The best books about pirates (fact and fiction)

The best books about pirates (fact and fiction)
Visit my pirate book page on Shepherd.com

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Some words of Cotton Mather concerning the execution of the pirates of the Whydah



"Diary of Cotton Mather"  MHS Collections, Series Seven Vol.8 (herinafter Cited as MD) p.481.


October 17, 1717: G.D. Tho' Satan by frequent Assaults upon me, designs and labours to discourage my unceasing Projections to serve the Kingdom of God; for I am satisfied, I should not suffer what I do from him, and his Instruments, if my continual contrivances to do Good were not such as they are: Yett, I will in this way make myself much more vile; and be stedfast and immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; beleeving a good Issue of all.
            What I now think of, is; how to render the conditon of the poor Pyrates, who are coming on their Trial, serviceable unto the Interests of piety in the World.

MD:481
October 21, 1717: G.D. I would entertain the Flock, with a discourse agreeable to the Said Occasion given, in a Number of Wicked Pirates, who are speedily to be destroyed among us. A Discourse on the Folly of getting Riches, and not by Right.

MD:491.
November 26, 1717: I had sometimes made a Prayer, that the Condition of the late Pirates, might be so ordered, as to furnish me with some special Opportunities to do Service for the Kingdome of GOD. After the Execution of the Criminals, I had some thoughts of writing down the conference I had with them in the way from the Prison to the Gallows: adding the strange story of their capture, and the Sermon I preached unto my Flock on their occasion. But my thoughts were so feeble and flitting that I laid them aside. However, I resumed them; and remaining still entirely at a loss what to do, I betook myself unto the Lott. I wrote one Bitt of Paper, "Proceed," on another, "Forbear," and after a solemn Invocation of the glorious Lord, I drew the Lott, which fell to be "Proceed." I sett myself to the Work, and in a few Hours I made a Strange Dispatch of it. The Bookseller for whom I intended the Work, declined it; which caused me to wonder at my Direction to Proceed. But some other Booksellers, from whom I least expected it, without any offer of Mine to them, accepted it, and print no less than twelve hundred of them; and the Cause of Piety, is likely to be more than a little served.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Women in Piracy 2022

Women in Piracy 2022
Listen to my talk on what life was like for women in the early 1700s and what made them decide to sneak on board ships as sailors.

Tune in to my interview with Phil Johnson!

Tune in to my interview with Phil Johnson!
Positive reviews on itunes are appreciated!