esses the
sentiments all would feel, in such a condition of dependence upon the
"charity" of one, armed with such fatal power over them: "These are some
of the destructive notions of this age; and however the asserters of
them seem sometimes to value themselves much upon sheltering their
neighbors from spectral accusations, they may deserve as much thanks as
that Tyrant, that having industriously obtained an unintelligible charge
against his subjects, in matters wherein it was impossible they should
be guilty, having thereby their lives in his power, yet suffers them of
his mere grace to live, and will be called gracious Lord!"--_Preface._

The mere suspicion that some persons were behind the scene, exercising
this power of pointing out some for prosecution and sheltering some from
trial or arrest, produced, as Phips says, "a strange ferment of
dissatisfaction," threatening to kindle "an inextinguishable flame."
Brattle complained of it bitterly: "This occasions much discourse and
many hot words, and is a very great scandal and stumbling block to many
good people; certainly distributive justice should have its course,
without respect to persons; and, although the said Mrs. Thatcher be
mother-in-law to Mr. Curwin, who is one of the Justices and Judges, yet,
if justice and conscience do oblige them to apprehend others on account
of the afflicted their complaints, I cannot see how, without injustice
and violence to conscience, Mrs. Thatcher can escape, when it is well
known how much she is, and has been, complained of."--Letter dated
October 8th, 1692, in the _Massachusetts Historical Society's
Collections_, I., v., 69.

Hezekial Usher, an eminent citizen of Boston, was arrested by Joseph
Lynde, one of the Council, but suffered to remain, "for above a
fortnight," in a private house, and afterwards to leave the Province.
Brattle "cannot but admire" at this, and says: "Methinks that same
justice, that actually imprisoned others, and refused bail for them, on
any terms, should not be satisfied without actually imprisoning Mr. U.,
and refusing bail for him, when his case is known to be the very same
with the case of those others."

Brattle was a friend of Usher, and believed him innocent, yet was
indignant that such barefaced partiality should be shown in judicial
proceedings. The establishment of a regular systematized plan, committed
to any individual, for sheltering some, while others would be handed
back for punishment,