The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

HISTORY OF DORCHESTER. 273
the trial and condemnation of the witches. But he
acted in conformity with the prevailing ideas of his
age, was undoubtedly conscientious in his opinions
and acts, and was one of the most tolerant men of his
day. When his colleague, Judge Sewall, made a
public recantation in the Old South Church for the
part he took in the trials referred to, Gov. Stoughton
declined to do the same, saying that he had no confessions to make, for at the time the trials took place
he thought that he was right, and acted his part with
all sincerity, although he was now convinced that
he was wrong.
An article in Putnam's Magazine, of September,
1853, says that "; Chief Justice Stoughton, after the
delusion was over, sent a note to the pulpit on Sunday desiring prayers for his pardon, if in any way he
had sinned by his course in the trials; and as it was
read he stood up in his pew, showing by his quivering lip the strong feeling within." Whether this
account is correct, we know not. The whole affair
is a strange' compound of facts, fancies and inconsistencies, woven into public accusations and judicial
decisions. One of the most eminent of the English
judges condemned many individuals to death for this
supposed crime. In this neighborhood, after twenty
persons were publicly executed, when eight more
were under sentence of death, and a hundred and
fifty were in jail for trial, about fifty of whom had
confessed, and two hundred or more at large were
charged with the crime, many of whom were among
the best citizens, the public became alarmed. The
sternness of the Courts, the fanaticism of the Clergy