91

with you.

to see the trial. “Ay, that is seeing zebub; she is condemned out of her enough; is it not, lass ?" replied her fa- own mouth. Is not that babble? I ther. “Well, run back to your aunt. ask you. Are we not all worthy of The fewer there are here the better for Bedlam together? They say the Turks Salem. But I must go in. I want to worship lunatic people as inspired. If see whether my old nurse bath fair a Turk were to come here, bo would be play, and whether these courts are to be on his knees to every man in Salem." managed on principles of moderation or “Ah, Heory! are we not commanded no.

to speak respectfully of those in author. Rachel walked back alone to Deacon ity ?" said Mrs. Bowson in a deprecatBowson's, encountered at every step by ing, tone. “But I shall not dispute men, women, and children, who were

You are older and more hastening on to tbe witch assizes. The learned than I. Only I think it would morning wore away heavily in the be well for you to say a page of the kitchen; dinner-time came, and still catechism to yourself before you talk nobody returned from the court. Butany further on this matter." an hour or so after noon, a crowd filled « Go to the next trial, sister Ann, and the streets, and Rachel heard people see whether you will come out speaking call out triumphantly to the houses in respectfully of those in authority,'twas passing: “Guilty! guilty !" Present- More's reply. He evidently did not ly her father and uncle appeared at the choose just now to meditate upon the gate, walking in company, but evidently catechism. Perhaps the recollection of on terms of the broadest disagreement. that pamphlet, and of his boyish suffer“ Poor old fool! why couldn't she keep ings in committing it to memory, was ber Irish, old wife nonsense to herself!" rather exasperating than soothing. growled More as he entered.

What,

“Well," he continued, " there sat father?" "What was it, brother?" asked Parris playing the advocate, and exam. Rachel and sister Ann, eagerly.

ining the witness There he sat with berish," exclaimed More; “mere bab- his witch-books before him, minding me ble, doting babble, from old Bridget, of an old rattlesnake watching her eggs. and from Deputy Governor Stoughton, One thing was ridiculous and contraas well.”

dictory enough. The indictment ran “ Be gorra, yer honor," broke in for sorcery and witchcraft upon ElizaTeague Rooney, who had come in at beth Parris and Abigail Williams, the back door, "ye're jist right there, whereby they were consumed, pined begging yer bonor's pardou. They and wasted away. Now, the brats are wor too hard upon the poor old Irish as well-conditioned as they were a year crayther."

agone. Abigail, in especial, is as fat • Teague, hold your tongue,” cried and fair as if Beelzebub had boen shut the excited deacon, resolved to govern, up these thousand years.". at least, the opinions of his own serving- * But what say you of Elizabeth ?" man.

exclaimed the deacon, by way of pro“Go on, Teague. You have as much test against all this skepticism. * Is brains as any of us," said More, looking she not lean ? Is she not yellow ?" sarcastically at Bowson. But the Irish- “Wasn't she lean and yellow years man thought best to remain respect before she over took to this bowling ?" fully silent ; for the day had not yet answered More. “God help us if all come in New England when servants the spleeny and bilious people in the are better than their lords. Hear this world are to have the right of hanging now, and tell me if it is not babble," somebody! How would you like to continued More. "Judge Stoughton dangle from the gallows because your shakes his empty head at that poor old neighbor's brat was teetbing? Well, to gammer, and demands, • Prisoner, have

go on, Elizabeth fell down at the first you any one to appear for you ?' Where- wink of old Bridget, and squealed like at Bridget, whose skull is likewise a rat on a pitchfork. I was glad to empty, casts her eyes up to the ceiling, observe that she severely kicked the and says, 'I have. Then presently she fat shins of Doctor Griggs, when he unwhimpers and mumbles : No; I had a dertook to hold her." prince, high and mighty, but he is “ Bedad, yes; she worried that old gone. Whereupon a score of other gintleman's hind quarters powerfully," empty heads cry out : 'She means Beel- interrupted Teague.

.

6

on.

а

* And oh what a buzzing, what a the poor man to the heart to bear groaning, what a crowding to see !" the court thus derided ; and yet be continued More. “The judges leaned hardly dared utter a word in its defense, forward and rustled their gowns. Sheriff so fearful was he of More's superior inWillard caught hold of Bridget as if tellect. Accordingly, as soon as he he feared sho would fly out of the win- had propounded his two questions, be dow. And, as for you, brother Bow. grinned deprecatingly, and sidled away son, what did you say amen for ?" with a quivering lip, as if about to burst

“I don't know," muttered the dea- into tears in some corner. con, looking foolish as well as angry, "What I think is, that the deposiand sidling away to another part of the tions of the doctors and the poppets of kitchen.

old Bridget ought to be burned in the “Yes, and there is another thing same bonfire," replied More.

“ You I would like to know,” More went must know, sister Ann, that one sensible

“I would like to know whether juryman inquired whether Bridget were Elizabeth Parris has not been whipped not commonly supposed to be crazed in into this business, as they say Tituba ber intellectuals. Whereupon Parris has been. If I have any skill in read- reads the affidavits of these fiyp doctors, ing faces, she had no wish to put her to the purport that they had examined hand on the Bible and speak those the prisoner and found her compos menwords : So help me, God! I thought tis. For my part, I would as lief she trembled in real affright, and look- have the affidavit of Bridget concerning ed at her father beseechingly, as if de- the five doctors. But Parris nodded his siring, even at that late hour, to plead head, as if this settled the matter; and off. She is a mischievous, deceitful then added, with a spiteful stare at the julittle monkey; but I opine that she ryman: •I think none but persons of a would have been glad to sink through particular dirtiness of spirit will dispute the floor rather than take that oath. that evidence.' After which he called No matter ; Parris scowled her down, for the poppets; and John Willard and then drew out of her more idle pulled them out of his pockets. What tales than there are threads in a spider's a hustling of feet there was, and what web. She said it was all of Goody a stretching of necks to catch sight of Bishop that she was so tormented and those manikins of rags stuffed with convulsed; Goody Bishop haunted her goat's-hair! One would have thought in various airy shapes; brought her the that such a thing as a child's doll had devil's red book for signature ; teased never before been seen in New Engher to join company in witch com- land; nor such a thing as an old woman munions; promised her ease and plea- in her second childhood.” sure if she would list under Satan, and “But how strangely the bag started threatened her with all sorts of dreadful up at sight of them. And what a brandings, and pinchings, and prickings dreadful ft Elizabeth Parris was seized if she refused. You never heard such witbal!” broke in the believing deacon. babble. And, finally, to prove it all. "Ay, ay," scornfully retorted More, she once more falls down howling, "about as strange as to see your old flounders about like a hen with its mother sing psalms at dinner ; and about head off, and spits two or three pins, as dreadful as the yelpings that Frisk which I dare say she moused out of her gives us thereupon." stomacher. It was the same thing over The deacon groaned in timid anguish again when they brought up Abigail and of spirit, and More proceeded with his Tituba, and John Indian, and the other skeptical comments: "Yes, when Bridgafflicted. Parris roused them up when et snatched at the poppets, Elizabeth they grew dull ; bullied them with God rolled up her eyes and went down on and the devil, and got out of them all the the floor with a squall, which was so lies that were to be had for cunning easy to do, that brother Bowson here questions. It was like running a hay- could have done it better." fork into a rotten corn-heap, and start- “But she roared again when she was ing out the rats and field-mice." carried into the entry, where she could

** But what say you to the poppets ? not see the hag spitting upon the popWhat say you to the depositions of the pets and stroking them," persisted the doctors ?" exclaimed the deacoa in a deacon, still zealous for the honor of voice of trembling eagerness; for it cut

“Why, so she did," answered More. the deacon a deed of hospitality, which “ I allow it readily. But then she is al- was beyond the capacities of his own ways roaring, and must roar in the right dwelling. “Brother Bowson," said he, place now and then. Besides, could she "I desire a lodging place for one or not hear that bush of expectation that two travelers, who must tarry over night came over the house, and that loud in Salem. My house is full, as are the coughing which gripped Elder Parris inns, also; so great is the crowd brought just at the right time? Oh, to see how upon us by these trials. You know grave and good men can be put upon Elder Burroughs, who was pastor of the by fanatics and tricksters ! Why, a village a few years ago ? Can you give mountebank does more than we have him and another worthy gentleman seen to day; and yet no one believes sleeping room until to-morrow ?" that he hath dealings with the devil. The deacon was of course rejoiced to Then what a shame to hear stout, kind. offer his bed and board to a minister. ly John Willard bellowing out: Sirs, He hoped Elder Burroughs would stay, she is seized !' How much better to use not only till to-morrow, but until the that brave voice of his in hallooing at court was over; and he eagerly inhis oxen! But the vilest thing of all quired whether the reverend tourist bad was the charge which Stoughton made brought news of any witch discoverunto the jury. One of them had object- ies in Wells, his present residence, or ed that the afflicted were not in any way otherwheres in that neighborhood. “ Invisibly pined and consumed. Where. deed I know not,” said Higginson. “I upon our second Daniel addresses them have not questioned him on that point. thus: “Sirs, you are not to question But I should certainly hope that thero whether the bodies of the afflicted are have been no such woeful discoveries." really pioed and consumed as expressed "But-but-Elder Higginson-IIin the indictment, but whether the said you, you—have faith in witches, I afflicted do not suffer such torments as hope,” cried the deacon. naturally tend to pine and consume Truly I do not like to pronounce them. This, sirs, is pining and con- for or against the belief in witchcraft,” suming in the sense of the law. That said the old man. “ It may be that there was his very phrase, mark you. After were witches anciently, and none now; such urgings as that, it is no wonder just as there were formerly miracles, that the jury presently brought her in but none now. But this I know, that guilty. And then, to crown all, my in our days men have often been degood brother-in-law here must once more ceived in this matter of sorcery. Per

sons have been loudly cried out upon “I thought that I ought to give in for it, who afterwards approved themmy poor testimony,” stammered Bow. selves guiltless, and who always had a

name, not only for a worthy life, but “And very poor testiinony it was; as even for a devout one. There was a poor as any of the rest,” replied More virtuous and godly woman in Groton, in angrily.

Connecticut, who was charged of this Dinner, the cold dinner of that day, sin by one Elizabeth Knap that was posscarcely tasted, scarcely complimented sessed; but after the woman had praywith a sit-down, was over. The deacon, ed earnestly with and for her accuser, with his usual kindly attention to his the latter acknowledged that she had mother's age and infirmities, had drawn been deceived by Satan, and had spoken her chair away from the table, and the evil of her good neighbor without a old good-wife was humming some of her favorite melodies, when there came a “Oh, sir, what if Goody Bishop had tap at the door, and Elder Hig inson prayed with her aocusers !" exclaimed entered. Wbat a mild, grave kindliness the simple deacon with his usual inconthere was in this old gentleman's face; sequence. what an outgoing benevolence even in “It is a very appropriate and weighty bis manner of saying good afternoon. instance, sir, that story of Knap," obNor was his philanthropy all in his served More. “And now, what think visage; a good deal of it came out you of the examinations here? What through his pocket; and he was a think you of the way in which our witsecond Moses for patience under in- nesses are suffered to go about free and juries. He came now, it seems to offer herd together?”

cry amen."

SOD.

“We must charitably believe that in scripture, it seems to me that this is our magistrates do the best they can." the most beautiful and useful : Faith, replied Higginson. “Only I could wish hope, and charity ; but the greatest of that the accused might be exposed to a these is charity." little less noise, and company and open

The deacon looked a little disappointness. And as to the afflicted, I should ed; the text evidently did not suit his advise that they be kept asunder in the present temper of mind; he would have closest privacy. To that end I have preferred a smart stinging slap at the already offered my own house ; telling witch of Endor ; some thundering, terri. Justice Hawthorne, that in a few days I fying passage of anathema maranatba. shall be able to provide accommodation But such was the mild scriptural food for any six of the witnesses. Unless which the kind old man generally dealt some such precaution be taken, I fear out to his parishioners. He was not an that we may expect a long train of dis- alarming preacher; not even, sad to say, mal and bloody consequences.

But, a doctrinal preacher. He seldom disthank God, whatever appens in this coursed from the Leviticus, the prophecastaway earth, heaven is safe.”

cies, the epistles of St. Paul, or the "Oh, Elder Higginson, what a blessed cursing psalms of David. His favorite confidence you have! How happy you books in the Bible were the gospels ; must be !" uttered Bowson, almost melts especially that most sweet, tender one od to tears by the old man's mild, solemn of St. John. He was severe upon usury, cheerfulness. “Ob, sir, can you not rum-selling, sharp trading and other faleave some comfortable text to support vorite vices of serious society; while my fainting spirit? Something to sus- election, fore-ordination, special provi. tain me against the frights of these dences, damnation, oven, wicked wretches, who have sold their neglected by him than quite pleased the own souls to the devil, and would fain eminent Christians” of Salem. People sell mine also as if it were so much said that there was a lack of savory game or broadcloth !!

doctrine in his sermons; and thus, “Dear brother," said Higginson, tak- beautiful as his life was, he had never ing him by the band, "of all the texts been a remarkably popular preacher.

were

more

MRS. BROWNING'S NEW POEM.

TEN years ago, it was the fashion to but a question

of time. There were to be ,

no more wars; pauperism and crime in which we live. A long peace over all were to be abolished ; slavery, in all its the world, and the multiplication in shapes, despotism, in all its degrees, every land of the resources of human were to be obliterated from the very life and human happiness, had put al- memory of mankind; and the golden most everybody into a good-humor with age was clearly dawning upon us. his race.

The tone of satire itself was So we talked, ten years ago, in the more amiable than in ancient days, and newspapers and the magazines, from the few Cassandra voices which were the platforms of the public meeting, and raised amid the generul hum of satisfac- over the tables of the cozy tea-party. tion and anticipation won little atten- We kept up a general chorus of self-contion and less respect from the jubilant, gratulation, and mutual encouragement. self-confident public.

We compared statistics ; we sent comEverybody admitted that the moral mittees of inquiry from America to world was, by no means, purged of evil, Prussia, from England to France; we but then all the sluices of philanthropy inaugurated the most imperial reforms ; had been opened, and the Augean sta- entertained the most seraphic ideas, and ble was in a fair way to be cleansed. get the most white-winged projects fly. The material earth had not yielded ing over sea and land. all her treasures to her lord ; but then Then came certain tremendous crashes the magic of machinery was in his hand, of thunder out of our seeming clear sky, and the complete conquest of nature was which broke up this universal philan.

*Aurora Leigh. By ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING. New York : C. S. Francis & Co., 1857. thropic Pickwickiau picnic of ail the bated age, from which they may take talents and all the sentiments, and good heart of grace for the present, and tbrew the universe again into trepida. for the future, too. tion and confusion.

Whatever man in these days may be, Ireland starved through a long sum- woman never wielded, in any time, a mer, and then lay down and died in nobler influence than now, and never the winter's snow; all Europe blazed won such recognition of her greatest from end to end with the fires of war, qualities as from the generation which and trembled with the earthquake of bas had to bear the glittering scoffs of revolution; the ghosts of dead and the Princess" and the fiery scorn of buried evils arose out of their graves George Sand. Since the heroic age of and walked the world again, seating Italian life, and Italian letters, there bas themselves on thrones, stealing into been no such crowning of woman as our cabinets and the councils of statesmen, own eyes have seen. Classes of wobaranguing and misleading the multi- men, and individual women, have attudes of men. Loudly and fiercely, over tained great power in different counthe dulcet discussions of the peace socie- tries, at different times, in virtue of ties and the political economists, rang diverse qualities. The willful, witty out the terrible roar of the cannon and womanhood of the old régimo rated the cry of tribos, as restless and rebel- France by fascination and by fear; the lious as in the earliest times. Thereupon, ardent faith and the unconquerable hate our talk of the age began to change of her woman's heart, gave to Maria in tone. From piping we betook our- Theresa the strength to save an empire. selves to wailing. The desolate minor The story of the last century is starred domineered in all the symphony of the all over with the names of women world. We began to put our faith in conspicuous for the power which Jeremiah alono, of all the prophets. they achieved by the extremity of their This prosperous age, which had been virtue or their vice. But never, un80 praised and flattered, got no mercy til now, never until this nineteenth cenDow from its fairweather friends. It tury, has it been possible to say that became the most material, the meanest, men were approaching a general recogthe most sordid age that had ever dis- nition of the absolute value of the female graced the decent domain of history. character, and of female genius; a geneIt was an age which ought to go down ral, and, therefore, tacit, easy, and on its knees in sack-cloth and ashes- unconstrained admission of woman's an age of which every honest and high- claim to be a held for a power in the minded man ought to be ashamed, and world. While people are quarreling in in which to be bom bbould be counted conventions about " Woman's Sphere." the chief of calamities. Cringing in and pamphleteers are doing battle for charaoter, tawdry in taste, vulgar in and against her right to vote, and to demeanor, false in sentiment, weak in hold property, to command steamers, will, abject in aim, what could be ex- and to preach in churches, and to work pected of such an age by its most san- mills, and to cure diseases, and to break guine son-what could be done for such horses, the growing good sense and an age by its most devoted friend? advancing appreciation of the civilized

Were we wise in our pæan of ton world aro gradually, but surely, coming years ago ? Are we wise in our lament- to the righteous conclusion of the whole ations of to-day ? Has the sharp ex matter. Of course, a great many highperience of recent years so changed the ly respectable persons continue to be character of the generation to which as absurd upon this subject as they are we belong, or bas it only brought into upon all other subjects. You may still keener and clearer relief the virtues and meet in polite society with elderly genthe rices which distinguished that char- tlemen, wbose views of the female intelacter from the character of generations lect, if not couched in language as surly past, and happily laid to rest in their as that in wbich Dr. Johnson was given moss-grown graves ? Here are ques. to uttering his oracles, will be found to tions worth pondering, and worth an- be quite as silly as those of the dog. swering by the man who can answer matic doctor; and the cathedral excomthem fitly.

munication of woman from the loftior Meanwhile, let us point our readers to themes of human discourse is still not one glorious reality in this much-do- seldom decreed by beardless young pon