Y Object in this Edition of Mr. Calef's Work is similar to that in Dr. Mather's in the preceding Volume, namely, to give a perfectly accurate Reprint of the Work; so that whoever has Occasion to use or consult it may do so with entire Confidence. I have therefore reprinted the original Edition of 1700, with such Notes as was judged might be useful to a certain Class of Readers. And having mentioned the Notes, I will say of them here all I have to say about them. There may be those who have no need of such Additions. They can pass them by unheeded; but it was thought generally that a few Explanations and Additions would be a Help to the Party consulting the Work. They have been made as brief as was thought consistent with the Subject.
With respect to the original Text, it is given as exactly like the Original as a much better Type can be made to imitate an old Type of 166 Years ago. As to retaining all the Errors in the original Edition, it was thought incompatible with the general good Taste of the Age. Some, of a peculiar Nature, if judged necessary to show a Peculiarity of the Times, may have been retained, and noted for such Peculiarity; but a broken or imperfect Letter is discarded as unworthy of Imitation; so transposed or inverted Letters are set right, as any good proof Reader would have done, had he noticed them in the Original; but the Orthography of that Day is scrupulously retained.
Why there was no Edition of the More Wonders of the Invisible World, for ninety-six Years, will be found elsewhere explained. The Edition of 1796 is the first American Edition. This bears the following Imprint: "Printed in London in the Year 1700. | Reprinted in SALEM, Massachusetts, 1796, | By WILLIAM CARLTON. | Sold at Cushing & Carlton's Book Store, at the Bible | and Heart, Essex-Street." The Volume is in Duodecimo, and contains 318 Pages. The second Salem Edition is in the same Form, and contains 309 Pages, exclusive of the Article headed "Giles Cory," which occupies three Pages; hence Copies of this Edition contain 312 Pages. Its Imprint—all in small Capitals—is thus: "Printed in London, A. D. 1700. | Reprinted in Salem, by John D. and T. C. Cushing, Jr. | for Cushing and Appleton. 1823." The Publishers of this Edition added the Article Giles Cory, at the Suggestion of Mr. David Pulsifer, then employed in the Office where the Witchcraft Records were kept, as he many Years ago informed me.
The second Salem Edition appears to have been copied from the first—that of 1796. In some Instances slight Departures are made from the Copy; and in all these, such Departures are also Departures from the Original. As late as 1796, it might be expected that some Uniformity would have been observed, as long as no Exactness was intended in respect to the kind of Type used in reprinting an old Work—Uniformity in denoting Quotations; but there is no Exactness in this respect in either Edition. In the first, as will be seen, sometimes Brackets are used to distinguish Quotations, but generally italic Type is employed for that Purpose. In the second, inverted Commas are generally used, sometimes Brackets. I have followed the Original, bracketing and italicising as I find it. Inverted Commas to denote Extracts, Quotations and the possessive Case of Nouns have been introduced by Writers and Printers mainly, since the Time of Mr. Calef.
Nothing appears in the Book to show whether the Author superintended the printing of it or otherwise. He may have resided in London at the Time of its Publication, although there are some Considerations that seem to lead to the Conclusion that it may have passed through the Press without his Supervision; but, as before observed, Nothing is known in regard to it, and it is not very probable that Anything more will ever come to Light; yet equally strange Things as that would be, have happened.
Taking Liberties with old Authors is exceedingly distasteful to me, even where well assured that an Author would have gladly made a Change himself, had a Defect or Deformity been noticed by him; but I have not even assumed that Responsibility in Mr. Calef's Work. I have done one Thing which the Student ought to thank me for, though he may not. I have placed the Headings of the different Sections at the Commencement of those Sections, throughout the Work. In the original Edition these were omitted, probably on the score of Economy. They also stand at the Commencement of the Book (as in the Original,) entitled "Index." The Benefit to the Reader, in reprinting the Captions or Contents of a Section or Chapter over such Section or Chapter will be too apparent to require Apology.
The Pagination of the Original is Exactly retained; being placed at the top inner Margin in Brackets, and in the Page where the original Page begins and ends, as was done in the previous Volume.
