[34] Edmund Bohun was himself a Writer of considerable Note. The Work
by which he is best known is probably that entitled _The Character of
Queen Elizabeth_, a sizable Octavo, printed in 1693. His Writings are
said to be Voluminous, yet but few of them are met with at this Day.
One of the first Gazetteers was by him in a thick Octavo, 1688. He
does not, however, call it a Gazetteer, but a Geographical Dictionary.
His Descriptions compare singularly with those of the same Articles
in Works of later Times: as for Example, he says Columbus discovered
America in 1499. All the Notice Boston receives at his Hands is at the
Close of an Article on Boston in Lincolnshire--"there is another Place
in _New England_ of the same Name." Under the Head of New England he
gives it a much larger Notice; calls New England _a Colony_, "and they
have built seven great Towns, the Chief of which is Boston, which in
1670, had fifty Sail of Ships belonging to it." He was Author of a Life
of Bishop Jewell, and was living in 1700.
[Decoration]
THE ==Author's Defence==.
T_IS_, as I remember, the Learned _Scribonius_,[35] who reports, that
One of his Acquaintance, devoutly making his Prayers on the behalf of a
Person molested by _Evil Spirits_, received from those _Evil Spirits_
an horrible Blow over the Face: And I may my self expect not few or
small Buffetings from Evil Spirits, for the Endeavours wherewith I am
now going to encounter them. I am far from Insensible that at this
extraordinary Time of the _Devils coming down in great Wrath upon us_,
there are too many Tongues and Hearts thereby _set on fire of Hell;_
that the various Opinions about the Witchcrafts which of later Time
have troubled us, are maintained by some with so much cloudy Fury, as
if they could never be sufficiently stated, unless written in the
Liquor wherewith Witches use to write their Covenants; and that he
who becomes an Author at such a time, had need be _fenced with Iron,
and the Staff of a Spear_. The unaccountable Frowardness, Asperity,
Untreatableness, and Inconsistency of many Persons, every Day gives
a visible Exposition of that passage, _An evil spirit from the Lord
came upon Saul;_ and Illustration of that Story, _There met him two
possessed with Devils, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass
by that way._ To send abroad a Book, among such Readers, were a very
unadvised thing, if a Man had not such Reasons to give, as I can bring,
for such an Undertaking. Briefly, I hope it cannot be said, _They are
all so;_ No, I hope the Body of this People, are yet in such a Temper,
as to be capable of applying their Thoughts, to make a _Right Use_
of the stupendous and prodigious Things that are happening among us:
And because I was concern'd, when I saw that no abler Hand emitted
any Essays to engage the Minds of this People, in such holy, pious,
fruitful Improvements, as God would have to be made of his amazing
Dispensations now upon us. THEREFORE it is, that One of the Least among
the Children of _New-England_, has here done, what is done. None, but
_the Father, who sees in secret_, knows the Heart-breaking Exercises,
wherewith I have composed what is now [vi] going to be exposed, lest
I should in any one thing miss of doing my designed Service for his
Glory, and for his People; but I am now somewhat comfortably assured
of his favourable acceptance; and, _I will not fear; what can a Satan
do unto me!_[36]
Having performed something of what God required, in labouring to suit
his Words unto his Works, at this Day among us, and therewithal handled
a Theme that has been sometimes counted not unworthy the Pen, even of a
King,[37] it will easily be perceived, that some subordinate Ends have
been considered in these Endeavours.
I have indeed set myself to countermine the whole PLOT of the Devil,
against _New-England_, in every Branch of it, as far as one of my
_darkness_, can comprehend such a _Work of Darkness_. I may add, that
I have herein also aimed at the Information and Satisfaction of Good
Men in another Country, a thousand Leagues off, where I have, it may
be, more, or however, more considerable Friends, than in _My Own;_ And
I do what I can to have that Country, now, as well as always, in the
best Terms with _My Own_. But while I am doing these things, I have
been driven a little to do something likewise for myself; I mean, by
taking off the false Reports, and hard Censures about my Opinion in
these Matters, the _Parters Portion_ which my _pursuit of Peace_ has
procured me among the _Keen_. My hitherto _unvaried Thoughts_ are here
published; and I believe, they will be owned by most of the Ministers
of God in these Colonies; nor can amends be well made me, for the wrong
done me, by other sorts of _Representations_.
In fine; For the _Dogmatical_[38] part of my Discourse, I want no
Defence; for the _Historical_ part of it, I have a very Great One; the
Lievtenant-Governour of _New-England_[39] having perused it, has done
me the Honour of giving me a _Shield_, under the Umbrage whereof I now
dare to walk Abroad.