MISCELLANEOUS JOURNAL.

BOOKS RELATING TO AMERICA.

Magnalia Christi Americana, or the ecclesiastical history of New England, from its first planting in the year 1620, unto the year of our Lord 1698, in seven books. I. Antiquities; In seven chapters, with an appendix. II. Containing the lives of the governours and names of the magistrates of New England; in thirteen chapters, with an appendix. III. The lives of sixty famous divines, by whose ministry the churches of New England have been planted and continued. IV. An account of the University of Cambridge, in New England; in two parts. The first contains the laws, the benefactors, and vicissitudes of Harvard College; with remarks upon it. The second part contains the lives of some eminent persons educated in it. V. Acts and monuments of the faith and order in the churches of New England, passed in their synods; with historical remarks upon those venerable assemblies; and a great variety of church cases occurring, and resolved by the synods of those churches; in four parts. VI. A faithful record of many illustrious, wonderful providences, both of mercies and judgments, on divers persons in New England; in eight chapters. VII. The wars of the Lord; Being an history of the manifold afflictions and disturbances of the churches in New England, from their various adversaries, and the wonderful methods and mercies of God in their deliverance; in six chapters; to which is subjoined, an appendix of remarkable occurrences, which New England had in the wars with the Indian savages, from the year 1688, to the year 1698. By the reverend and learned Cotton Mather, M. A. and Pastor of the North Church in Boston, New England. London; Printed for Thomas Parkhurst, at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapside. 1702. fol. pp. 802.

In these restless, excursive, novelty seeking times, when whatever is long is tedious, and brevity even will not suffice

without variety; when the visitors of a publick library regard the massive tomes of former ages with a mixture of incredulity and wonder, and recoil from the thought of using them, with as much dismay, as our light infantry would from the iron helmet and the coat of mail of the Crusaders, or our nymphs with Grecian contours, from the Gothick envelopes of quilted petticoats and stiff brocades-in this effeminate period, in this age of duodecimos a fair perusal of Mather's Magnalia is an achievement not to be slighted. It is a matter of notoriety, that to find a person hardy enough for this enterprize has long been a desideratum, and among the fortunate few, who have a taste for these pursuits, a certificate to this effect might readily be obtained from several, who have been desirous that the effort should be made, though they have themselves been appalled at the undertaking. Indeed, eight hundred folio pages, in close double columns, even of the most desirable matter, might well cause hesitation. What then must be the effect of a chaotick mass of history, biography, obsolete creeds, witchcraft, and Indian wars, interspersed with bad puns, and numerous quotations in Latin, Greek and Hebrew, which rise up like so many decayed, hideous stumps to arrest the eye and deform the surface? Some noble motive must have stimulated and supported the mind in such an undertaking; the desire of a frivolous notoriety among cotemporaries would not have been sufficient; nothing but the anxiety for renown with after ages could have inspired the requisite strength. This, indeed, has given the impulse, and as Chateaubriand boasts in his Itinerary, that he was the last Frenchman, who would ever make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, so it may hereafter be said that the writer of this was the last (and possibly the first) individual, who, bona fide, perused in regular course the whole of Mather's Magnalia; and if any doubts had existed that great toil was necessary to the acquisition of fame, they would have been dispelled by this exertion.

There were several individuals of the author's family, who were men of learning and clergymen of some eminence. His father was a President of Harvard College. He himself was not deficient in industry, for he speaks of having published twenty other works besides this cumbrous volume, in addition to a very laborius course of preaching, and minute discharge of parochial duties. His learning was very considerable, and his credulity unlimited. Proofs of these may

be found in the works he quotes-those of the ecclesiastical historians, the reformers and their disciples, the rabbinical writers as well as the ancient classicks. He cites Molinæus, Scribanius, the spirited' Schlusselbergius, the renowned Quercetanus, the incomparable Borellius' and hundreds of others. He was a firm believer in witchcraft, alchymy, astrology, magick and Indian enchantments, and had no doubt of various aparitions and prodigies, which he describes. These propensities are calculated to make him a more amusing than authentick writer. Passages are occasionally found, which are not ill written, but his bad taste and pedantry are almost constantly occurring. Interesting hints of the peculiar state of society, among the first colonists, may be gleaned among his lives of the first magistrates and clergymen ; yet his main object was the account of theological subtleties and disputes, and the common routine of fanaticism, as it appears in all its forms. His book is worth consulting by those, who wish to become acquainted with the character of our forefathers. Many of the author's faults were those of his age, and if he has not left us the best, he has at least furnished the largest work appertaining to our early history.

The volume commences with an attestation' by the learned John Higginson, pastor of the church in Salem, and successour to his father, Francis Higginson, who was the first pastor of the same church. This is followed by several recommendatory poems in Latin and English, and anagrams upon his name; a species of trifling that was then very fashionable. One of these, out of Cottonus Matherus, makes Tu tantum Cohors es, another Tuos tecum ornasti, &c. &c. This is followed by the author's general introduction, and a map of the country, which shews how much, or rather how little was known of it at the close of the seventeenth century. Each book has a separate title page, and is a distinct work, as they are all paged apart, and there is no running number for the whole volume. The first book is called Antiquities, reporting the design whereon, the manner wherein, and the people whereby, the several colonies of New England were planted. This book contains a brief sketch of the first discoveries, and the history of the first colonies, till settlements had been made in several towns on the sea coast from New York to Maine. In this first book the reader has a specimen of the author's superstition, and that of his contemporaries. Some individuals at New Haven, who were Londoners, or merchants, Vol. VII. No. 2.

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and men of traffick and business, whose design was wholly to apply themselves unto trade,' met with various losses, and resolved to embark their remaining stock, and go to England. The vessel was never heard of, and a strange story respecting her obtained full credit. This is contained in a letter to Mr. Mather from the clergyman of New Haven, which is as follows.

"Reverend and Dear Sir,

In compliance with your desires, I now give you the relation of that apparation of a ship in the air, which I have received from the most credible, judicious and curious surviving observers of it.

In the year 1647, besides much other lading, a far more rich treasure of passengers, (five or six of which were persons of chief note and worth in New Haven) put themselves on board a new ship, built at Rhode Island, of about 150 tuns; but so walty, that the master, (Lamberton) often said she would prove their grave. In the month of January, cutting their way thro' much ice, on which they were accompanied with the reverend Mr. Davenport, besides many other friends, with many fears, as well as prayers and tears, they set sail. Mr. Davenport in prayer with an observable emphasis used these words, Lord, if it be thy pleasure to bury these our friends in the bottom of the sea, they are thine; save them! The spring following no tidings of these friends arrived with the ships from England; New Haven's heart began to fail her; this put the godly people on much prayer, both pub-. lick and private, That the Lord would (if it was his pleasure) let them hear what he had done with their dear friends, and prepare them with a suitable submission to his holy will. In June next ensuing, a great thunder storm arose out of the northwest; after which, (the emisphere being serene) about an hour before sunset a ship of like dimensions with the aforesaid, with her canvass and colours abroad (tho' the wind northernly) appeared in the air coming up from our harbour's mouth, which lyes southward from the town, seemingly with her sails filled under a fresh gale, holding her course north, and continuing under observation, sailing against the wind for the space of half an hour. Many were drawn to behold this great work of God; yea, the very children cry'd out, There's a brave ship! At length, crouding up as far as there is usually water sufficient for such a vessel, and so near some of the spectators, as that they imagined a man might hurl a stone on board her, her maintop seemed to be blown off, but left hanging in the shrouds; then her missentop; then all her masting seemed blown away by the board; quickly after the hulk brought into a careen, she overset, and so vanished into a smoaky cloud, which in some time dissipated, leaving, as everywhere else, a clear air.

The admiring spectators could distinguish the several colours of each part, the principal rigging, and such proportions, as caused not only the generality of persons to say, This was the mould of their ship, and thus was her tragick end; but Mr. Davenport also in publick declared to this effect, That God had condescended, for the quieting of their afflicted spirits, this extraordinary account of his sovereign disposal of those for whom so many fervent prayers were made continually. Thus I am, sir, your humble servant,

'JAMES PIERPONT.

Reader, there being yet living so many credible gentlemen, that were eye witnesses of this wonderful thing, I venture to publish it for a thing as undoubted, as 'tis wonderful.' B. I. p. 25.

The second book is entitled Ecclesiarum Clypei, in which the lives of some of the first magistrates, who had been shields of the church are perpetuated by the essay of Cotton Mather.' The longest and most laboured of these is his account of Sir William Phipps, of which some notice has been given in a previous article. The following extract from his life of John Winthrop, Governour of Massachusetts, discovers some traits of his character, and presents some features of the primitive manners of those times. This eminent magistrate, by his wisdom, firmness, moderation, and generosity, rendered the most essential services to the infant colony. His son, who was Governour of Connecticut, was one of the founders of the Royal Society in England, and contributed many papers to its memoirs. It is a fact not generally known, that it was at one time the intention of the founders to establish themselves in this country for the. purpose of devoting themselves to science.

"Once more there was a time, when some active spirits among the deputies of the colony, by their endeavours not only to make themselves a court of judicature, but also to take away the negative by which the magistrates might check their votes, had like by over driving to have run the whole government into something too democratical. And if there were a town in Spain undermined by coneys, another town in Thrace destroyed by moles, a third in Greece ranversed by frogs, a fourth in Germany subverted by rats; I must on this occasion add, that there was a country in America like to be confounded by a swine. A certain stray sow being found, was claimed by two several persons with a claim so equally maintained on both sides, that after six or seven years hunting the business, from one court unto another, it was brought