s _Biographical Dictionary_. Bearing in
mind that Eliot's work was published in 1806, the reader is left to make
his own comments on the statement, in the _North American Review_, that
I originated, in 1831, the unfavorable estimate of Cotton Mather's
agency in the witchcraft delusion of 1692. It is safe to say that no
higher authority can be cited than that of John Eliot: "CALEF, ROBERT,
merchant, in the town of Boston, rendered himself famous by his book
against Witchcraft, when the people of Massachusetts were under the most
strange kind of delusion. The nature of this crime, so opposite to all
common sense, has been said to exempt the accusers from observing the
rules of common sense. This was evident from the trials of witches, at
Salem, in 1692. Mr. Calef opposed facts, in the simple garb of truth, to
fanciful representations; yet he offended men of the greatest learning
and influence. He was obliged to enter into a controversy, which he
managed with great boldness and address. His letters and defence were
printed, in a volume, in London, in 1700. Dr. Increase Mather was then
President of Harvard College; he ordered the wicked book to be burnt in
the College yard; and the members of the Old North Church published a
defence of their Pastors, the Rev. Increase and Cotton Mather. The
pamphlet, printed on this occasion, has this title-page: _Remarks upon a
scandalous book, against the Government and Ministry of New England,
written by Robert Calef_, &c. Their motto was, _Truth will come off
conqueror_, which proved a satire upon themselves, because Calef
obtained a complete triumph. The Judges of the Court and the Jury
confessed their errors; the people were astonished at their own
delusion; reason and common sense were evidently on Calef's side; and
even the present generation read his book with mingled sentiments of
pleasure and admiration."

Calef's book continues, to this day, the recognized authority on the
subject. Its statements of matters of fact, not disputed nor
specifically denied by the parties affected, living at the time, nor
attempted to be confuted, then, and by them, never can be. The current
of nearly two centuries has borne them beyond all question. No assault
can now reach them. No writings of Mather have ever received more
evidence of public interest or favor. First printed in London, Calef's
volume has gone through four American editions; the last, in 1861,
edited by Samuel P. Fowler, is presente