had recently had an
opportunity of displaying them. In the summer of the year 1688, the
children of a mason of Boston named John Goodwin were suddenly seized
with fits and strange afflictions, which were at once ascribed to
witchcraft, and an Irish washerwoman named Glover, employed by the
family, was suspected of being the witch. Cotton Mather was called in
to witness the sufferings of Goodwin's children; and he took home with
him one of them, a little girl, who had first displayed these symptoms,
in order to examine her with more care. The result was, that the Irish
woman was brought to a trial, found guilty, and hanged; and Cotton
Mather published next year an account of the case, under the title of
"Late Memorable Providences, relating to Witchcraft and Possession,"
which displays a very extraordinary amount of credulity, and an equally
great want of anything like sound judgment. This work, no doubt, spread
the alarm of witchcraft through the whole colony, and had some influence
on the events which followed. It may be supposed that the panic which
had now arisen in Salem was not likely to be appeased by the
interference of Cotton Mather and his father.

The execution of the washerwoman, Bridget Bishop, had greatly increased
the excitement; and people in a more respectable position began to be
accused. On the 19th of July five more persons were executed, and five
more experienced the same fate on the 19th of August. Among the latter
was Mr. George Borroughs, a minister of the gospel, whose principal
crime appears to have been a disbelief in witchcraft itself. His fate
excited considerable sympathy, which, however, was checked by Cotton
Mather, who was present at the place of execution on horseback, and
addressed the crowd, assuring them that Borroughs was an impostor. Many
people, however, had now become alarmed at the proceedings of the
prosecutors, and among those executed with Borroughs was a man named
John Willard, who had been employed to arrest the persons charged by
the accusers, and who had been accused himself, because, from
conscientious motives, he refused to arrest any more. He attempted to
save himself by flight; but he was pursued and overtaken. Eight more of
the unfortunate victims of this delusion were hanged on the 22nd of
September, making in all nineteen who had thus suffered, besides one
who, in accordance with the old criminal law practice, had been pressed
to death for refusing to plead. The exc