The political and theological opinions of Josselyn were not in accordance with those generally received in the Colonies, particularly in the later years of his life. On this subject, Prof. Tuckerman, in his Introduction to the work last mentioned, remarks that, “In the account of his first voyage, there is no appearance of that dislike to the Massachusetts government and people which is observable in the narrative of the second; and may there not unfairly be connected with his brother’s political and religious differences with Massachusetts.” There is sufficient evidence in this work to show that the sympathies of the author were enlisted in the royal cause, and there appears to be little ground for admitting his supposed complicity in the fruitless insurrection in the north of England in 1663, or his identity with the “Capt. John Jossline” mentioned by the late Rev. Joseph Hunter in his account of the family.
The chronological table appended to his “New-England’s Rarities” is greatly enlarged in the present work, and continued to the year 1674.
In reprinting this rare and curious volume, great care has been taken to make it a literal and exact copy of the original, the proofs having been carefully collated with a copy of the work belonging to the Library of Harvard College.
Boston, June 15, 1865.
AN
ACCOUNT
OF TWO
VOYAGES
TO
NEW-ENGLAND.