determined to bring home some offering to the course, he was unconscious of having the Museum, if he should accomplish a offered more than the entertainment of a membership of that institution by doubling day; yet the engrossing occupation of seveneither Cape Horn or the Cape of Good and-thirty years for himself, and no little Hope. He picked up an old cargo some-employment and interest for others, have where and trafficked with it for another; and grown out of that early effort. He was so he went on-if not rounding the world, requested to print the lectures, and did so. seeing no small part of it, and making ac- They went through more than one edition; quaintance with a dozen eccentric poten- and every time he reverted to the subject, tates and barbaric chiefs, and sovereigns with some fresh knowledge gathered from with widely celebrated names; and, whether new sources, he perceived more distinctly the adventurer came home rich or poor, he how inadequate, and even mistaken, had was sure to have gained much knowledge, been his early conceptions of the character and to have become very entertaining in of the transactions which constituted the discourse. The houses of the principal Witch Tragedy. At length he refused to merchants were pleasant abodes - each re-issue the volume. 'I was unwilling,' he standing alone, beside the street which was says in the preface of the book before us, an avenue, thick strewn with leaves in au- 'to issue again what I had discovered to be tumn, and well shaded in summer. Not far an insufficient presentation of the subject.' away were the woods, where lumbering Meantime, he was penetrating into mines went on, for the export of timber to Charles- of materials for history, furnished by the ton and New Orleans, and for the furni- peculiar forms of administration instituted ture manufacture, which was the main in- by the early rulers of the province. It was dustry of the less fertile districts of Massa- an Ordinance of the General Court of Maschusetts in those days. Here and there was sachusetts, for instance, that testimony a little lake a 'pond'-under the shadow should in all cases be taken in the shape of of the woods, yielding water-lilies in sum- depositions, to be preserved in perpetual mer, and ice for exportation in winter-as remembrance.' In all trials, the evidence soon as that happy idea had occurred to of witnesses was taken in writing beforesome fortunate speculator. On some knoll hand, the witnesses being present (except there was sure to be a schoolhouse. Amidst in certain cases) to meet any examination these and many other pleasant objects, and in regard to their recorded testimony. in the very centre of the stranger's obser- These depositions were carefully preserved, vations, there was one spectacle that had no in complete order; and thus we may now beauty in it just as in the happy course know as much about the landed property, of the life of the Salem community there is the wills, the contracts, the assaults and one fearful period. That dreary object is defamation, the thievery and cheating, and the Witches' Hill at Salem; and that fear- even the personal morals and social deful chapter of history is the tragedy of the meanour of the citizens of Salem of two Witch Delusion. centuries and a half ago as we could have Our reason for selecting the date of done if they had had law-reporters in their thirty-seven years ago for our glance at the courts, and had filed those reports, and Salem of the last generation is, that at that preserved the police departments of newstime a clergyman resident there fixed the papers like those of the present day. The attention of the inhabitants on the history documents relating to the witchcraft proof their forefathers by delivering lectures ceedings have been for the most part laid on Witchcraft. This gentleman was then a up among the State archives; but a considyoung man, of cultivated mind and intel- erable number of them have been dispersed lectual tastes, a popular preacher, and es- -no doubt from their connexion with famteemed and beloved in private life. In ily history, and under impulses of shame delivering those lectures he had no more and remorse. Of these, some are safely idea than his audience that he was entering lodged in literary institutions, and others upon the great work and grand intellectual are in private hands, though too many have interest of his life. When he concluded been lost. In a long course of years, Mr.

edy: and he has done it in such a way that to wild reveries, and lets loose its passions with

SALEM WITCHCRAFT.

by the needs of the day. The mode of dress of the gentry of this class shows us something of their aspect in their new country, when prowling Indians were infesting the woods a stone's throw from their fences, and when the rulers of the community took it in turn with all their neighbours to act as scouts against the savages. George Corwin was thus dressed

'A wrought flowing neckcloth, a sash covered halfway between the wrist and elbow; the skirts with lace, a coat with short cuffs and reaching last two articles are still preserved. His inventory mentions "a silver-laced cloth coat, a velin plaits below; an octagon ring and cane. The

curred to a thoughtful historian long years immigrants whose energies are engrossed ago; but there is yet something else which it has been reserved for our generation to perceive, or at least to declare, without fear or hesitation. Mr. Upham may mean more than some people would in what he says of the new opening made by science into the dark depths of mystery covered by the term Witchcraft; for he is not only the brother-in-law but the intimate friend and associate of Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Professor of Anatomy and Physiology at Harvard University, and still better known to us, as he is at home, as the writer of the physiological tales, Elsie Venner,' and the Guardian Angel,' which have impressed the public as something new in the litera-vet ditto, a satin waistcost embroidered with ture of fiction. It cannot be supposed that Mr. Upham's view of the Salem Delusion would have been precisely what we find it here if he and Dr. Holmes had never met; and, but for the presence of the Professor's mind throughout the book, which is most proportion to the total number of settlers. This aristocratic element was in large fitly dedicated to him, its readers might It lifted up the next class to a position infehave perceived less clearly the true direction in which to look for a solution of the mystery of the story, and its writer might have written something less significant in the place of the following paragraph:

As showing how far the beliefs of the understanding, the perceptions of the senses, and the delusions of the imagination may be confounded, the subject belongs not only to theology and moral and political science, but to physiology, in its original and proper use, as embracing our whole nature; and the facts presented may help to conclusions relating to what is justly regarded as the great mystery of our being-the connexion between the body and the mind.' (Vol. i. p. viii.)

gold, a trooping scarf and silver hat-band, golden-topped and embroidered, and a silver-headed (Vol. i. p. 98.)

cane. 999

rior only to its own by its connexion with land. The Farmers formed an order by themselves—not by having peculiar institutions, but through the dignity ascribed to their fathers spoke proudly of themselves as agriculture. The yeomanry of Massachusetts hold their heads high to this day, and in all directions, sat down beside the streams, and ploughed up such level tracts as they the Farmers." They penetrated the forest found open to the sunshine; so that in a few years the Salem, Farms' constituted a well-defined territory, thinly peopled, but entirely appropriated. In due course parishes were formed round the outskirts of 'Salem Farms,' encroaching more or less in The Settlement had its birth in 1620, the which was ultimately known as 'Salem Vildate of the charter granted by James I. to lage,' in which some few of the original all directions, and reducing the area to that the Governor and Company of Massachu- grants of 500 acres or less remained comsetts Bay in New England.' The first pol-plete, while others were divided among famicy of the Company was to attract families ilies or sold. Long before the date of the of good birth, position, education, and for- Salem Tragedy, the strifes which follow tune, to take up considerable portions of upon the acquisition of land had become land, introduce the best agriculture known, common, and there was much ill-blood within and facilitate the settling of the country. the bounds of the City of Peace. The inHence the tone of manners, the social or- dependence, the mode of life, and the pride ganisation, and the prevalence of the mili- of the yeomen made them excellent citizens, tary spirit, which the subsequent decline in however, when war broke out with the Inthe spirit of the community made it difficult dians or with any other foe; and the milifor careless thinkers to understand. Not tary spirit of the aristocracy was well susonly did the wealth of this class of early set-tained by that of the Farmers. tlers supply the district with roads and bridges, and clear the forest; it set up the secured by the wisdom of the Company at pursuit of agriculture in the highest place, home, which had committed to the people The dignity of the town had been early and encouraged intellectual pursuits, refined the government of the districts in which intercourse, and a loftier spirit of colonising they were placed; and every citizen felt enterprise than can be looked for among himself, in his degree, concerned in the rule

and good order of the society in which he be on the watch in her husband's absence to lived; but the holders of land recognised save her babes from murderers and kidnapno real equality between themselves and pers. Whatever else they might want to men of other callings, while the artisans and be doing, even to supply their commonest labourers were ambitious to obtain a place needs, the citizens had first to station themin the higher class. Artisans of every call- selves within hail of each other all day; and ing needed in a new society had been sent at night to drive in their cattle among the out from England by the Company; and dwellings, and keep watch by turns. Even when all the most energetic had acquired as on Sundays, patrols were appointed to look much land as could be had in recompense to the public safety while the community for special services to the community- as were at church. The mothers carried their so many acres for ploughing up a meadow, babes to the meeting-house, rather than so many for discovering minerals, so many for foiling an Indian raid, and when the original grants had been broken up, and finally parcelled out among sons and daughters, leaving no scope for new purchasers, the most ambitious of the adventurers applied for tracts in Maine, where they might play their part of First Families in a new settlement. The weaker, the more envious, the more ill-conditioned, thus remained behind, to cavil at their prosperous neighbours, and spite them if they could. Here was an evident preparation for social disturbance, when opportunity for gratifying bad passions should arise.

venture to stay at home in the absence of husband and neighbours. One function of the Sabbath patrol indicates to us other sources of trouble. While looking for Indians, the patrol was to observe who was absent from worship, to mark what the absentees were doing, and to give information to the authorities. These patrols were chosen from the leading men of the community the most active, vigilant, and sensibleand it is conceivable that much ill-will might have been accumulated in the hearts of not only the ne'er-do-weels, but timid and jealous and angry persons who were uneasy under this sabbath inspection. Such ill-will had its day of triumph when the Salem Tragedy arrived at its catastrophe.

There had been a preparation for this stage in the temper with which the adventurers had arrived in the country, and the The ordinary experience of life was singuinfluences which at once operated upon them larly accelerated in that new state of socithere. The politics and the religion in which ety, though in the one particular of the age they had grown up were gloomy and severe. attained by the primitive adventurers, the Those who were not soured were sad; and, community may be regarded as favoured. it should be remembered, they fully believed Death made a great sweep of the patriarchs that Satan and his powers were abroad, and at last-shortly before the Tragedy — but must be contended with daily and hourly, an unusual proportion of elders presided over and in every transaction of life. In their social affairs for seventy years after the date new home they found little cheer from the of the second charter. The chief seats in the sun and the common daylight; for the forest meeting-house were filled by grey-haired shrouded the entire land beyond the barren men and women, rich or poor as might hapseashore. The special enemy, the Red In- pen; and they were allowed to retain their dian, always watching them seeking his places, whoever else might be shifted in the advantage of them, was not, in their view, yearly seating.' The title 'Landlord' disa simple savage. Their clergy assured them tinguished the most dignified, and the eldest that the Red Indians were worshippers and in each family of the Old Planters; a agents of Satan; and it is difficult to esti- Goodman' and 'Goodwife' (abbreviated to mate the effect of this belief on the minds Goody') were titles of honour, as signifyand tempers of those who were thinking of ing heads of households. The old age of the Indians at every turn of daily life. The these venerable persons was carefully cherpassion which is in the Far West still spoken ished; and when, as could not but happen, of as special, under the name of Indian- many of them departed near together, the hating, is a mingled ferocity and fanaticism, mourning of the community was deep and quite inconceivable by quiet Christians, or bitter. Society seemed to be deprived of perhaps by any but border adventurers; and its parents, and in fear and grief it anticithis passion, kindled by the first demonstra-pated the impending calamity. Except in tion of hostility on the part of the Massa- regard to these patriarchs, and their long chusetts Red Man, grew and spread inces- old age, the pace of events was very rapid. santly under the painful early experience of colonial life. Every man had in turn to be scout, by day and night, in the swamp and in the forest; and every woman had to

Early marriages might be looked for in a society so youthful; but the rapid succession of second and subsequent marriages is a striking feature in the register. The

mance; the merry laugh enlivened the newly opened fields, ana rang through the bordering woods as loud, jocund, and unrestrained as in true that their theology was austere, and their these older and more crowded settlements. It is polity, in Church and State, stern; but, in their modes of life, there were some features which gave peculiar opportunity to exercise and gratify a love of social excitement of a pleasurable kind.' (Vol. i. p. 200.)

most devoted affection seems to have had no and frolics. Youth was as buoyant with hope effect in deferring a second marriage so long and gladness, love as warm and tender, mirth as a year. No time was lost in settling in as natural to innocence, wit as sprightly, then life at first; families were large; and half-as now. There was as much poetry and robrothers and sisters abounded; and as they grew up they married on the portions which were given them, as a matter of course, each having house, land, and plenishing, till at last the parents gave away all but a sufficiency for their own need or convenience, and went into the town or remained . in the central mansion, turning over the land and its cares to the younger generation. When there was a failure of offspring, the practice of adoption seems to have been resorted to almost as a natural process, which, in such a state of society, it probably was.

In the early days of the arts of life it is usual for the separate transactions of each day to be slow and cumbrous; but the experience of life may be rapid nevertheless. While travelling was a rough jogtrot, and forest-land took years to clear, and the harvest weeks to gather, property grew fast, marriages were precipitate and repeated, one generation trod on the heels of another, and the old folks complained that The Enemy made rapid conquest of the new territory which they had hoped he could not enter. When any work-of house-building, or harvesting, or nutting, or furnishing, or raising the wood-pile-had to be done, it was secured by assembling all the hands in the neighbourhood, and turning the toil into a festive pleasure. We have all read of such bees' in the rural districts of America down to the present day; and we can easily understand how the goodmen and goodies' watched for the good and the evil which came out of such celebrations-the courtship and marriage, and the neighbourly interest and good offices on the one hand, and the evil passions from disappointed hopes, envy, jealousy, tittle-tattle, rash judgments, and slander, on the other. Much that was said, done, and inferred in such meetings as these found its way long afterwards into the Tragedy at Salem. Mr. Upham depicts the inner side of the young social life of which the inquisitorial meeting-house and the courts were the black shadow:

The people of the early colonial settlements had a private and interior life, as much as we have now, and the people of all ages and countries have had. It is common to regard them in no other light than as a severe, sombre, and pleasure-abhorring generation. It was not so with them altogether. They had the same nature that we have. It was not all gloom and severity. They had their recreations, amusements, gaieties,

Except such conflicts as arose about the boundaries of estates when the General Court was remiss in making and enforcing its decisions, the first and gravest strifes related to Church matters and theological doctrines. The Farmers had more lively minds, better informed as to law, and more exercised in reasoning and judging than their class are usually supposed to have; for there never was a time when lawsuits were not going forward about the area and the rights of some landed property or other; and intelligent men were called on to make depositions, to serve on juries, and to follow the course of litigation, if not to serve the community in office. Thus they were prepared for the strife when the question of the two Churches pressed for settlement.

The Farmers in the rural district thenceforward to be called Salem Village,' desired to have a Meeting-house and a Minister of their own; but the town authorities insisted on taxing them for the religious establishment in Salem, from which they derived no benefit. In 1670, twenty of them petitioned to be set off as a parish, and allowed to provide a minister for themselves. In two years more the petition was granted, as a compromise for larger privileges; but there were restrictions which spoiled the grace of such concession as there was. One of these restrictions was that no minister was to be permanently settled without the permission of the old Church to proceed to his ordination. Endless trouble arose out of this provision. The men who had contributed the land, labour, and material for the Meeting-house, and the maintenance for the pastor, naturally desired to be free in their choice of their minister, while the Church authorities in Salem considered themselves responsible for the maintenance of true doctrine, and for leaving no opening for Satan to enter the fold in the form of heresy, or any kind or degree of dissent. Their fathers, the first settlers, had made the colony too hot for one of their most virtuous and distinguished citi