The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-10-05
From ne NJ. Y. Amsrican.
MASSACHUSETTS,


romantic legends Of that dark and bloody day Of
New England wi,chcraii, when heavy cloud OF
deiusion settled over the minds Of the people, and
the entire community believed themselves given
over to the buffe,ings OF the Enemy OF Souls
Cotton Mather, In his marvellous Magnalia,n
Il am not sure but he locates the scene nearer the
Merrimack, speaks Of as the favored rendezvous
Of witches, wizards, and pTesigous spiriisp cali
ed together at The dead hour Of midnight, by the
blast Of great trumpet The sound is represent
ed as having been exceedingly awful, startling the
whole country for miles around. AT certain set
times, not only "presigous Spirits of New Eng
land, bur Of the entire world OF witchcra here as
sembled and performed their dark rights. There
the Demon In person, administered his terrible sa-
crament OF human flesh TO his disciples and baptis-
ed them with blood. Some Of the accused persons
in the court al Salem confessed that they had gone
at The sound Of the trumpet the place of gathering;
had danced with the shadowy forms of the evil be-
ings whom they met, and partaken with them Of the
and tasted rawp'
This legend has not escaped the notice Of a Mas
sachnsetis poet, whose genius is honor not only
to his native Stale but to the Republic BY his per-
mission, ! quote few stanzas from an unfinished
poem, which is intended to illustrate the weird ro-
nance.
I" A trumpet in the darkness blown!
A peal upon the air
The church-yard answers to its tone
With boding shrek, and wall. and groan--
The dead are gliding there !
II rose upon the hush'd midnight
summons long and clear
The wakeful shuddered with alright,
The dreaming sleeper sprung upright
And pressed bis stunning ear.
The Indian, where his serpent eye n
Beneath the green wood shone,
Started and toss'd his arms on high,
And answered with his wild cry,
The deep unearthly tone.
The wild birds rose in startled focks
AZ the long trumpet sweled
Aloudly from their old grey rocks
The gaunt fierce wolf and cayern'd fox,
In mutual terror yelled"
The gathering of the demons and witches is thus
- From islands Of the far-otf SOFAS
From Hecla's ice and flame
From where the loud and savage breeze
Growls thro the tall Norwegian trees,
Seer, witch, and wizard came.
And from the SUNNY land Of palms,
The negro bag was there
The Gree-gree with his Obi charms;
The Indian with his tattoo'd arms
And wild and streaming hair"
The poem describes traveller looking down into
the glen upon the unholy assembly. He sees young
girl enter the charmed circle, and recognizes her
one whom he has betrayed and abandoned She
takes the fearful oath and sacrament, on condition
tndt her oeUdyef may NC accuiss
her brow
Grew dark those around her
As burned upon her lip that vow,
Which Christian may know
And the dark fetter bound her.
All there she stood the holy heaven
Was looking down upon her
An Angel from her bright home driven,
A spirit lost and doomed and given
To fend and sorcerer." ".,
The spell Of witchcraft begins its work upon the
traveller 49,.
" That night was one Of mortal fear!
The morning rose him ...".s "N
Black as the Surroundings of bier, .r
As if the blessed atmosphere
Like his soul were dim.
He walked among his fellow men
With wild and dreamy air
For whispering in his again
The horrors Of that haunted glen
The demon found him there.
And when he would have knelt and prayed
Amidst his household band,
An unseen power his spr, stayed,
And on his moving lip was laid .-
hot and burning hand"
The wretched victim Of witchcraft dies under
his agony. On his death bed in lucid interval,
he reveals to the minister of the parish the horrible
secret Of his disease, and accuses the youthful
sorceress She is seized and tried for the crime and
executed
As you pass from Salem to Danvers, (Which
HIP is pointed out 10 you. The Tree on which
most Of the victims OF that frightful maady were
hanged, was standing upon it until within the last
fifteen years. Every part Of it, except the heart of
the trunk and principal branches had long since
persisted, and it stood up on the naked hilltop like
gaunt grim skeleton, whitened and wasted by ex-
posure to sun and storm
A Trance of Weeks Duration-A young girl