d told Mr. Pemberton (the Pastor of Old South) who
preached.

"_Aug_. 20.--I visited Mr. Chiever who was now grown much weaker,
and his speech very low. He call'd Daughter! When his daughter Russel
came, He ask'd if the family were composed; They aprehended He was
uneasy because there had not been Prayer that morn; and solicited me to
Pray; I was loth and advised them to send for Mr. Williams, as most
natural, homogeneous; They declined it, and I went to Prayer. After, I
told him, The last enemy was Death, and God hath made that a friend too;
He put his hand out of the Bed, and held it up, to signify his Assent.
Observing he suck'd a piece of an Orange, put it orderly into his mouth
and chew'd it, and then took out the core. After dinner I carried a few
of the best Figs I could get and a dish Marmalet. I spake not to him
now.

"_Aug_. 21.--Mr. Edward Oakes tells me Mr. Chiever died this last
night."

Then in a note he tells the chief facts in his life, which he closes
with,--

"So that he has Laboured in that calling (teaching) skilfully,
diligently, constantly, Religiously, Seventy years. A rare Instance of
Piety, Health, Strength, Serviceableness. The Wellfare of the Province
was much upon his spirit. He abominated Perriwiggs."

"_Aug_. 23, 1708.--Mr. Chiever was buried from the Schoolhouse. The
Gov'r, Councillors, Ministers, Justices, Gentlemen there. Mr. Williams
made a handsome Latin Oration in his Honour. Elder Bridgham, Copp,
Jackson, Dyer, Griggs, Hubbard, &c., Bearers. After the Funeral, Elder
Bridgham, Mr. Jackson, Hubbard, Dyer, Tim. Wadsworth, Edw. Procter,
Griggs, and two more came to me and earnestly solicited me to speak to a
place of Scripture, at the private Quarter Meeting in the room of Mr.
Chiever."

Cotton Mather, who had been a pupil of his, preached a funeral sermon in
honor of his loved teacher. It was printed in Boston in 1708, and later
in 1774. A copy of it in the Athenaeum is well worth a perusal. Some of
Mr. Cheever's Latin poems are attached to it. Cotton Mather precedes his
sermon by An Historical Introduction, in which, after referring to his
great privilege, he gives the main facts in the long life of the
schoolmaster of nearly ninety-four years. In closing it, he says: "After
he had been a Skilful, Painful, Faithful Schoolmaster for Seventy years;
and had the Singular Favours of Heaven that tho' he had Usefully spent
his Life among children, yet he was not become Twice a child b