The Salem Belle: A Tale of 1692

The Salem Belle: A Tale of 1692

The following letter addressed to the author, will explain the circumstances which led to the publication of this little work. The foregoing letter speaks for itself; and in conformity to the writer's suggestions, we shall now introduce to our readers the new scenes and hitherto unknown actors in that fatal tragedy, which stains so deeply the history of New England. Follies equally great with those of the witchcraft delusion may yet infest a land as enlightened and civilized as ours; and we cannot agree with our friend in the belief that it is even now too late to revive the same superstition, though its madness may not, as then, terminate in blood. Not more than twelve years since, this same delusion existed in a neighboring state, and within a few miles of its metropolis; numbers visited the spot, and to this day [Pg vii]believe that invisible and mysterious agencies controlled the movements of individuals and families. It is the object of the following pages to hold up the beacons of the past, and in this connection to illustrate the social condition, the habits, manners, and general state of New England, in these early days of its history. We love to contemplate the piety and simplicity, while we deplore the superstition of those times. Much of the former still remains to challenge our admiration and excite our gratitude; the latter, we trust, is passing away. Our fathers were not faultless, but as a community, a nobler race was never seen on the globe: they were indeed in some degree superstitious and intolerant, but far less so than even the brilliant circles of wealth and fashion they left behind, in their father land; and it will be well for their sons, if they do not stumble over worse delusions, and fall into more fatal errors, than those of their primitive ancestors. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 63957
Author: Wheelwright, Ebenezer
Release Date: Dec 4, 2020
Format: eBook
Language: English