those Confessions all agree: especially III would not afford Witches numerous to a Prodigy? Accordingly, The Kingdoms of Sweden, Denmark, Scotland, yea and England itself, as well as the Province of New-England, have had their storms of Witchcrafts breaking upon them, which have made most Lamentable Devastations which also I wish, may be The Last. And it is not uneasie to be imagined, That God had not brought out all the Witchcrafts in many other Lands with such a speedy, dreadful, destroying Jealousie as burns forth upon such High Treasons committed here in A Land of Uprightness: Transgressors may more quickly here than elsewhere become a Prey to the Vengeance of Him, Who has Eyes like a Flame of Fire, and, who walks in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks. . We are blessed with a GOVERNOUR, than whom no man can be more willing to serve Their Majesties, or this their Province: He is continually venturing his All to do it: and were not the Interests of his Prince dearer to him than his own, he could not but soon be weary of the Helm, whereat he sits. We are under the Influence of a LIEUTENANT GOVERNOUR, who not only by being admirably accomplished both with Natural and Acquired Endowments, is fitted for the Service of Their Majesties, but also with an unspotted Fidelity applies himself to that Service. Our COUNCELLOURS are some of our most Eminent Persons, and as Loyal Subjects to the Crown, as hearty lovers of their Country. Our Constitution also is attended with singu40 lar Priviledges; all which Things are by the Devil exceedingly Envy'd unto us. And the Devil will doubtless take this occasion for the raising of such complaints and clamours, as may be of pernicious consequence unto some part of our present Settlement, if he can so far Impose. But that which most of all Threatens us, in our present Circumstances, is the Misunderstanding, and so the Animosity, whereinto the Witchcraft now Raging, has Enchanted us. The Embroiling. first, of our Spirits, and then of our Affairs, is evidently as considerable a Branch of the Hellish Intrigue which now vexes us as any one Thing whatsoever. The Devil has made us like a Troubled Sea, and the Mire and Mud begins now also to heave up apace. Doubtless, the thoughts of many will receive a great Scandal against NewEngland, from the number of Persons that have been Accused, or Suspected, 45 for Witchcraft, in this Country. But it were easie to offer many things, that may Answer and Abate the Scandal. If the Holy God should any where permit the Devils to hook two or three 50 wicked Scholars into Witchcraft and then by their Assistance to Range with their Poisonous Insinuations, among Ignorant, Envious, Discontented People, till they have cunningly decoy'd them 55 into some sudden Act whereby the Toyls of Hell shall be perhaps inextricably cast over them: what Country in the World Even Good and Wise Men suffer them- I Relate the Considerable Matters, that produced and attended the First Settlement of COLONIES, which have been Renowned for the Degree of RE5 FORMATION, Professed and Attained by Evangelical Churches, erected in those Ends of the Earth: And a Field being thus prepared, I proceed unto a Relation of the Considerable Matters which have I first introduce the Actors, that have, in a more exemplary manner served those Colonies; and give Remarkable Occurrences, in the exemplary LIVES of united Prayers are once hindered: Alas, 15 many Magistrates, and of more Minis the Philistines, of Hell have cut our [1692] THE CHURCHES OF NEW ENG LAND ters, who so Lived, as to leave unto Posterity, Examples worthy of Everlasting Remembrance. ever I add hereunto, the Notables of the only Protestant University, that shone in that Hemisphere of the New World; with particular Instances of Criolians, in our Biography, provoking the whole World, with vertuous Objects of Emulation. I introduce then, the Actions of a more Eminent Importance, that have signalized those Colonies; Whether the Establishments, directed by their Synods; with a Rich Variety of Synodical and Ecclesiastical Determinations; or, the Disturbances, with which they have been from all sorts of Temptations and Enemies Tempestuated; and the Methods by which they have still weathered out each Horrible Tempest. And into the midst of these Actions, I interpose an entire Book, wherein there is, with all possible Veracity, a Collec40 tion made, of Memorable Occurrences, and amazing Judgments and Mercies, befalling many particular Persons among the People of New-England. Let my Readers expect all that I have [From the General Introduction to the 45 promised them, in this Bill of Fair; and it Magnalia.] I write the Wonders of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION, flying from the Depravations of Europe, to the American Strand: 50 And, assisted by the Holy Author of that Religion, I do, with all Conscience of Truth, required therein by Him, who is the Truth it self, report the Wonderful Displays of His Infinite Power, 55 Wisdom, Goodness, and Faithfulness, wherewith His Divine Providence hath Irradiated an Indian Wilderness. may be that they will find themselves entertained with yet many other Passages, above and beyond their Expectation, deserving likewise a room in History: In all which, there will be nothing, but the Author's too mean way of preparing so great Entertainments, to Reproach the Invitation. § 3. It is the History of these PROTESTANTS, that is here attempted: PROTESTANTS that highly honoured and affected The Church of ENGLAND, and over unto the other side of the Atlantick humbly Petition to be a Part of it: But by the Mistake of a few powerful Brethren, driven to seek a place for the Exercise of the Protestant Religion, according to the Light of their Consciences, 5 in the Desarts of America. And in this Attempt I have proposed, not only to preserve and secure the Interest of Religion, in the Churches of that little Country NEW-ENGLAND, so far as the 10 Lord Jesus Christ may please to Bless it for that End, but also to offer unto the Churches of the Reformation, abroad in the World, some small Memorials, that may be serviceable unto the Designs of 15 this Pathetical Representation of his 30 Reformation, whereto, I believe, they are THE LIFE OF MR. RALPH [Chap. XI, Book III, of the Magnalia.] When David was driven from his Friends into the Wilderness, he made Condition, 'Twas as when one doth hunt a Partridge in the Mountains. Among the many worthy Persons who were persecuted into an American Wilderness, for their Fidelity to the Ecclesiastical Kingdom of our true David, there was one that bore the Name, as well as the State, of an hunted Partridge. What befel him, was, as Bede saith of what was done by Felix, Juxta nominis sui Sacramentum. This was Mr. Ralph Partridge, who for no Fault but the Delicacy of his good Spirit, being distress'd by the Ecclesiastical Setters, had no Defence, neither of Beak, nor Claw, but a Flight over the Ocean. The Place where he took Covert, was the Colony of Plymouth, and the Town of Duxbury in that Colony. This Partridge had not only the Innocency of the Dove, conspicuous in his blameless and pious Life, which made him very acceptable in his Conversation; but also the Loftiness of an Eagle, in the great Soar of his intellectual Abilities. There are some Interpreters, who understanding Church Officers by the living Creatures, in the Fourth Chapter of the Apocalypse, will have the Teacher to be intended by the Eagle there, for his quick Insight into remote and hidden things. The Church of Duxbury had such an Eagle in their Partridge, when they enjoy'd such a Teacher. By the same Token, when the Platform of Church-Discipline was to be compos'd, the Synod at Cambridge appointed three Persons to draw up each of them, A Model of Church-Government, according to the Word of God, unto the end, that out of those, the Synod might form what should be found WILLIAM BYRD (1674-1744) The most accomplished literary man of the South during Colonial day, though he published nothing and though his chief work was not put into print until nearly a century after his death, was William Byrd of Virginia. Sent to England in his youth for careful training in all the accomplishments of a gentleman, he was given distinguished tutors, he "was called to the bar in the Middle Temple; studied for some time in the Low Countries; visited the court of France; and was chosen Fellow of the Royal Society." Returning to Virginia, to his father's large estate which he inherited in due time, he became one of the most admirably balanced and most influential men of his generation in the South. In 1729 he was chosen as a member of the expedition sent to determine the dividing line between Virginia and North. Carolina. He was appointed journalist of the expedition and his work in the form in which he finally left it, prefaced with a brief history of Virginia, is a rare document, one according to Tyler "almost unique in our Colonial age; and it is, without question, one of the most delightful of the literary legacies which that age has handed down to ours." The work was not published until 1841, when it appeared with the author's title The History of the Dividing Line. THE GREAT DISMAL SWAMP dren to lie, like us, in the open field. 13. Early this Morning our Chaplain [From The History of the Dividing repair'd to us with the Men we had left Line.] Our Landlord had a tolerable good House and Clean Furniture, and yet we cou'd not be tempted to lodge in it. We chose rather to lye in the open Field, for fear of growing too tender. A clear 10 Sky, spangled with Stars, was our Canopy, which being the last thing we saw before we fell asleep, gave us Magnificent Dreams. The Truth of it is, we took so mucch pleasure in that natural 15 kind of Lodging, that I think at the foot of the Account Mankind are great Losers by the Luxury of Feather-Beds and warm apartments. The curiosity of beholding so new and 20 withal so Sweet a Method of encamping, brought one of the Senators of N Carolina to make us a Midnight Visit. But at Mr. Wilson's. We had sent for them 5 the Evening before to relieve those who had the Labour Oar from CorotuckInlet. But to our great surprise, they petition'd not to be reliev'd, hoping to gain immortal Reputation by being the first of Mankind that Ventur'd thro' the great Dismal. But the rest being equally Ambitions of the same Honour, it was but fair to decide their Pretensions by Lot. After Fortune had declar'd herself, those which she had excluded offer'd Money to the Happy Persons to go in their Stead. But Hercules would have as soon sold the Glory of cleansing the Augean Stables, which was pretty near the same Sort of Work. he was so very Clamorous in his Com- After excusing the Unseasonableness of his Visit, and letting us know he was a Parliament Man, he swore he was so taken with our Lodging, that he would set Fire to his House as soon as he got Home, and teach his Wife and Chil 30 No sooner was the Controversy at an end, but we sent them unfortunate Fellows back to their Quarters, whom Chance had Condemn'd to remain upon Firm Land and Sleep in a whole Skin. In the mean while the Surveyors carry'd the Line 3 Miles, which was no Contemptible day's work, considering how cruelly they were entangled with Bryars and Gall Bushes. The Leaf of this last Shrub bespeaks it to be of the Alaternus Family. a Our Work ended within a Quarter of |