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

HISTORY OF DORCHESTER. 495
Mr. Foster died September 9th, 1681, aged 33.
Thomas Tileston, of Dorchester, and Rev. Joseph
Capen, of Topsfield, wrote elegies upon his death.
These are printed entire in Simonds's History
of South Boston. A portion only of the latter
poem has been introduced into this work. The following is a poetical version of the Latin inscription
on Mr. Foster's grave-stone. The inscription is
given on page 245.
"Foster, while living, starry orbs explor'd,
Dying, beyond their radiant sphere he soar'd;
And, still admiring the Creator's plan,
Learns the wide scope of highest heaven to scan.
Me, too, may Christ by his rich grace prepare
To follow, and be reunited there."
THOMAS'S Hist. of Printing, vol. 1, p. 2717
JAMES MINOT, who taught in 165,'77,'78,'79,'S0, was born in Dorchester 14th (Farmer says 18th)
September, 1653. He was the son of Capt. John
and Lydia (Butler) Minot, and grandson of Elder
George Minot, who settled at what is now Neponset
Village about 1630. Elder George was born in
England, Aug. 4th, 1594, and was the son of Thos.
Minot, Esq., of Saffron Walden, Essex, England.
James, the subject of this notice, graduated at
Harvard College in 1675. " He studied divinity
and physic," and by the combination made himself
nore efficient to minister to the general wants of the
people. In June, 1680, the town " voted that if Mr.
Minot can be procured to preach once a fortnight
(his year beginning in January last and to end next
January) that he should have twenty pounds, half