presence was held to be
dangerous. That was no era of toleration, but of fierce, intractable
dogma. The breach betwixt Protestants then was almost, if not quite,
as wide as between Protestants and Catholics now. Opinion, bold,
enthusiastic opinion, calling itself by the gracious name of saving
faith, usurped the place and prerogative of reason; and, as from a
Papal chair, denounced, as damnable error, whatever harmonized not
with itself. In this strife of ignorances, the amenities and charities
of life were lost sight of and forgotten; and, if not quite trampled
out of existence, it was owing more to that celestial spark which,
with a dimmer or a brighter light, guides every man who comes into the
world than to the lessons of the teachers. Men were dismissed from the
colony, or otherwise punished, on bare suspicion of wrong-doing or
wrong-thinking. Nor is it unlikely that hostility in high places may
have availed itself of this laxity of law to gratify private
malignity.

Hence, let it not be wondered at, that, in consequence of the prison
breach, several innocent persons were arrested, whose modes of life or
principles of faith came not up to the orthodox standard. If their
apprehension answered no other purpose, it, at least, served to weaken
the desire of the suspected persons to remain where they were not
wanted.

Hitherto the magistrates had been foiled, but failure only increased
their vigilance and activity. Additional men were despatched to scour
the woods; word was sent to Salem and to Plymouth, and co-operation to
capture the fugitives asked for; rewards were offered for their
seizure; and, in fine, no means omitted which indomitable will and
ingenuity could devise. So hot, at length, became the chase, that,
familiar as they were with the woods, Sir Christopher and his
companions found it difficult to avoid capture. They had it, indeed,
in their power to place themselves in comparative safety, either by
following the steps of the Pequot chief, or seeking the
Taranteens--for to the west they dared not go, for fear of the tribes
in that direction, who were at feud with those on the Atlantic
border--but various considerations interfered to prevent. With neither
Sir Christopher nor the Indian was mere personal safety a ruling
motive. The former had not abandoned all hope of changing the strange
resolution of Sister Celestina, with whom he determined, on
accomplishing her release, to proceed with Neebin to the