Dulcibel: A Tale of Old Salem

by Henry Peterson

  CHAPTER XXXVIII.

  Conflicting Currents in Boston.

  All this time the under-current of opposition to these criminalproceedings against the alleged witches, was growing stronger, atBoston. The Reverend Samuel Willard and Joshua Moody both ministers ofundoubted orthodoxy from the Puritan stand-point, did not scruple tovisit the accused in the keeping of jailer Arnold, and sympathize openlywith them. Captain Alden and Master Philip English and his wifeespecially, were persons of too great wealth and reputation not to havemany sympathizing friends.

  On the other hand, the great majority of the Puritans, under the lead ofthe Reverend Cotton Mather, and the two Salem ministers, Parris andNoyes were determined that the prosecution should go on, until thewitches, those children of the Evil One, were thoroughly cast out; evenif half of their congregations should have to be hung by the other half.

  At a recent trial in Salem, one of the "afflicted" had even gone so faras to cry out against the Rev. Master Willard. But the Court, it seemed,was not quite ready for that; for the girl was sent out of court, beingtold that she must have mistaken the person. When this was reported toMaster Willard, it by no means tended to lessen his growing belief thatthe prosecutions were inspired by evil spirits.

  Of course in this condition of things, the position of the Governor, SirWilliam Phips, became a matter of the first importance. As he owed hisoffice mainly to the influence of the Rev. Increase Mather, and satunder the weekly ministrations of his learned son, Cotton Mather, thewitch prosecutors had a very great hold upon him. With a good naturalintellect, Sir William had received a very scanty education; and wastherefore much impressed by the prodigious attainments of such men asthe two Mathers. To differ with them on a theological matter seemed tohim rather presumptuous. If they did not know what was sound intheology, and right in practise; why was there any use in havingministers at all, or who could be expected to be certain of anything?

  Then if Sir William turned to the law, he was met by an almost unanimousarray of lawyers and judges who endorsed the witchcraft prosecution.Chief-Justice Stoughton, honest and learned Judge Sewall--and nearlyall the rest of the judiciary--were sure of the truth in this matter.Not one magistrate could be found in the whole province, to decide as asensible English judge is reported by tradition to have done, in thecase of an old woman who at last acknowledged in the feebleness of herconfused intellect that she was a witch, and in the habit of ridingabout on a broomstick: "Well, as I know of no law that forbids old womenriding about on broomsticks, if they fancy that mode of conveyance, youare discharged." But there was not one magistrate at that time, wise orlearned enough to make such a sensible decision in the whole of NewEngland.

  Thus with the almost unanimous bar, and the great preponderance of theclergy, advising him to pursue a certain course, Sir William undoubtedlywould have followed it, had he not been a man whose sympathies naturallywere with sea-captains, military officers, and other men-of-the-world;and, moreover, if he had not a wife, herself the daughter of asea-captain, who was an utter disbeliever in her accused friends beingwitches, and who had moreover a very strong will of her own.

  Of course if the Governor should come to Lady Mary's opinion, theprosecution might as well be abandoned--for, with a stroke of his pen,he could remit the sentences of all the convicted persons. Left tohimself and Lady Mary, he doubtless would have done this; but he wishedto continue in his office, and to be a successful Governor; and he knewthat to array himself against the prosecution and punishment of thealleged witches was to displease the great majority of the people of theprovince; including, as I have shown, the most influential persons. Infact, it was simply to retire from his government in disgrace.

  All this the Reverend Cotton Mather represented to Sir William, withmuch else of a less worldly, but no doubt still more effectivecharacter, based upon various passages of the old Testament rather thanupon anything corresponding to them in the New.

  And so the prosecutions and convictions went on; but the furtherexecutions waited upon the Governor's decision.