Page "Cotton Mather" Paragraph 60

Poole was not a historian, but a famous librarian, and a lover of literature, including Mather's Magnalia " and other books and tracts, numbering nearly 400 were never so prized by collectors as today.

" Poole announces his intention to redeem Mather's name, using as a springboard a harsh critique of a recently published tome by Charles Wentworth Upham called " Salem Witchcraft Volumes I and II With an Account of Salem Village and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects.

" Upham's book runs to almost 1, 000 pages and a quick search of the name Mather ( referring to either father, son, or ancestors ) shows that it occurs only 96 times ; Poole's critique, in book form, runs less than 70 pages but the name " Mather " occurs many times that.

Upham shows a balanced and complicated view of Cotton Mather such as this first mention: " One of Cotton Mather's most characteristic productions is the tribute to his venerated master.

It flows from a heart warm with gratitude.

" Upham's book refers to Robert Calef 25 times with the majority of these regarding documents compiled by Calef in the mid-1690s and stating: " Although zealously devoted to the work of exposing the enormities connected with the witchcraft prosecutions, there is no ground to dispute the veracity of Calef as to matters of fact.

" He goes on to say that Calef's collection of writings " gave a shock to Mather's influence, from which it never recovered.

" Thus, Poole's critique might better be understood as aimed at Calef, Mather's contemporary, who saw fit to ascribe to him, and his influence, the largest portion of blame.