for witchcraft. Some were even convicted; but not another life was sacrificed.

15. Most of those who participated in these terrible scenes confessed the wrong which they had done; but confessions could not restore the dead. Mather, in a vain attempt to justify himself, wrote a book in which he expressed his thankfulness that so many witches had met their just doom; and the hypocritical pamphlet received the approbation of the president of Harvard College.

1

RECAPITULATION.

King William's War begins.-The causes.-Dover is attacked and burned.Pemaquid, Schenectady, and Salmon Falls are destroyed.-An expedition is planned against Canada.-Phipps takes Port Royal.-But fails at Quebec.And returns.-Paper money is issued.-Failure of the land expedition.-Phipps goes to England.-And returns as royal governor.-Oyster River is destroyed.Haverhill is attacked and burned.-Mrs. Dustin's captivity.-The treaty of Ryswick. The witchcraft excitement begins at Salem.-The causes.-Parris and Mather. The trials.-Convictions.-Executions.-The reaction.-Mather's book.

IN

CHAPTER XVII.

MASSACHUSETTS.-WARS OF ANNE AND GEORGE.

N less than four years after the treaty of Ryswick, France and England were again involved in a war which soon extended to the American colonies. In the year 1700, Charles II., king of Spain, died, having named as his successor Philip of Anjou, a grandson of Louis XIV. This measure pointed to a union of the crowns of France and Spain. The jealousy of England, Holland, and Austria was aroused; the archduke Charles of the latter country was put forward as a candidate for the Spanish throne; and war was declared against Louis XIV. for supporting Philip.

2. In 1701 James II., the exiled king of Great Britain, died at the court of Louis, who now recognized the son of James as sov

ereign of England. This action was regarded as an insult to English nationality. King William prepared for war, but did not live to carry out his plans. In May of 1702, he died, leaving the crown to his sister-in-law, Anne, daughter of James II. From the circumstances of her reign, the conflict with France is known in American history as QUEEN ANNE'S WAR; but a better name is The War of the Spanish Succession.

3. In August, 1701, the powerful Five Nations, south of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence, made a treaty of neutrality with both the French and the English. The Abenakis of Maine did the same; but the French prevailed with the latter to break their compact. The first notice of treachery was a massacre. In one day the whole country between the town of Wells and Casco Bay, was given up to burning and butchery.

4. In midwinter of 1703-4, the town of Deerfield was destroyed by three hundred French and Indians from Canada. Forty-seven of the inhabitants were tomahawked. A hundred and twelve were dragged into captivity. The prisoners, many of them women and children, were obliged to march to Canada. Eunice Williams, the minister's wife, fainted by the wayside, and her brains were dashed out with a hatchet. Those who survived were afterward ransomed and permitted to return to their homes. A daughter of Mr. Williams remained among the Mohawks, married a chieftain, and in after years returned in Indian garb to Deerfield. But love of the woods and of her tawny husband prevailed over the charms of civilization, and she soon went back to the savages.

5. For several years a border-war was carried on in Maine and New Hampshire. In 1707, a fleet, bearing a thousand soldiers, was equipped at Boston and sent against Port Royal. But the defence was conducted with so much skill that the English were obliged to abandon the undertaking. Again the enterprise was renewed; and in 1710 an English and American fleet of thirtysix vessels, having on board four regiments of troops, sailed against Port Royal. The garrison was weak; famine came, and after a feeble defence, the place surrendered. All of Nova Scotia passed under the dominion of the English. The name of Port Royal was changed to ANNAPOLIS, in honor of Queen Anne.

6. Preparations were now made to invade Canada. A land force under General Nicholson was to march against Montreal. Fifteen men-of-war and forty transports were placed under command of Sir Hovenden Walker for the reduction of Quebec. Seven regiments of veterans, from the armies of Europe, were added to the colonial forces and sent with the expedition.

7. For six weeks the fleet was foolishly delayed at Boston. On the 30th of July, the ships set sail for the St. Lawrence. Proceeding up the river, the fleet, on the 22d of August, was enveloped in a fog. A gale came on, and eight of the best vessels were dashed to pieces on the rocks. Eight hundred and eighty-four men went down in the whirlpools. The remaining ships sailed back to England; and the colonial troops were disbanded at Boston.

8. Meanwhile, the army of General Nicholson had marched against Montreal. But when news arrived of the failure of the fleet, the land expedition was also abandoned. The folly of Walker had brought the campaign of 1711 to a shameful end. France had already made overtures for peace. On the 11th of April, 1713, a treaty was concluded at Utrecht, a town of Holland. By the terms of the settlement, England obtained control of the fisheries of Newfoundland. Labrador, the Bay of Hudson, and Nova Scotia, were ceded to Great Britain. On the 13th of July a second treaty was concluded with the Indians by which peace was secured throughout the American colonies.

9. In the times that followed Queen Anne's war, the people were greatly dissatisfied with the royal governors. The opposition to those officers took the form of a controversy about their salaries. The assembly insisted that the governor and his councilors should be paid in proportion to the importance of their offices, and for actual service only. But the royal commissions gave to each officer a fixed salary, which was frequently out of proportion to the services required. The difficulty was finally adjusted with a compromise in which the advantage was on the side of the people. It was agreed that the salaries of the royal officers should be annually allowed, and the amount fixed by vote of the assembly.

10. On the death of Charles VI. of Austria, in 1740, there were two claimants to the crown of the empire-Maria Theresa, daughter

of the late emperor, and Charles Albert of Bavaria. Each claimant had his party and his army; war followed; and nearly all the nations of Europe were swept into the conflict. England and France were arrayed against each other. The contest that ensued 'is generally known as the War of the Austrian Succession, but in American history is called KING GEORGE'S WAR; for George II. was now king of England.

11. In America the only important event of the war was the capture of Louisburg, on Cape Breton Island. This place, standing at the entrance to the St. Lawrence, was regarded as a key to the Canadian provinces. Governor Shirley brought the matter before the legislature of Massachusetts; it was resolved to attempt the capture of the enemy's stronghold, and the other colonies were invited to aid the enterprise. Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, and Pennsylvania contributed men and supplies. The forces of Massachusetts alone numbered more than three thousand. An invitation was sent to Commodore Warren, commanding the English fleet in the West Indies, to join the colonial forces. William Pepperell, of Maine, was appointed commander-in-chief; and on the 4th of April, 1745, the American fleet sailed for Cape Breton.

12. At Canseau, Nova Scotia, the expedition was detained for sixteen days. Commodore Warren brought his fleet safely thither on the 23d of April. On the last day of the month the armament, numbering a hundred vessels, entered the Bay of Gabarus in sight of Louisburg. A landing was effected four miles below the city. On the next day four hundred volunteers, led by William Vaughan, stormed a French battery and turned the guns upon the fortress. An English battery was established on the east side of the harbor, but the walls of Louisburg were so strong that little damage was done by the guns across the bay. The soldiers of New England lashed their heavy cannons upon sledges, and dragged them through a marsh to solid ground within two hundred yards of the enemy's works. Still, the fort stood firm, and the siege progressed slowly.

13. On the 18th of May a French ship of sixty-four guns, laden with stores for the garrison, was captured by Warren's fleet. The French were greatly discouraged, and the defence grew feeble.

On the 26th of the month an effort was made to capture the French battery in the harbor; but the storming party was repulsed with the loss of a hundred and seventy-six men. A general assault was set for the 18th of June; but on the day previous the garrison sent out a flag of truce; terms of capitulation were agreed on, and the English flag was hoisted over the fortress.

SEIGE

= of=

LOUISBURG

1745

CLAPE

Forest

Eng.

Landing.

ench Battery

GABARU S

BRETON

French Villag

Harbor of Louisburg

enches

Louisbur

Battery

LightHouse Hill

English Battery

BAY

6

14. By the terms of surrender, Louisburg and Cape Breton were given up to England. The rejoicing in the colonies. was only equaled by the indignation in France. Louisburg must be retaken at all hazards, said the French ministers. For this purpose a powerful fleet was sent out in the following year, but before reaching America the commander died. Storms and disasters drove the ill-fated expedition to ruin. The renewal of the enterprise, in 1747, was attended with like misfortunes.

SIEGE OF LOUISBURG, 1745.

15. In 1748 a treaty of peace was concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle, a town of Western Germany. Nothing was gained but a restoration of conquests. Cape Breton was given back to France. Not a single boundary line was settled by the treaty. The real war between France and England for supremacy in the West was yet to be fought.

16. The history of Massachusetts has now been traced through a period of a hundred and thirty years. A few words on THE CHARACTER OF THE PURITANS may be added. They were a vigorous and hardy people, firm-set in the principles of honesty and virtue. They were sober, industrious, frugal; resolute, zealous, and steadfast. They esteemed truth more than riches. Loving home and native land, they left both for the sake of freedom; and finding freedom, they cherished it with the devotion of martyrs. Despised and hated, they rose above their revilers. In the school of evil fortune they gained the discipline of patience. They were the children of adversity and the fathers of renown.