"The Summer of the Year 1692, was a very doleful Time unto the whole Country. The Devils, after a most præternatural Manner by the dreadful Judgements of Heaven took a bodily Possession of many People in our Salem, and Places adjacent; where the Houses of the poor People began to be filled with the Cries of Persons tormented by evil Spirits. There seemed to be an execrable Witchcraft in the Foundation of this wondrous Affliction; many Persons of divers Characters being accused, apprehended, prosecuted upon the _Visions_ of the afflicted. "Mr. Mather, for his Part, was always afraid of proceeding to convict and condemn any Person as a _Confederate_ with afflicting Dæmons upon so feeble an Evidence as a _spectral Representation_. Accordingly he ever testified against it both publicly and privately, and particularly in his Letter to the Judges, he besought them that they would by no Means admit it; and where a considerable Assembly of Ministers gave in their Advice about the Matter, he not only concurred with the Advice but he drew it up. "Nevertheless, on the other Side, he saw in most of the Judges a charming Instance of Prudence and Patience; and as he knew their exemplary Piety, so he observed the Agony of Soul with which they sought the Direction of Heaven, above most other of our People who were enchanted into a raging, railing and unreasonable Disposition. For this Cause, tho' Mr. Mather could not allow the Principles some of the Judges had espoused, he could not however but speak honorably of their Persons on all Occasions; and his Compassion upon the Sight of their Difficulties, which Compassion was raised by his Journeys to Salem the chief Seat of these diabolical Vexations, caused him still to go to the Place. And merely for this Reason, some mad People in the Country (from whom one or two credulous Foreigners have dared to publish the abusive Story) under a Fascination of their _Spirits_ equal to what our _Energumens_ had upon their _Bodies_, reviled Mr. Mather as if he had been the Doer of the hard Things that were done in the Prosecution of the Witchcraft. "In this evil Time Mr. Mather offered at the Beginning, that if the _possessed People_ might be scattered far asunder, he would singly provide for six of them; and he with some others would see whether without more bitter Methods, _Prayer_ and _Fasting_ would not put an End unto these heavy Trials: But his offer was not accepted.