[43] Epithets applied by Mr. Mather to those who dissented from him. "Flashy and fleeting Witlings."—Remarkables of Dr. I. M., 164.
[44] Whittier had, no doubt, been reading Calef recently, when he wrote:
"To garnish the Story, with hear a streak
Of Latîn, and there another of Greek:
And the Tales he heard and the Notes he took
Behold are they not in his Wonder-Book?"
[45] With this View of the Devil, the Author was certainly, according to his own Account, more in the Way of becoming one of his deluded Followers than any other: "Tis a most commendable Cautiousness," he tells us elsewhere, "to be very shy lest the Devil get so far into our Faith, as that for the sake of many Truths which we find he tells us, we come at length to believe any Lies, wherewith he may abuse us!" Faith can hardly remove such a Mountain.
[46] A Family of this Name is supposed to have lived at the Corner of Lynn Street and Henchman's Lane, as that Corner for a long Period was known as Aves's Corner. Savage had never read of Samuel Aves. Whether he was of the Family of John Aves, banished for attempting to burn the Town in 1679, is not known.—Hist. Boston, 431.
[47] Robert Earl was the Prison-keeper or Jailor of the Town at an early Period. John Wilkins was probably the Freeman of 1673. Of Williams, no certain Trace is found. Their Obscurity will probably shield them from further Exposure.
[48] Son of Timothy Thornton. His Occupation was that of a Paver.