Chapter III: Front Matter (3)

This last remark will apply to some of our own Times; who, if their Power were equal to their Envy, few besides themselves would be allowed to possess much in the Way of Honors without their Permission. It was probably on this Occasion, that some Individuals circulated the Report that the Doctor was not a Member of the Royal Society. Whereupon a Letter from the Secretary of that Society was produced, in which this Passage occurs: "As for your being chosen a Member of the Royal Society, that has been done, both by the Council and Body of the Society: only the Ceremony of Admission is wanting; which you being beyond Sea, cannot be performed." This having been promulgated, the envious Detractors were silenced in that Age, and it is rather surprising that Ignorance and Malice should attempt to revive it in this. As Mr. Mather never visited England, he of course never attended a Meeting of the Royal Society. But this did not affect his Membership. That this did not affect his Membership may be mentioned as pretty good Evidence, the Fact that some of his Works were soon after published in London, in the best Style of the Day, having appended to his Name in their Title-Pages, "D. D. and Fellow of the Royal Society." Now such an Assumption would have been an Offence of a serious Character, had it been merely an Assumption; and a Rebuke would have gone forth from the Royal Society, and would ever since have been a Matter of Record and Notoriety. But Nothing of the Kind is heard of, plainly because Dr. Mather stood right with the Records of the Royal Society.

Nobody will charge the REV. THOMAS PRINCE with Insincerity in what he has said of his Colaborers, and HE says, "Dr. Cotton Mather, though born and constantly residing in this remote corner of America, has yet for near these forty Years made so rising and great a Figure in the learned World, as has attracted to him while alive, the Eyes of many at the furthest Distance; and now deceased, can't but raise a very general Wish to see the Series, and more especially the domestic Part of so distinguished a Life exhibited. His printed Writings so full of Piety and various Erudition, his vast Correspondence, and the continual Reports of Travellers who had conversed with him, had spread his Reputation into other Countries. And when, about fourteen Years ago, I travelled abroad, I could not but admire to what Extent his Fame had reached, and how inquisitive were Gentlemen of Letters to hear and know of the most particular and lively Manner, both of his private Conversation and public Performances among us."

Dr. Colman speaks in the highest Terms of Dr. Mather, in his Funeral Sermon. "His printed Works," he says, "will not convey to Posterity, nor give to Strangers a just Idea of the real Worth and great Learning of the Man." To this and a great deal more equally commendatory, Mr. Prince subscribes in these Words: "Every one who intimately knew the Doctor will readily assent to this Description."

It would be difficult, perhaps, to produce an Example of Industry equal to that of which we are speaking. In one Year, it is said he kept sixty Fasts and twenty vigils, and published fourteen Books--all this besides performing his ministerial Duties; which, in those Days, were Something more than _nominal_. He kept a Diary, which has been extensively used by some of his Biographers, but we have not sought after it, as it is said to be scattered in different Places! How this happened we have not been informed. Notwithstanding he published so many Works, he left nearly as much unpublished in Manuscript; the principal Part of which is entitled, _Biblia Americana_, or _The Sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testament Illustrated_. For the Publication of this Work Proposals were issued soon after its Author died, but Nothing further seems to have been done about it. Of the _Biblia Americana_, the Doctor's Son remarks, "_That_ is a Work, the writing of which is enough constantly to employ a Man, unless he be a Miracle of Diligence, the Half of the three Score Years and ten, the Sum of Years allowed to us."

It remains now to mention the Book by which Dr. Mather is best known, and which will make his Name prominent through all coming Time--the Reader's Mind is already in Advance of the Pen--the _MAGNALIA CHRISTI AMERICANA_. This was printed in London, in 1702, in a moderate sized folio Volume, the Aggregate of its Pages being 794. It is chiefly a Collection of what the Author had before printed on historical and biographical Subjects. The Value of its Contents has been variously estimated. Some decrying it below _any_ Value, while others pronounce it "the only Classic ever written in America." At the Hazard of incurring the Charge of Stupidity, we are of the decided Opinion that it has a Value between those Extremes. But we have sufficiently expressed our Mind on the Value of the Author's Works before.

Until about the Year 1853 there had been but two Editions of the _Magnalia_. The Work was then stereotyped and issued in two handsome octavo Volumes, by the late Mr. Silas Andrus, extensively known among the Publishers of the Country. This was the third Edition of the Work, and possessed the Advantage of Translations of the Quotations from the dead Languages with which the Work abounds. About two Years later an Edition was issued from the same stereotype Plates, and was accompanied by an Index. This, tho' very incomplete, rendered the Work much more valuable. The Plates we are informed are now in the Hands of Mr. William Gowans of New York, who is preparing to bring out a sumptuous Edition of it with a new and complete Index. About thirty-two Years had elapsed between the second and third Editions, though they were by the same Publisher. The Date of the second was 1820.

Unfortunately, this Edition was printed from a Copy of that in Folio, which had not the Errata, and consequently abounds with all the Errors contained in the original Edition. To those who do not understand the Matter, this printing an Edition of the _Magnalia_ without correcting its Errata, may seem to incur for the Publisher severe Reprehension. But the Truth appears to be, that the Copy used in printing the new Edition had not the complete Errata attached to it; and that in Fact, but very few Copies of the original Edition can be found to which it is attached. Now we account for its Rarity in this Way. Dr. Mather, living in Boston while his Work was printing in London, could make no Corrections while it was passing through the Press; but when he received his Copies afterwards, he found so many Errors that he was induced to print an extra Sheet of Corrections. This extra Sheet may not have been struck off until most of the Copies of the _Magnalia_ which had been sent to New England were distributed. Thus we account for the rare Occurrence of Copies of the _Magnalia_ containing the Errata; and hence we think the Publisher of the Edition of 1820 should not be too severely censured. That our Solution is correct, we would mention that out of a great many Copies of the folio Edition imported by ourself and others from England, not one of them contained the Errata in Question.

On the last Page of the _Magnalia_, the following are the last three Lines: "ERRATA. Reader, Carthagenia was of the Mind, that unto those _three Things_ which the Ancients held impossible, there should be added this _fourth_, to find a Book printed without _Erratas_. It seems the Hands of _Briareus_, and the Eyes of _Argus_ will not prevent them." And the additional Errata of which we have been speaking, the Author thus prefaces: "The _Holy Bible_ it self, in some of its Editions, hath been affronted with scandalous Errors of the _Press-work_; and in one of them, they so printed those Words, Psalms cxix, 161, '_Printers have persecuted me_,'" &c.

When the _Magnalia_ was published, Dr. Mather's old Schoolmaster, among others, wrote commendatory Poetry upon it, which was, according to the Fashion of the Day, inserted in its introductory Pages. The following brief Specimen by TOMPSON may not be thought inappropriate to be extracted here:

"Is the bless'd MATHER Necromancer turn'd,
To raise his Country's Father's Ashes urn'd?
Elisha's Dust, Life to the Dead imparts;
This Prophet by his more familiar Arts,
Unseals our Hero's Tombs, and gives them Air;
They rise, they walk, they talk, look wondrous fair;
Each of them in an Orb of Light doth shine,
In Liveries of Glory most divine.
When ancient Names I in thy Pages meet,
Like Gems on Aaron's costly Breast-plate set;
Methinks Heaven's open, while great Saints descend,
To wreathe the Brows, by which their Acts were penned."

Few Ministers preached a greater Number of Funeral Sermons than Dr. Mather; and when he died his Cotemporaries seemed to have vied with each other in performing the same Office for him. Several of their Sermons were printed. Some of these with their quaint Titles are now before us. Foremost among them appears that of the excellent MR. PRINCE; he entitled his, "The Departure of ELIJAH lamented.--A Sermon occasioned by the great and publick Loss in the _Decease_ of the very REVEREND and LEARNED COTTON MATHER, D.D., F.R.S., and Senior Pastor of the _North Church_ in Boston. Who left this Life on _Feb. 13th, 1727,8_. The Morning after he finished the LXV. Year of his Age." From 2 Kings ii, 12, 13. The Imprint of this Sermon is, "BOSTON in _New England:_ Printed for _D. Henchman_, near the Brick Meeting House in Cornhill. MDCCXXVIII."

The running Title of Dr. Colman's Sermon on the same Occasion is "The holy Walk and glorious Translation of blessed _ENOCH_." His Text was Gen. v. 24. It would be difficult to find anything of the Kind, either before or since, which, in our Judgment, is superior to this Discourse of Dr. Colman; but valuable as it is, we cannot introduce Extracts from it here. His Allusion, however, to the then past and present State of Things connected with his Subject, is so happy that we cannot overlook it.

"Dr. Mather's Brethren in the Ministry here," he says, "are bereaved and weak with him. God has taken their Father as well as his, from their Heads this Day. He was a Pastor in the Town when the eldest of the present Pastors were but Children, and long before most of them were born. They are weak indeed when he that is now speaking to them is the _first_ in Years among them, in all respects else the least," &c.

The REV. JOSHUA GEE, Colleague with Dr. Mather, also preached a Funeral Sermon on his departed Friend, entitled, "ISRAEL'S _Mourning_ for AARON'S _Death_." In this Discourse there is the following important Note: "Within a few Months past, we have been called to lament the Deaths of two such aged Servants of the LORD. The Rev. _Mr. Samuel Danforth_ of Taunton, who died Nov. 14. And my honored Father-in-law, the Rev. _Mr. Peter Thatcher_ of Milton, who died Dec. 17, 1727: while the Days of mourning were scarce over in this Town for my dearly beloved Friend and Brother, the Rev. _Mr. William Waldron_, who died Sept. 11, 1727."

Dr. Mather's Son and Biographer, "SAMUEL MATHER, M. A., and Chaplain at CASTLE WILLIAM," also preached a Funeral Sermon on his Father's Death. "The _Departure_ and _Character_ of ELIJAH considered and improved," was its running Title. Only about five Years before, the deceased preached a Sermon on the Death of his Father; in the Title-page of which, when printed, instead of the Author's Name we read, "By one who, as a SON with a _FATHER_, served with him in the Gospel."

Dr. Mather died intestate, and the Order of the Judge of Probate for the Distribution of his Estate is as follows: "One third to his Widow, Lydia Mather; two single Shares or fourth Parts to Samuel Mather, Clerk, only surviving Son, and one Share each to the Rest of his Children, viz., Abigail Willard, deceased, Wife of Daniel Willard, also deceased, their Children and legal Representatives, and Hannah Mather, Spinster." Dated, 25th May, 1730.

The Portrait now in Circulation of Dr. Mather was engraved from a beautiful _Mezzotinto_, half Size, with the following Inscription underneath it:

"Cottonus Matherus S. Theologiæ Doctor Regiæ Societatis Londiniensis Socius, et Eccelsiæ apud Bostonum Nov˭Anglorum nuper Præpositus.

Ætatis Suæ LXV. MDCCXXVII.

P. Pelham ad vivum pinxit ab Origin Fecit."

Those desiring genealogical Information of the Mather Family, I must refer to the Pedigree printed in Connection with Dr. I. Mather's _Brief History_, &c.

FOOTNOTES:

[26] He was only 23 when the Work was published, which is indeed an Apology for its crude Style of Composition.

[27] Octavo, London, 1721. Printed for Emanuel Matthews, at the Bible _in_ Pater-Noster-Row.

[28] _Appendix Touching Prodigies_ to his _Convention Sermon_ of May 23, 1689.

[29] Referring doubtless to _New England Justified_, published by the Author's Grandfather.

[30] It would seem from this that Mr. Mather had been prosecuted, tried and sentenced to six Months' Imprisonment, but there appears no other Intimation of it.

[31] Calef's _More Wonders of the Invisible World_ is the Book asserted to have died _long before its Author_. However that might have been considered 30 Years after the _More_ Wonders was printed, it is far from being Dead in this Age. Remarks will be more in Order when we come to _introduce_ the Work.

[32] It is rather surprising that the Author should speak doubtfully of the Case of this Family as to the Time of its Occurrence, when the _Magnalia_ was at his Hand, giving Date and Details of the Affair. See that Work, B. vi, Page 71.

[33] See _History and Antiquities of Boston_, 561-3.

The Wonders of the Invisible World.

OBSERVATIONS

As well _Historical_ as _Theological_, upon the NATURE, the NUMBER, and
the OPERATIONS of the DEVILS.

Accompany'd with

I. Some Accounts of the Grievous Molestations, by DÆMONS and
WITCHCRAFTS, which have lately annoy'd the Countrey; and the Trials
of some eminent _Malefactors_ Executed upon occasion thereof: with
several Remarkable _Curiosities_ therein occurring.

II. Some Counsils, Directing a due Improvement of the terrible
things, lately done, by the Unusual & Amazing Range of EVIL
SPIRITS, in Our Neighbourhood: & the methods to prevent the
_Wrongs_ which those _Evil Angels_ may intend against all sorts of
people among us; especially in Accusations of the Innocent.

III. Some Conjectures upon the great EVENTS, likely to befall, the
WORLD in General, and NEW-ENGLAND in Particular; as also upon the
Advances of the TIME, when we shall see BETTER DAYES.

IV. A short Narrative of a late Outrage committed by a knot
of WITCHES in _Swedeland_, very much Resembling, and so far
Explaining, _That_ under which our parts of _America_ have laboured!