap. 8, Mr. Moderator went to prayer: read over
what was
drawn up, then discours'd about it. Sent
for Mr. Chiever,
to see what
had to say; then not finding satisfaction, all agreed on
the
following Declaration and Advice.
The Elders and Messingers assembled in
Council at Maldon,
April 7,
1686, at the Request of the Church there, after humble Invo-
cation of
the Name of God for his Guidance in the solemn Case
propos'd
unto them, do declare and advise as follows.
1.
We find that Mr. Tho. Chiever, the present Pastor of the
Church in
Maldon, has been accused as Guilty of great Scandals, by
more than 2
or 3 witnesses; and that since his being in Office-Rela-
tion
Particularly, he is by two or three Witnesses charged with
speaking
such words as are scandalous breaches of the Third Comand-
ment, as
apears by the Testimony of Mrs. Eliza.
Wade and Abigail
Russell. He is moreover accused with Shamefull and
abominable,
Violations
of the Seventh Comandment. There are
several who have
testifyed
that they heard him use light and obscene expressions (not
fit to be
named) in an Ordinary at
Samuel
Sprague, Jacob Parker, Isaac Hill; Also as he was travailing
22* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
on the Rode,
as p. the Testimony of Thomas, Esther and Eliza. Newhall.
2.
We find that although Mr. Chiever has been convicted of very
scandalous
Evils since his being a Preacher in Maldon, the Church
there has
declin'd all Testimonies against him as to Scandals comitted
before his
Ordination; as also some other Testimonies respecting
matters very
criminal since that; because they judged the Witnesses
on account
of Prejudices and otherwise, incompetent; upon which
Consideration
we have also waved these Testimonies.
3. We find that in Augt. 9, 1685, Mr. Chiever made an Acknowl-
edgement of
some Evils to the Brethren of that Church, whereto he
stands
related; and that the most part of them were willing to take
up with a
slender satisfaction: But that on the next Lord's-day, he
manifested
before the Congregation so little sense and sorrow for his
great sins,
as that the generality of the Brethren were more dissatis-
fied than
formerly.
We find by our own enquiries since we met
together, that Mr.
Chiever has absolutely deny'd some things,
which are by sufficient Wit-
nesses
prov'd against him. Mr. Chiever's filthy
words testifyed by
Tho.,
Esther, and Elizabeth Newhal, he utterly deny'd to Lt Saml
Sprague,
also to Cornet Green and his son, saying that Thomas
Newhal was
forsworn. Likewise he did to Capt.
Sprague and Tho.
Skiner
utterly deny that ever he spake the words at
prov'd
against him.
Also we find, that as to some particulars
he pretends he does
not remember
them: Nor have we seen that humble penitential frame
in him when
before us, that would have become him: but have cause
to fear that
he has been too much accustomed to an evil course of
Levity and
Profaneness.
These things considered, we conceive it to
be Duty and accord-
ingly advise
the
from the
Exercise of his ministerial Function; and also to debar him
from
partaking with them at the Lord's Table, for the space of Six
Weeks untill
which time the Council will adjourn themselves, to
meet at
fest that
Repentance which the Rule requires, they should confirm
their Love
to him, and (if possible) improve him again in the Lord's
Work among
them.
And this, our Advice, is grounded on
these Scriptures and Reasons.
(1). Among the Lord's People in the dayes of the
O. Testament, no
man might be
permitted to execute the Priest's office that had a
blemish: He might not come nigh to offer the offerings
of the Lord.
Levit. 21,
17, 21, which teaches that Men under moral blemishes, are
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 23*
unfit for
holy ministrations, untill they be, in a way of Repentance,
healed. (2) It is in the New Testament required, that
an Elder
should be
sober and of good behaviour, and moreover he must have
a good
Report of them that are without, 1 Tim. 3, 2, 7. (3) Christ's Dis-
cipline
ought to be exercised impartially, without respect to Persons.
1 Tim. 5,
21. Nor does Mr. Chiever's standing in a
Sacred Office-
Relation any
way lessen, but greatly aggravate his sin.
(4) There is
no
probability that Mr. Chiever's Ministry will be blessed for good
to Souls,
untill such time as his Conversation shall declare him to be
a true
penitent. Mat. 5, 13.
Finally, we exhort and advise our beloved
Brethren of the Church
of Maldon to
set a day apart, solemnly to humble themselves by
Fasting and
Prayer before the Lord under this awfull dispensation,
and for
whatever failings have attended them, as to the management
of their
Differences, in this hour of Temptation which they have
been subject
unto. Particularly, for not observing
the Rules of
Christ, in
endeavouring to prevent Evils by giving seasonable notice
to Mr.
Chiever of their Dissatisfactions. And
for that want of Love,
and for that
bitterness of Spirit, which appears in sundry of them.
So we pray
the God of Love and Peace and Truth to dwell among
you.
INCREASE
MATHER, Moderator,
In the Name, and with the unanimous
Consent of the whole Council.
Note.
Mr. Clriever was ordained July 27,1681, Wednesday, Mr.
Oakes dying
the Sabbath before.
Thorsday, Ap. 8. the
erator
pray'd, read the Council's Report. Mr.
Wigglesworth spake,
thank'd him
and the Council; said had cause to condemn themselves,
as for other
sins, so their sudden laying Hands on Mr. Chiever; and
now God was
whiping them with a Rod of their own making.
Mr.
Chiever the
Father, stood up and pathetically desir'd his son might
speak, but
Mr. Moderator and others judg'd it not convenient, he not
having by
what he said given the Council encouragement.
Mr. Allin
pray'd; went
to Diner; Council adjourned to that day 6 weeks.
Came Home well.
24* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
ZADORI'S LETTER.
[In Vol. T. p. 97, of Sewall's Diary,
mention is made of Zadori." The
reference
was obscure, and no light upon it presented itself to us the
sheets
passed through the press. We have since
received from abroad the
following
letter, which, however, does but little to clear the obscurity attach-
ing to a
scholar of that name who, it seems, made a visit to
text of the
manuscript copied for us seems in some places to be doubtful,
and other difficulties
stand in the way of a confident translation.
We offer
such an one
as may serve the occasion. -- EDS.]
Bodl:
MS. Tanner xxxv. f. 105.
Letter
addressed: --
"To the most Reverend Father in God William, by the grace of
blessed
Jesus Lord Arch-Bishop of
Vir fidelis & Dei timens, Christique
amantissime, Salve!
Non omnes
quos tenus fert mortales despicato terrrae pulveri ad-
haerescunt,
Amplissime Praesul, sed numerosa eorum portio, relictis
rusticanae
turbae flagellis, opificumque instrumentis, altioribus animum
applicat,
potiorisque sui partis, animae puta, perfectionem indefesse
quaeritat. Ingenerasse scilicet Natura hominibus quosdam
Videtur
igniculos,
qui desiderium sciendi stimulorum instar magnopere exci-
tant. Unde fieri consuevit, ut rerum altiorum
avidius cupidi mortales,
nulla
scientia satiari valeant, verum quanto propius in cognitione
rerum, cum
Divinarum, turn humanarum perfectioni accessit animus,
tanto majus
desiderium sciendi capiat incrementum.
Quod maxime
laudabile
esse, non possumus non asserere, cum sui parare perfectio-
nem sit
longe laudatissimum. Puto hinc me facile
impetraturum a
beata Tua
Reverentia excusationem, quod per duos plane annos inter
Vos,
mansuetioribus musis feci rem. Quis enim
adeo excoecatus, qui
tam
religiosissimum Orbis Christiani sidus, & perenne literarum decus,
immensamque
Patriae & saeculi spem, facile relinquat?
Si praesertim
loquar de
memetipso, Proh Deum immortalem! quanta nos Hunga-
ros, in hac
decrepita mundi senecta, ruina literarum operit, quam
1 William Sanicroft was at this time Archbishop of Canterbury.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 25*
turpe &
securum militiae nostrae ocium irrupit.
Videre sic cis puto
nemo posset
oculis. Ubi non nisi Mars gaudet
prreliis, & nos inter
tot tantaque
funesta bella pendemus potius quam sedemus.
Ducimur,
&
portamur per vastam eremum. Rapimur,
dispergimur, in diversa
trahimur:
ita ut nee coeptum opus deserere, nee supra vires ferre
valeamus. Et ipse cum anno hoc ipso Patriam versus iter
facere
meditarer,
intempestive nimis impedivit Hungarim recens conditio,
ut contraria
via coactus sum [?] ire, quasi e tergo Hungariam intueri
plurimum
delectarer. Ego igitur, mi Pater Reverendissime
(quod
solum
possum) Deum Optimum, Maximum, qui Te mihi providit,
obnixe
deprecor, ut quando Tibi talem debitorem dedit, qui nunquam
solvenda sit
futurus, beneficentiam istam quam mihi 29 die Maji, anni
1682, tam
effusus impendebas, ipse Tibi dignetur pro sua benignitate
rependere,
turn ut nos ab hoc aerumnoso & procelloso saeculo in suam
requiem, pro
sua miseratione perducat, ubi non erit opus epistolis,
ubi non
distinebit nos paries, ubi non arcebit a colloquio janitor, sed
gaudio
perfruemur aeterno. Nunc pro tempore
apud Novos-Anglos
in
haec est non
modo pietati addicta, & christiana charitate imbuta,
verum &
Regiae Majestati addictissima.
quibus apud
hos hospitor peregrinus, nil tale quid audivi sicut in
Scotia &
Anglia a quibusdam sceleratissimis, contra Sacrae Regiae
Majestatis
Thronum, blasphemia verba ex impuris palatis eructanti-
bus. Teror corde vehementer quod nil sit in me,
vel penes me, quo
tantam
beneficentiam Sanctae Tuae Reverentiae pensare possem, qui
sum eroque
ad finem usque hujus vitae Tuae dominationi addictissimus
ac fidelis
servus. Is igitur qui Dominationi Vestrm
talem debitorem
dedit, qui
nunquam solvendo sit futurus, Te donis suis locupletet, &
in multos
annos Ecclesiae suae conservet, Serenissimam Sacrae Regiae
Majestatem,
Nobilissimos Proceres, adeoque Omnes Potentissimi
Regni vestri
Ordines protegat, & omni benedictionum genere quam
pinguissime
cumulet; ad verae pietatis & Regni Christi propagatio-
nem aevo
largissimo tueatur. Et tandem post seros
vitae laudabiliter
exactae
annos, ad nunquam intermoritura & desitura caelestis vitae
gaudia,
solenni Angelorum comitatu introducat.
Ubi cum Deo Patre
ingenito [?]
& uniprocedente Paracleto, gaudio perfruemini aeterno.
Ita animitus precatur clam qui haec palam
Vobis peroptat.
Salutis Vestrae avidissimus Stephanus
Zadori Pannonio-Hungarus de S. P.
Scribebam hospes & peregrinus celeri
cursu defessa manu ad lucer-
nam jamjam
lectulo imminens Bostonii Novi-Anglorum, anno vitae
meae 29.
anno vero beatissimi beatae Mariae Virgin is Filii Jesu 1682.
10. 8bris.
26* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
TRANSLATION.
Faithful and God-fearing man, most loving
of Christ, Health!
Most Illustrious Primate, -- Not all the
mortal men whom the world
sustains
cling to the mean dust of the earth, but a considerable portion
of them,
turning from the vexations of the rustic crowd and from the
tools or the
workshops, devote their minds to higher objects, and
unweariedly
strive for the perfection of their nobler part, namely,
the
soul. For Nature seems to have generated
in men certain sparks
which
intensely rouse as with a goad the craving for knowledge.
Whence it is
wont to happen that men, keenly craving higher things,
can find
satisfaction in no attainment, but the nearer the mind ap-
proaches
towards perfection in the knowledge alike of divine and
human
things, the more does a desire for such knowledge take
increase. We cannot refrain from asserting that this is
greatly
praiseworthy,
inasmuch as it is superlatively laudable to be perfect-
ing one's
self. So I think I may readily claim
from your Blessed
Reverence an
excuse for having for two full years devoted myself
among you to
the more gentle muses. For who would be
so blind
as
slightingly to desert the most devout star of the Christian Sphere,
the
perennial glory of letters, and the loftiest hope or his country
and his
age? If especially I may speak of
myself, By the Immortal
God! what a wreck of literature is visited upon us
Hungarians in
this
decrepit old age of the world, how has a base and confident
ease broken
in upon our military vigor. I think no
one can see this
with dry
eyes, when only Mars revels in battles, and we, amidst so
many and
such direful wars, hang in suspense rather than rest. We
are dragged
and borne over a vast desert. We are
caught up, dis-
persed and
scattered, so that we can neither abandon a work under-
taken, nor
bear it on beyond our strength [?]. And
when I myself
was this
very year contemplating a journey to my country, the recent
condition of
pelled to go
in a contrary direction, as if it were my highest pleasure
to behold
(it is all
that I can do,) earnestly beseech the Great and Good God,
who has
provided you for me, that, since he has given to you such
a debtor as
can never pay his debt, he in his benignity will vouch-
safe to
repay to you that beneficence which you so lavishly bestowed
upon me on
the 29th of May, 1682, and then that in his own mercy
he may guide
us out of this oppressed and stormy era to his own
repose,
where there will be no need of letters, where no wall will sepa-
rate us,
where no janitor will restrain our intercourse, but we shall
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 27*
enjoy
delights forever. Now for a season I am
living as a guest
with the
New-Englanders in
do with me
here. Verily this is a people, not only
devoted to piety
and imbued
with Christian charity, but most loyal also to the Royal
Majesty. For during this whole time, in which [?]1 I, a stranger,
have been
their guest, I have heard nought such as I had heard in
impure lips
blasphemous words against the throne of the Sacred
Royal
Majesty. I am greatly grieved at heart,
that there is noth-
ing in me,
or in my power, by which I can repay such kindness of
your Sacred
Reverence, -- I, who am, and will be even to the end of
this life, a
most devoted and faithful subject of your Lordship. May
He,
therefore, who has made me such a debtor to your Lordship as
can never
pay his debt, enrich you with his gifts, and preserve you
for many
years to his Church; may He also protect the most Serene
Majesty of
his Sacred Royalty, the most noble Lords, and all orders
of your most
potent kingdom, and heap upon them most richly every
kind of
blessing; may he watch over them for the propagation of
true piety
and of the
And at
length, after the late years of a nobly-spent life, may he
bring you to
the never-dying and endless joys of the celestial state
in the holy
fellowship of the Angels, where, with the uncreated God
the Father,
and the one-proceeding [?] Paraclete, you shall find the
fruition of
eternal bliss. So, heartily in secret
prays he who openly
craves for
you such things, Stephen Zadori, of Pannonian Hungary,
de S. P. --
most desirous of your welfare.
As a guest and a stranger, I write with a
running pen, with a
wearied
hand, by lamplight, just before going to bed [?], at
New-England,
in the 29th year of my life and in the year of the most
Blessed
Jesus, son of the Blessed Mary, 1682, October 10th.
1 This conjectural rendering of an
ungrammatical text reads quo for
quibus.
Another conjectural version would be, "Among those with whom
I have been
a stranger-guest."
INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
THE three following pamphlets have been
reprinted, because they
deal with a
controversy in which Sewall was deeply interested and
in which he
took a part, and also because of their great rarity. For
a copy of
the first, we are indebted to Colonel Joseph L. Chester, of
Museum; for
the second and third, we are indebted to the courtesy
of the John
Carter Brown Library and the
respectively.
It will be noticed that the first is a
violent attack on Governor
Dudley; the
second, an able defence of him; and the third, a re-
newed
attack.
They are entitled, respectively, "A
Memorial of the Present De-
plorable
State of
"The
Deplorable State of
In view of the charge made in the preface
to the "Modest En-
quiry,"
it may be safely assumed that the first tract was not published
in
in
date of Nov.
1, 1707 (post, ii. 197), "after coming from Council, I
read the
Book printed against the Governour in
seen it
before." So again under date of
Nov. 21, 1707 (post, ii.
200). "Some" (of the Council) "began
to be hot to send for the
Book wherein
the Affidavits are, and Mr. M.'s letter; and to burn it:
others were
for deliberation."
Of the merits of the controversy we say
nothing; a few points of
interest may
be indicated. Thus it is evident that
Rev. Cotton
Mather was
the inciter, and perhaps the compiler, of the first pam-
phlet. The R. A. whose letter is on p. 42*, is
possibly R. Armstrong,
as that name
best agrees with the "Mr. Ar--nge" on p. 81*.
It seems evident that many thought that
Cotton Mather had been
guilty of
duplicity; but at all events the mask was now dropped.
erett"
(as President) "was insupportably grievous to Increase Mather,
30* INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
and his
son. They had anticipated that the
choice would have fallen
upon one or
the other of them. Between them there
was no rivalry.
For the
disappointment of both, they were not prepared.
Their in-
dignation
was excited against Dudley, who, as they thought, had
buoyed up
their hopes until he had arranged measures and agents to
insure their
defeat."
In view of these pamphlets, we may
perhaps conclude that the
dissimulation
was the other way. It looks rather as if
Cotton
Mather,
aspiring to the presidency of the college, had pretended
friendship
to Governor Dudley; and, concluding that the election
would be
settled in 1707, he gave vent to his malice by sending to
At all events, the reception of copies of
it in
terminated
all hopes of further friendship between the Mathers and
ness of
soul. (See Collections, first series,
Vol. III. pp. 126-138.)
The "Modest Enquiry" was the
immediate retort; and the anec-
dote
concerning Cotton Mather, printed on p. 81*, must have been a
bitter pill
to his admirers.
The preface to the third tract is signed
A. H.; possibly, as Palfrey
suggests,
the Alexander Holmes whose name is appended to the
petition on
the last page. He does not seem to have
been a resi-
dent here,
and was perhaps one of the persons "trading thither."
The most
noticeable item therein is Samuel Sewall's protest (on
p. 111*)
against the statement that the Council has passed a vote
unanimously. He dwells upon it in his Journal (post,
ii. 202).
It is Palfrey's opinion (Hist., IV. 310,
note) that Mather was "con-
cerned in
the composition" of this third pamphlet; and, as Sewall
quarrelled
with him some years before (see Journal, post, ii. 45-46),
this may
account for the slurs on p. 124*.
"Nevertheless, we doubt
not but in
the large
an Hundred
Men as fit to be Counsellors, as S. S. or J. C. or P. T."
These names
we interpret to be, Samuel Sewall, Jonathan Corwin,
John Cushing
or Joseph Church, and Penn Townsend.
We
trust our readers will find in these pamphlets a sufficiently
lively
picture of the questions which agitated the colony at that date
to warrant
the space which we have given to them.
EDS.
A
M E M O R I A L
Of the Present Deplorable State of
New-England.
A
M E M O R I A L
Of the
Present Deplorable STATE of
New-
With the
many Disadvantages it lyes under,
by
the Male-Administration of their
Present G 0 V E R N 0 U R,
Joseph Dudley,
Esq.
And his Son P A U L, &c.
TOGETHER WITH
The several Affidavits
of People of Worth,
Relating to several of the said Governour's
Mer-
cenary and Illegal Proceedings, but
particularly his
private Treacherous Correspondence with Her
Ma-
jesty's Enemies the French and Indians.
To which is
Added, A Faithful, but Melancholy Account
of several Barbarities lately Committed
upon Her Majesty's Sub-
jets, by the said French and Indians,
in the East and West Parts
of NEW-ENGLAND.
Faithfully
Digested from the several Original Letters, Pa-
per, and M S S. by Philopolites.
Printed in
the Year, MDCCVII. and Sold by S. Phillips
N. Buttolph, and B. Elliot. Booksellers in
[1]
A
M E M O R I A L
Of the Present Deplorable S TAT E of
New-England.
THE
Inhabitants of New-England had for many years
before the
Late Happy Revolution, Enjoy'd the Lib-
erty and
Property of as Free and Easy a Charter as a
People could
Desire; and this too, with as much
Satisfaction
and Loyalty on their part, as Malice and Envy
on that of their
Enemies; who, from a Persecuting Spirit, looking
upon this
their Charter with an evil Eye, took up an Implacable
Resolution
of Robbing them of it. They had no
sooner Effected
this, but a
vast Scene of Misery appear'd; and they found
among the
principal Instruments of this Mischief, One,* whom
their own
Womb had brought forth, and whose Breasts had
Nourished! But the Unhappy (or
rather Happy) Reign of the
Late K. J.
running Precipitantly upon its own Ruin, made well
for the
deliverance of New-England; without which doubtless
the People
had fell a sacrifice to French and Popish Slavery.
[ 2] We shall not Recriminate here the
Mismanagements of
the then
Governour Sir Edmund Andross, since that Gentleman
is now in a
Necessary to
say some Matters of Fact, of the present Governour
Dudley, who,
(under the said Sir E. Andross) acted as President
of the
Council, and One of the Quorum in all his Affairs.
* The present Governour, J. Dudley, Esq.
is a Native of New England,
Born at or
near a place call'd Roxbury, 2 Miles from
36* A MEMORIAL
OF THE PRESENT
The Behaviour of this Man, as soon as he
arrived, struck in
with the
first
est. Indeed, the People were something Surpris'd
to see the
publick
Offices and Places of Trust snatch'd from them, and
Conferr'd on
Strangers on one hand, and the Avarice and Beg-
on
t'other. But, when the President was
pleased, out of an
Active and
Passive Principle, to tell our Countreymen, in open
Council, That
the People in New-England were all Slaves; and
that the
only Difference between Them and Slaves, was their not
being Bought
and Sold: And that they must not think thePrivi-
leges of Englishmen would follow them to the
end of the World.
I say, when
the People heard this, they lookt upon themselves
in a manner
Lost. On one Hand they saw their Enemies
invested
with a full Power in the Government; on t'other they
saw
themselves not only turn'd out of the Publick Ministry,
but under a
Necessitous Fear of being Quiet, left their Estates
should be
Siezed, and themselves Imprisoned. On
this side they
saw their
Wives and Children, their Fathers, Mothers, &c.
Butchered
daily by a Handful of Barbarous Indians; on t'other
side, little
or no Resistance made by their Armies, which were
Commanded by
those of the Romish Religion; insomuch that it
seem'd
rather an intended Massacre, than a Desire of putting an
End to a
Diabolick and Bloody War. They saw then,
that they
had to their
Cost, brought forth a Prophet, who told them they
were Slaves;
and they then saw his Prophecy fulfilling: In fine,
they saw all
this, but perceiv'd no way to escape; till throw-
ing up their
Cryes to Heaven, they were animated by Divine
Power, to
Rescue themselves and Children from the approaching
Ruin.
[3] Under the Pressure of all these
Grievances, they Unani-
mously
arose, upon the coming in of the late King William, of
Blessed
Memory, Siezed the Government for HIS Majesty's Use;
and, amongst
the rest of the Authors of their Miseries, not un-
justly
Imprison'd this their present Governour.
From that time New-England took Heart,
and concluded
that Heaven
was removing from them all the Plagues in their
Land. They indeed Thankfully Rejoiced to see
themselves Re-
stored to
their Ancient Liberty, as afterwards in a great Measure
they were by
another Ministry.
And thus much for the former Actions of the
Author of the
following
Matters of Fact, which has rendered His Love to his
Native
Country, His Veneration for the
a Free
People, His Fidelity, Justice, and Loyalty; in delivering
the
Oppressed, and detecting the Queen's Prosess'd Enemies,
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
but the
Reverse of Good Mens Actions, and ought to be Remem-
bered only
as so many Monuments of Infamy.
But to come down to our Memorial, and
inform the World of
the modern
Mismanagements of this unhappy Gentleman, we
humbly
Declare, That
THE Trade
with the French and Indians, being so counte-
nanced by
the Governour, that without speedy Remedy,
the Country
is in great Danger of being Ruined, which will
plainly
Appear as follows:
First, In the Year 1705, The
Governour sent his Son William
Dudley, with Captain Vetch, to
Redeeming
Captives; but brought very few back to
those that
were there, and them of the Meanest fort, leaving the
Principal of
the said Captives behind, to give them occasion of
going again,
that they might have a Pretence to Colour their
Treacherous
Design of Trading, as Appears by the said Vetch's
Acknowledgment
of going to Settle a Correspondency with the
Enemy, and
carrying a Cargo out with him of 800 1. which,
according to
their Disposal, [4] might amount to near 3000 1.
as
particularly Shot, which was Sold at 13 Sous per Pound;
whereof they
carried a considerable Quantity; also Rigging,
Pitch, Iron,
and other Necessaries, fit for supplying the Indians
and French,
and this done under a Colour, of the said Vetch's
going to get
in a Debt due to him, from the French, of 800 1.
with the
Governour's Approbation.
Secondly, For Settling a
Correspondency with the French
Governour at
Port-Royal, for Exchange of Prisoners; Whereas
it was
indeed, only a Cover for an Illegal Trade; when, at the
same time,
the French there, were drove to such extreme Hard-
ships, for
want of Ammunition Provision, &c. that most of
their
Principal People were forced to go out a Privateering
on our
Coasts, who were, afterwards taken and brought into
vice among
the Enemy, who had been a Barbarous, Murdering
Fellow, to
the English: He, with all the other French Prisoners,
were sent to
great part
of our People that were Prisoners, were left behind at
the same
time, and that, because our Governour had been false
in his
Promise, to the French Governour, who had restrained the
Indians from
disturbing our Fishery, and indeed would not
allow them
any Ammunition for a considerable time, till our
Governour
taking that
countenanced
a trade with them, and supply'd them by the
Veffels that
were sent as Transports (as aforesaid) to fetch
38* A MEMORIAL
OF THE PRESENT
Prisoners;
when at the fame time they were made Veffels
of
Merchandize, as appears by the Indian Traders on their
Tryal."
Thirdly, The Country are at a vast
Charge, in maintaining an
Army Yearly,
to March several Hundred Miles up into the
Country, to
Destroy the Indians Corn, the better to disenable
them to
Subsist; for they have been so Reduced (as by Infor-
mation of
the Captives) that a great part of them would Perish
for Want,
were it not for the Supply they had from the said
Indian Traders; who particularly, Sold about
Eight Quarts of
Indian Corn for one large Beaver Skin;
which Trade has
been all
along countenanced by the Governour, which suffi-
ciently
Appears, by his being always Unwilling [5] the Prison-
ers taken in
that Trade should be Fined, or Punished, even
owned by
Vetch, as in his Petition more at large, is set forth.
Fourthly, The Country was at a
great Expence, in Erecting a
Fortification
at
for securing
the fame, thereby to suppress the Enemy, and keep
sure Footing
in that part of the Country, and the Governour,
through some
Design or Neglect, did suffer those Soldiers to
remain there
without any Commission Officer, to the great Dissat-
isfaction
and Dread to the Soldiers; insomuch, that they
Declared to
Captain Cally, (a Member of the Assembly at
that when
the Enemy came upon them, they would Surrender
the Fort,
and dare not Resist for want of a Commission.
Then
Captain Cally
made Application to the Assembly, which he
found
Sitting when he came to
the
Governour, that speedy care might be taken, that some Per-
son might be
Commissionated to Command that Fort, which,
with a great
deal of Difficulty, was at last Obtained.
Fifthly, And further, as to the
Governour's countenancing
this Private
and Illegal Trade, the Country has been at vast
Expence
occasioned thereby; insomuch, that at one Sessions
the last
Summer, the Assembly were forc'd to raise 33000 Pounds,
for
Supporting and Maintaining the Charge they were put to,
by the
Enemies Invasions, after they had a Supply; that
whereas, if
things were rightly Managed, and the Enemy kept
back for
want of those Supplies, one Third Part of the said Sum
might have
answer'd the End. The Indians
that were Supply'd
by those
Traders, are the only People that destroyed our Eastern
Parts, the
Fishery, and the Coast of
fame that
were at Destroying of New-found-land; particularly
one
Escombuet, a Principal Commander among them, who is
generally
one that Heads the Indians, when they come to
Destroy the English
in New-England.
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
NEW ENGLAND. 39*
Sixthly, The Governour, with his Son Paul, not being Con-
tent with
what Money they come fairly by, and over greedy of
Gain, are
very Screwing and Exacting upon the People, parti-
ularly upon
sundry Inhabitants, taking away their Priviledge in
catching [6]
of Whales, a Priviledge they have Enjoyed many
years
before; that is, (under a Pretence of drift Fish) what
Whales are
taken by Her Majesty's Subjects, he takes from
them by
Force, not giving them the
Common Law, but for his own Ends, decides the Matter
in
the
Admiralty, where his Son Paul is the Queen's Attour-
ny and
Advocate, thereby Encroaching the whole to them-
selves, a
thing never heard of before, and very much to the
Prejudice of
Her Majesty's good subjects there, and that with-
out Remedy.
Seventhly, As to the Address the
Governour Obtained, pre-
tended to
come over from the General Assembly at
favour, for
his Continuance, it was no more than what he Clan-
destinely
procured, by fending to his particular Friends; such,
who being
either Related to him, or bore Commissions under
him, dare
not deny his Request, and was never approved nor
allowed of
by the Assembly; but on the Contrary, had not the
Majority of
the Country, waited in Expectation of Her Majesty's
Favour, in
fending another Governour, they would largely have
signified
their Resentments and Dissatisfaction, in the Adminis-
tration of
Dudley's Government.
Eighthly, While the Great and
General Assembly at Boston
were
Sitting, there arrived a Flagg of Truce from Canada, with
a haughty
Demand of the Governour, for all the French Prisoners,
charging of
him with breach of Promise, which was the occasion
of the
French Governour's not fending several of the Prisoners,
particularly
a Minister that was taken Captive at Derefield,
detained by
the French, who might have been Discharged with
sundry
others.
Ninthly,
The Lower House, mistrusting the French Flagg of
Truce coming
upon a Trading Design, as well as for Prisoners,
ordered the
Flagg of Truce to be diligently Searched, who found
on Board
their Vessel sundry new Arms and Ammunition, hid in
Private
Places, particularly new Bullets, hid among Pease, and
yet denied
by the Commander, who was an English Renagado,
which
Ammunition being brought before the Assembly, were
generally
concluded to be Bought in
Governour
in-[7] terposing, the Matter was hushed up and Con-
niv'd at, to
the great Dissatisfaction of the Assembly, and Coun-
try in
general.
40* A MEMORIAL
OF THE PRESENT
This being realy the State of New-England,
and its Provinces,
it may very
well be called Deplorable, when it is render'd the
very Scene
of Arbitrary Power, with all that's Miserable:
But to
proceed,
before I come down to, the several Affidavits upon these
Heads, it is
Convenient to Recite some Letters from the Inhabi-
ants of that
Place, who, under a deep Sense of their Approach-
ing Ruin,
have breath'd forth their Complaints in the following
Words,
Boston, New-England October 2: 1706.
SIR!
IN AS MUCH,
as you have Expected from me, a true and brief
Representation
of several Matters, relating to this Province, I
shall, with
all possible Faithfulness, endeavour it.
Our Present
Governour is
not without a number of those, whom he has by
Promotions
and Flatteries made his Friends; but this hinders
not a much
more considerable number, from wishing, that we had
a Governour,
who would put an end unto the horrid Reign of
Bribery, in
our Administration, and who would not infinitely
Incommode
Her Majesty's Service, by keeping the People in con-
tinual
Jealousies of his Plots, upon their most Valuable Interests.
What the disposition of the People towards
him is, you may
guess by
this: There was lately prepared an Address from hence,
to the
Queen, upon many important Articles; but by certain Arts
there was
got into it a Clause, to desire of the Queen, that this
Governour
might be continued, the Representatives Voted all the
rest of the
Address, but this Clause they absolutely Rejected; they
could not
get above Five or Six Votes for it, so the whole Address,
(which was
contrived by a Party for nothing but that Clause) fell
to the
ground.
[8] There happened lately a number of
Persons, namely, Bore-
land, Vetch,
Rouse, Lawson, Philips and Cauplin to be taken
managing an
unlawful Trade with the
French and Indians, the
Commodities
wherein they Traded, were such, that the late Act of
Parliament
made their Crime to be High Treason, and we had no
Act of the
Province relating to that Matter, but was defectively
Expressed. Our merciful Assembly was mighty loathe to
proceed
unto so
severe a Judgment as that of Death, upon these Offenders.
The
Offenders Petitioning for it, the General Assembly were (very
much by the
Governour's influence) drawn into it, to take the
Tryal of
them into their own Hands; and as only Guilty of an
High
Misdemeanour, the Vote for it was obtained in a Thin House,
upon an
hurry at breaking up; and some Clauses in the Charter
were so
Construed, as to Countenance it. Upon
their coming
together
again, they would fain have revoked their Votes, as fear-
DEPLORABLE
STATE OF
ing, that
the very Persons who had been their Tempters into it,
would turn
their Accusers, and improve it by way of Complaint,
for the
Enemies of our Charter to work upon; but the Governour
would by no
means permit the Revocation of that wrong Step, (if
it were one)
so the Tryal proceeded, and the Offenders were Fined
in several
Sums, by an Act of the Governour and Assembly.
It is now laid, that the ingrateful Men
who were saved from the
Gallows, by
the Tenderness of the Government, are now cutting
our Throats,
and Petition home against the Government, for Fin-
ing them
instead of Hanging them; yea, it is also said, that the
very Person
who was the chief Cause of drawing the Assembly
into this
extraordinary Proceeding, intends to make an ill use of
it, against
the Country; if you are sensible of any thing of this
nature
carrying on, we pray you to add unto the rest of your
Offices,
that of an Intercession, that an harmless People, surpriz'd
into any
Error, may not be Punished any otherwise, than by the
removal of
such as have been the Causes of it; and so much for
that.
[9] Sir, You would do a vast Service to
the Crown, if you would
set forward
the designs of reducing
Scotia, a
much less Fleet than what annually goes into the Indies,
coming early
enough in the Spring, may easily do the former, even
in the way
thither, and a Scotch Colony might be of good Con-
sequence to
do the latter; but if any assistance from
should be
expected in this matter, it is of absolute necessity that
the Country
have a Governour whom the People may somewhat
Rely upon.
Sir, You are Born to do the Queen and the
Nation Service,
you are
spirited for great undertakings; you are highly beloved
and esteemed
among our People in this Land, and where-ever you
have come,
'tis wished that you may do some considerable Action
in this
Affair.
I have been earnestly Sollicited to
Address one of the most Illus-
trious
Patriots of the English Nation, my Lord High Treasurer,
with some of
these Intimations: That Noble Person is
known to be
such a
Patron to all good Men, and such a defence of Oppressed
Innocence
and Liberties; that we all fly to him as our unquestion-
able Refuge,
I am well satisfied there would need nothing (to
speak
Humanely) to make this Country Easy and Happy, but for
that
excellent Person to have an exact Representation of our Cir-
cumstances,
nothing hinders me from attempting it,
but the
hazard of
doing what may be thought a presumption in one so
much a
stranger to him, nevertheless, I am desired by some consid-
erable
Persons to move you, that you would wait upon his Lord-
42* A
MEMORIAL OF THE
PRESENT
ship, and
fully acquaint him with the Matters now laid before
you.
May
the Almighty prosper you;
I am, Sir,
Your Obliged Servant, &c.
Sir
I may inform you of one Action lately done
among us, which
I know you
will be pleased withal. Upon the advice
of [ 10] the
extream
Distress whereto the French Invasion had brought St.
Christophers and
Chriftian
manner expressed their Charity towards those, who
perhaps
would have hardly done the like for them, on a like
Occasion. We made a Collection for the Relief of their
Necessi-
ties, the
Collection was, as I am told, between 7 and 800 1. in
this
Collection, there were two Churches in
and the North,
one gave somewhat above a 100 l. the other gave
a little
under it. Certainly, a Country so ready
to serve Her
Majesty, and
to help their fellow Subjects, ought to have a room
in the
Thoughts of all good Men in the English Nation.
The foregoing Letter carrying with it so
many undeniable
Truths, the
World must of consequence concede with the gen-
eral
Exclamations of the now Distressed New-Englanders. Indeed
the publick
had not been allarm'd with there Distant Calamities,
had the
inexorable Authors of them adhered to reitterated
Grievances,
from those who too severely suffer'd under their
Protection. The Author of this Letter, who is a Person of
a
character
beyond the reach of Envy, and one who is a great
Blessing to
his Native Country, had not invoked the protection
and
Assistance of others, without a due sense of the Danger his
innocent
Neighbours and Country-men were expos'd to.
To
Report all
the Letters of Complaint from there Provinces, would
be too
Voluminous and tiresome to the Reader; we will only
mention one
more, which, tho' short and plain, carries nothing
but Veracity
with it.
Sir
ALL the
People here are Bought and Sold, betwixt the Gov-
ernour and
his Son Paul; they are so Mercenary, there is
no Justice
to be had without Money: There is not one Publick
Place in the
Government that is worth Money, but what the
Governour or
Paul goes Halves with: In short, the whole Coun-
try is very
uneasy, and the People here are so universally set
against him,
that Her Majesty can scarce give a greater Instance
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
of Her
tender Care and Regard to them, than by a re-
[11 ] moval
of him, which to my certain knowledge, would be
soon
followed by a Sincere and Hearty Acknowledgment of
Her
Majesty's Singular Favour to them, in that particular.
R. A.
In the foregoing Letters we find several
things Worthy our
Remark; but
I shall only mention the Three following:
(1.) That without Money, there is no
Justice to be had in New-
Condition;
the faces of their Poor being ground to Dust; their
Widows
Houses laid Waste, and the hopes of their Offspring cut
off. From whence we may infer, that New-England
having a
Governour,
whose God is the Mammon of this World; whose
Principles
act Counter to the Design of his Power; and whose
Drift is the
Ruin of his own Country; the Inhabitants thereof
have nothing
but Justice on their part to Petition Her Majesty to
throw him
aside.
(2.) A general uneasiness under, and
opposition to this Gover-
nour, thro'
the whole Country. And this, methinks, might stop
the Mouths
of some People here, (who, not knowing the Nature
of this
affair, no otherwise than as their Interest leads them to
side with
the Governour, or by Virtue of a bare Friendship Con-
tracted with
him whilst he Resided in
Period to
all their Objections in his Behalf; especially One,
unhappily
let slip from the Mouth of a Gentleman too well
known for
his great Learning and Parts, to be thought so over-
sighted, and
that is to this Effect. If a
Governour must be
removed for
every trivial Complaint, there wou'd be no End of
such
Removals; and Her Majesty Ministry would be wholly
taken up
with turning out, and putting in. I will not pretend to
affirm the
Reason that produc'd this hasty Plea for our Criminal
Governour;
but sure I am, the Author of it knows too much
Law, than to
extenuate the like Crimes in others. And
a weak
Argument I
take it to endeavour the influencing our Superiors in
Redressing
Grievances of the Subject, when the several matters
of Fact
Sworn to, are laid down before them: But [12] to say
no more,
this Gentleman has not been the first that has over-shot
himself in
Defending things of this Nature. And
(3dly) A fervent Desire to be eas'd of
Oppression, i:e. That
they might
be capable of acknowledging with Respect and
Gratitude,
the mighty advantages of such a Deliverance to the
Queen of Great Brittain; to a Queen who
is all Justice and Piety,
Peace and
44* A
MEMORIAL OF THE
PRESENT
tions of her
Subjects, but maintain them in their Rights and
Priviledges. Let not New-England doubt then of
finding Re-
dress, from
so Great and Gracious a Mistress, notwithstanding the
subtle
Designs and Evasions of Evil-minded Men.
And so we
come to present the Reader with