The date of this transaction is disreputable to the people of Salem.  Twenty years had been suffered to elapse, and a great outrage allowed to remain unacknowledged and unrepented.  The credit of doing what was done at last probably belongs to the Rev. George Corwin.  His call to the ministry, as colleague with Mr. Noyes, had just been consummated.  The introduction of a new minister heralded a new policy, and the proceedings have the appearance of growing out of the kindly and auspicious feelings which generally attend and welcome such an era.

The Rev. George, son of Jonathan Corwin, was born May 21, 1683, and graduated at Harvard College in 1701.  Mr. Barnard, of Marblehead, describes his character:  “The spirit of early devotion, accompanied with a natural freedom of thought and easy elocution, a quick invention, a solid judgment, and a tenacious memory, laid the foundation of a good preacher; to which his acquired literature, his great reading, hard studies, deep meditation, and close walk with God, rendered him an able and faithful minister of the New Testament.”  The records of the First Church, in noticing his death, thus speak of him:  “He was highly esteemed in his life, and very deservedly lamented at his death; having been very eminent for his early improvement in learning and piety, his singular abilities and great labors, his remarkable zeal and faithfulness.  He was a great benefactor to our poor.”  Those bearing the name of Curwen among us are his descendants.  He died Nov. 23, 1717.

The Rev. Nicholas Noyes died Dec. 13, 1717.  He was a person of superior talents and learning.  He published, with the sermon preached by Cotton Mather on the occasion, a poem on the death of his venerable colleague, Mr. Higginson, in 1708; and also a poem on the death of Rev. Joseph Green, in 1715.  Although an amiable and benevolent man in other respects, it cannot be denied that he was misled by his errors and his temperament into the most violent course in the witchcraft prosecutions; and it is to be feared that his feelings were never wholly rectified in reference to that transaction.

Jonathan, the father of the Rev. George Corwin, and whose part as a magistrate and judge in the examinations and trials of 1692 has been seen, died on the 9th of July, 1718, seventy-eight years of age.

It only remains to record the course of the village church and people in reference to the events of 1692.  After six persons, including Rebecca Nurse, had suffered death; and while five others, George Burroughs, John Procter, John Willard, George Jacobs, and Martha Carrier, were awaiting their execution, which was to take place on the coming Friday, Aug. 19,—­the facts, related as follows by Mr. Parris in his record-book, occurred:—­

     “Sabbath-day, 14th August, 1692.—­The church was stayed
     after the congregation was dismissed, and the pastor spake
     to the church after this manner:—­