1690]

HEROISM OF MRS. DUSTIN.

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207. King William's War continued to afflict the colonies till the peace of Rys'-wick, in 1697. The later movements of the French were directed principally against the Iroquois, who still remained faithful to the English. Frontenac invaded their country several times, burned their crops, destroyed their castles, and took a number of prisoners, who were cruelly tortured by the "Christian Indians" in his em'ploy. The latter, also, made descents from time to time on the frontier settlements of the English. One of these furnishes a remarkable instance of courage in a feeble woman.

In March, 1697, a party of Indians attacked a house in Haverhill [ha'-ver-il], Mass. [see Map, p. 84]. Its owner, Mr. Dustin, was at work in a neighboring field, and before he could get home the Indians had dragged his sick wife from her bed and dashed out the brains of her newly born infant. Mr. Dustin tried to defend his seven remaining children, bidding them run to the woods while he kept the Indians off with his gun. The party that had taken Mrs. Dustin drove her and her nurse, almost overcome by fatigue and cold, several miles beyond Concord, N. H. Here they stopped for a time; but Mrs. Dustin, hearing that she was to be taken to a distant village, resolved to escape or die. There was a boy in the family of her captor, who had been a prisoner for a year. This boy, at her request, asked his master the proper mode of striking a blow so as to cause instant death. The Indian willingly gave the desired information, and also showed him how to take off a scalp. These instructions being communicated to Mrs. Dustin, shortly before dawn she silently awoke the boy and her nurse, and assigned their respective parts. The work was quickly done. Ten of the sleeping Indians were killed, one woman escaped, and a child was spared. After scalping the savages that she might prove her story on her return, Mrs. Dustin armed herself with gun and tomahawk, and started for the Merri

whom was the command of the naval expedition intrusted? Give an account of Phipps' operations. 207. How long did King William's War afflict the colonies? Against whom were the later movements of the French directed? How were the Iroquois treated? From whom did the frontier settlements of the English suffer? Tell the story about Mrs. Dustin. [See Map, p. 84-Where is Haverhill?]

mack with her companions. Having procured a canoe, they descended the river, and were soon among their friends, who had mourned them as dead.

CHAPTER XXII.

WITCHCRAFT IN NEW ENGLAND.

208. IN 1692, while King William's War was still at its height, New England suffered from a strange delusion, which originated with a few superstitious ministers and magistrates. Some children of Mr. Parris, who was settled over the church of Salem (now Danvers), Mass., being affected in an unusual manner, their father fancied that they were bewitched, and scourged an Indian servant till she confessed that she was a witch, and had caused their illness. Cotton Mather, an eccentric but influential minister, took the matter up, and great excitement spread through the colony. Public prosecutions were commenced, and a gallows was erected for the guilty at the end of the town. In June, a poor and friendless old woman was tried. Convicted on the evidence of her neighbors, who charged her with being the cause of various misfortunes that had befallen them, she was forthwith hanged. The wildest assertions were blindly credited. Mather himself tells us that the old woman only looked at the spacious meeting-house of Salem, and an invisible demon tore down a part of it.

209. Five women, "all of blameless lives," were convicted at the next session of the court; and these, with five others afterwards found guilty, were hanged. The officer ordered to arrest them refused to assist in what he considered murder, and was himself seized and executed. The excitement became intense. People actually fancied themselves be

Where did this delusion origi.
What punishment was decided

208. From what did New England suffer in 1692? nate? In whose family? Who took the matter up? on for the guilty? What took place in June? What does Mather tell us about this old woman? 209. Soon after this, how many were hanged on the charge of witchcraft!

1692]

EXECUTION OF TWENTY VICTIMS.

139

witched, and gave evidence against their relations and friends. Testimony that would have been excluded in other cases was received and acted on. Weak-minded fanatics, children, and even those who were known to have perjured themselves, were admitted as witnesses. When other means failed, the accused were tortured until they acknowledged themselves guilty. One young woman was so wrought upon as to give evidence against her grandfather, but afterwards took back what she had said. The judges, while they accepted her testimony, rejected her recantation, and sent the old man to the gallows.

Among those hanged in August, was a minister named Burroughs [bur'-roze], who had denounced the proceedings of Mather and his associates, and declared that there was no such thing as witchcraft. He made a speech on the scaffold, and repeated the Lord's Prayer so affectingly as to draw tears from the spectators. At this moment Mather appeared among the crowd on horseback, and quieted the people with quotations from Scripture. An old man of eighty, refusing to plead because he saw that every trial resulted in conviction, was barbarously pressed to death. This was followed by the execution of eight more unfortunate victims on the gallows. Twenty in all had now become martyrs to the delusion, while upwards. of fifty had been frightened or tortured into confession.

210. At last the people began to awake to the horror of such scenes. When the legislature of Massachusetts assembled in October, 1692, numerous petitions for protection were presented. Mather, who gloried in these judicial murders, had feared this; and, in a work entitled "The Wonders of the Invisible World,” he sought to prove that the heinous sin of witchcraft really existed among them, and that the proper course had been taken to root it out. Notwithstanding this, the legislature promptly abolished the special court

What was done to an officer who refused to arrest the accused? Describe the excitement that prevailed. What story is told of a young woman? What is said of the execution of Burroughs? What was done to an old man of eighty? By what was this barbarous execution followed? How many in all fell victims to the delusion? 210. What step did the people at last take for protection? How did Mather try to keep up

in which the pretended trials had been conducted. Prosecutions were again attempted; but the eyes of the people were opened, and the accused were acquitted as fast as they were tried. The despotic power of a few fanatics was broken; there was no more hanging or torturing. Most of those who had participated in the bloody work afterwards confessed their error, but Mather defended his course to the last.

CHAPTER XXIII.

NEW YORK UNDER LEISLER, SLOUGHTER, FLETCHER, AND BELLAMONT.-CAPTAIN KIDD.

211. WHEN news of the fall of James II. was received in New York, a committee of safety, formed of ten citizens, took possession of the fort, and intrusted the government to Jacob Leisler [lice-ler]. His authority was denied by Col. Bayard [bi'-ard] and the magistrates of Albany, who held commissions from James II. Having forwarded to King William a candid statement of what had been done, Leisler sent his son-in-law to demand the submission of Albany. This was refused with an open defiance of his power. Bayard continued his opposition; but in a few weeks he fell into Leisler's hands, and was consigned to prison.

Meanwhile the king had appointed Sloughter [slaw'-ter] governor, and in 1691 he arrived. Leisler immediately surrendered the fort, but had no sooner done so than he was arrested on a charge of treason. He had ruled nearly two years by the authority of the people, and with the silent consent of the king; but he was now in the power of the governor's council, of which Bayard was a member, and his fate was sealed. A court composed of persons whose opin

the delusion? What course did the legislature pursue? What was the consequence? What is said of those who had participated in the bloody work?

211. What took place in New York when the news of James Second's fall was received? Who denied Leisler's authority? What steps did Leisler take for enforcing it? How did he treat Bayard? Whoin, meanwhile, had the king made governor? On

1691]

EXECUTION OF LEISLER.

141

ions were already formed, pronounced him guilty; and Gov. Sloughter, while intoxicated, was persuaded to sign his deathwarrant. He and

In the presence of an immense crowd, who, though overawed by English soldiers, testified with groans and shrieks their abhorrence of the execution. Leisler in his dying speech maintained that his course had been that of a sincere patriot. The people regarded him as a martyr to their cause, and saved pieces of his garments as precious relics. During the execution, his enemies were drowning the rebukes of conscience in wine and revelry.

After making a treaty with the Iroquois at Albany, Sloughter died. He was succeeded by an intemperate tyrant named Fletcher. Fletcher employed himself mainly in quarrelling with the people, whose rights since the revocation of their

his arrival, what did Leisler do? What charge was brought against him? By whose authority had he held the government? Give an account of his trial. Describe his