THE KETROSrECT OF THE YEAR. 161 



iiotic hysteria, mixed with wickedness, and he stood by 

 that definition. The preceding speaker had stated their 

 case pretty fairly, but when he expressed the view that 

 the accused had some of this power and exerted it he should 

 be slow to believe that. He believed each individual was 

 guiltless. 



He did not think much of Cotton Mather who was 

 brought up precociously and flattered too much when a boy, 

 and thought a great deal too much of as a minister. He 

 thought we should be slow to admit that our fathers were 

 worse than their generation in the world. 



Mr. Rantoul then read the following letter from Wil- 

 liam P. Upham : 



Newtonville, Mass., February, ^2. 

 W. S. Nevins, Esq. 

 My dear Sir : — 



Your kind invitation to attend the meeting of the Essex Insti- 

 tute, February 29th, is received. I regret very much that I shall be 

 unable to be present. 



One of the many signs of the amelioration in the general tone of 

 public sentiment which the more advanced thought of our day has 

 produced is the tender regard paid to the memory of the unfortunate 

 victims of the sad delusion of 1692. 



I am glad the Essex Institute proposes to give expression to this 

 feeling. 



Very truly yours, 

 Wm. p. Upham. 



Dr. William A. Mo wry was next introduced and spoke 

 substantially as follows : — 



"Talleyrand is credited with saying that words were in- 

 vented to conceal one's thoughts. It would seem, some- 

 times, that history was invented to keep out of sight the 

 facts which have taken place in the past, and to substitute 

 therefor a series of tales, legends and slanders concernins: 

 those who have lived before our time, which sometimes 

 are scarcely even founded on fact. 



ESSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XXIV 21 



