Diary of Cotton Mather 16811724 - v. 1 Author:Cotton Mather Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: records at the disposal of the Society. As the records of the Church over which Mather presided have never been printed, the essential entries have been included... more » as notes. They develop the church discipline of the time as enforced by Mather, and in his very words. A portrait of Cotton Mather is in the American Antiquarian Society; but its artistic value is slight and, as a representation of the man, indifferent. The mezzotint by Peter Pelham, from a portrait painted by him in 1728, is of a higher order of workmanship, and is reproduced on a reduced scale from a fine impression of the original, courteously loaned by Mr. Henry W. Cunningham, of Boston. Mather's script is not difficult to read after certain peculiarities have been mastered; but the condition of some of the papers, blotted by erasures, spotted or faded by exposure, and frayed and torn at the edges from use, made the reading at times difficult and doubtful. The manuscript was transcribed by Miss Anna M. Galvtn, and with an accuracy leaving little to be desired. The Latin sentences have had the scholarly supervision of our colleague, Prof. Henry W. Haynes. The proofs have also been read by Mr. Julius H. Tuttle, whose knowledge of Mather imprints has proved serviceable. WORTHINGTON CHAUNCEY FORD. Boston, Mass., April, 1911. 1A fragment found too late to be inserted in regular order in the volume. 7 d. 2 m. [April.] 1691. This Day, was with mee, a Day of singular Distress. My Father was now on board a Ketch, which attended him, to meet the ship, wherein hee was to take his Voyage for England. This Day the Ship was to sett sail; and I understood that my Father's Enemies, with other Vessels, which had armed Men in them, were to accompany that Ship, till clear of the Coast, that so hee might have no Opportu...« less