in 



It has been said that Parris had a rival in Rev. George Bur- 

 roughs, who had friends in Salem Village, desirous of his 

 settlement; and that was a sufficient reason why Parris should 

 appear at the Courts against him. We have never seen any 

 proof of this rivalship between these clergymen. It is difficult now 

 to ascertain thecause of the arrest of Burroughs who was preach- 

 ing at Wells, at the time, in his pulpit. The girl who accused 

 him of bewitching her, was Mercy LcAvis, who was then living 

 with Thomas Putnam. She formerly lived with Buiroughs, 

 when he preached at the Village ; and, upon one or more oc- 

 casions, he whipped her severely. This we suspect was the 

 true cause of her crying out against Mr. Burroughs. 



It had been said that Rebecca Nurse was an object of special 

 hatred to Parris ; but this we have failed to discover. W^e cannot 

 imagine the cause of the alleged complaint of Witchcraft 

 against Rebecca Nurse. She appears to have been an amiable 

 and exemplary woman, and well educated for the times in 

 "which she lived. We suspect, from an examination of the charges 

 brought against her at the Courts, that she had several times 

 severely rebuked the accusing girls for their folly and wicked- 

 ness, when meeting in their circles. In this way, she proba- 

 bly incurred the displeasure of Ann Putnam and her mother — 

 her principal accusers. Mr. Parris has often been accused of 

 being over officious, and a swift witness against the accused at 

 the Courts, Parris could not be said to have been a chief witness in 

 the prosecutions, although he may be said to have been a fre- 

 quent corroborating witness with his neighbors. The chief wit- 

 nesses were the accusing girls, as they were called At the 

 preliminary examinations before the magistrates, Parris and 

 others were required to be present, when the depositions were 

 taken down, as related by the girls, and afterwards made use of 

 at the trials before the courts. 



These being given in and related by children, and young per- 

 sons, the Court required an endorsement from some older per- 

 sons, who witnessed their supposed afflictions, and could attest 

 to their depositions. It is in this way Mr. Parris's name, as 

 ■well as his neighbors, frequently appear in the Court documents. 

 Parris appears to have been frequently at the examinations of 

 those accused of Witchcraft, and put questions to those on trial. 

 He also acted as a recorder to the magistrates more frequently 

 than others. The reason for his being often employed by the 

 Courts was simply because he was requested to do so, and was 

 discovered to be well qualified for that purpose. We have seen 

 the records of several persons thus employed, and should say 

 Parris's was the best. It was his practice to take down the ex- 



ESSEX INST. PROCEED. VOL. ii. 8. 



