to learn that conventual establishments of no less than fifty different orders have sprung up here within the last fifty years. A Monasticon will soon be needed to guide the general reader, and still more the local historian. The present well-printed work is one contribution.

The Southern Rebellion, and the War for the Union. A History of the Rise and Progress of the Rebellion, and consecutive narrative of events and incidents, from the first stages of the treason against the Republic down to the close of the conflict; together with important Documents, Extracts from remarkable Speeches, &c. New York: J. D. Torrey, 1861. 1-5. To write contemporaneous history, is a most difficult task, and at this moment no one can see far enough into futurity to judge of the full importance of the actions of each day. The author of this creditable work is sanguine of the success of the government as at present constituted, and is Northern in feeling, but his narrative is, on the whole, fair and dispassioned; the whole subject being viewed from a national stand-point. The history of previous rebellions is pretty fully presented, though we miss any allusion to the Bright case, in which Pennsylvania took up arms against the United States Government.

"The true cause of the Rebellion" is the chapter where the views of the author and some of his facts will be most controverted, but the whole subject is thoroughly presented. After this, the history of the Secession movement begins, and is carried on in a clear, interesting narrative, sufficiently ample in detail, and embodying in the text such important documents as are monuments of the history. The work thus possesses great value, and will be extremely useful at home and abroad, by placing the whole affair in its proper light. We can only hope, with the author, that "the close of the conflict" may soon terminate his labors, and relieve our country from desolating war. We like the work far better than any we have yet seen, and think that abroad, especially, it will do great good by placing the facts in a readable narrative before the thousands who now look with interest on a contest, which many doubtless view as a fatal blow to the great Republic and in fact to popular liberty itself.

The Wetmore Family of America, and its collateral branches; with genealogical, biographical, and historical notices. By James Carnahan Wetmore. Albany: J. Munsell, 1861. 8vo, 670 pp.

Miscellany.

POULTNEY, Vt., on the 21st September celebrated her centennial anniversary, inviting all her sons and daughters to the festival. The Historical Sketch was delivered by Henry Clark, and the Oration by Rev. J. Newton Sprague.

WE understand that the Hon. Lorenzo Sabine has ready for the press a new edition of his "American Loyalists;" a work which at the present time will be read with new interest, and which, by the way, some writers have evidently consulted with much profit, though not always their indebtedness to his work. doing the justice to Mr. Sabine of acknowledging

We understand that Mr. Sabine has devoted

much time and labor for several years past to consulting public records and procuring and digesting family papers, &c., with a view to his new edition of the "Loyalists," the issue of which, at the present time will be very opportune.

lately prepared by Rev. Calvin Durfee, of WilFROM the genealogy of the Hopkins family, liamstown, it is proved that the grandmother of Williams, the founder of the college. It is a rePresident Hopkins was a niece of Colonel Ephraim markable coincidence that the institution founded by the gallant soldier should be presided over by a lineal descendant after so many years have passed away.

THE Wisconsin Historical Society invites all the Wisconsin soldiers to keep and transmit to it, diaries, especially of important movements, plans of battle-fields, trophies, and proposes to publish, at the close of the war, a "History of the Services of the Wisconsin Volunteers." Such a work by each Historical Society will contribute greatly to the fidelity and accuracy of future historians. The plan is worthy of general adoption, and we learn that the Massachusetts Historical Society has taken a similar step.

cation a grammar of the Nevome, one of the
MR. BUCKINGHAM SMITH is preparing for publi-
most important dialects of the Pima, a language
of Sonora. The original manuscript, the work of
some old missionary, came to his hands in Spain.

Ethnological Society is in press.
A NEW part of the Bulletin of the American

AN edition of Swedberg's "America IllumiSPACE prevents a note of this elegant volume this nata," one of the works on the Swedish colony, month. is in preparation.

VOL. V.]

THE

HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

NOVEMBER, 1861.

General Department.

LITHOBOLIA; OR, THE STONE-THROWING
DEVIL, ETC.*

[No. 11. Practicies; and the wicked Instigation did arise upon the account of some small quantity of Land in her field, which she Pretended was unjustly taken into the Land of the Person where the scene of this matter lay, and was her Right; she having been often very clamorous about that affair, and heard to say, with much Bitterness, SUCH is the sceptical Humour of this Age for that her Neighbour (innuendo the fore mentioned Incredulity, (not to say Infidelity,) That I won-Person, his Name George Walton) should never der they do not take up and profess, in terms, the quietly injoy that piece of Ground. Which, as it Pyrrhonian Doctrine of disbelieving their very has confirin'd myself and others in the opinion senses. For that which I am going to relate hap- that there are such things as Witches, and the pening to cease in the Province of New Hamp-Effects of Witchcraft, or at least of the mischievshire in America, just upon that Governour's ous Actions of evil spirits; which some do as litArrival and Appearance at the Council there, tle give credit to, as in the case of Witches, utterly who was informed by myself, and several other Gentlemen of the Council, and other considerable Persons, of the true and certain Reality hereof, yet he continued tenacious in the Opinion that we were all imposed upon by the waggery of some unlucky Boys; which, considering the circumstances and Passages hereafter mentioned, was altogether impossible.

I have a wonder to relate; for such (I take it) is so to be termed whatsoever is Præternatural, and not assignable to, or the effect of, Natural Causes: It is a Lithobolia, or stone throwing, which happened by Witchcraft, (as was supposed,) and maliciously perpetrated by and elderly woman, a Neighbor suspected, and (I think) formerly detected for such kind of Diabolical Tricks and

Rejecting both their Operations and their Beings, we having been eyewitnesses of this Matter almost every day for a quarter of a year together; so it may be a means to rectifie the depraved judgements and sentiments of other disbeliving Persons, and absolutely convince them of their Error, if they please to hear, without Prejudice, the plain, but most true Narration of it; which was thus.

Some time ago being in America, (in His then Majesty's service) I was lodg'd in the said George Walton's house, a Planter there, and on a Sunday night, about Ten a Clock, many stones were heard by myself, and the rest of the family, to be thrown and (with noise) hit against the top and all sides of the House, after he the said Walton had been at his fence-gate, which was between * LITHOBOLIA; or, The Stone-throwing Devil. Being an Exact and True Account (by way of Journal) him and his Neighbour one John Amazeen an of the various actions of infernal Spirits, or (Devils Italian, to view it; for it was again (as formerly Incarnate) Witches, or both; and the great Dis- it had been, (the manner how being unknown) turbance and Amazement they gave to George Waltons Family, at a place called Great Island, in the Prov-wrung off the hinges, and cast upon the ground; ince of New Hantshire in New England, chiefly in and in his being there, and return home with throwing about (by an Invisible hand) Stones, Bricks, several Persons of (and frequenting) his family and and Brick-bats of all Sizes, with several other things, as House, about a slight shot distance from the Gate, Hammers, Mauls, Iron-Crows, Spits, and other domes- they were all assaulted with a peal of Stones, tick Utensils, as came into their Hellish Minds, and this (taken, we conceive, from the Rocks Hard by the for the space of a Quarter of a Year. By R. C., Esq., who was a sojourner in the same Family the whole House) and this by unseen hands or Agents. For Time, and an Ocular Witness of those Diabolick Inven- by this time I was come down to them, having tions. The Contents hereof being manifestly known to Risen out of my bed at this strange alarm of all the Inhabitants of that Province, and Persons of other that were in the House, and do know that they Provinces, and is upon record in his Majestie's Council Court held for that Province. 4to. Dedication 2, and all look'd out as narrowly as I did, or any PerLONDON: Printed and are to be sold by E. son could, (it being a Bright moon-light night) Whitlook near Stationers-Hall, 1698. but cou'd make no Discovery. Thereupon, and HIST. MAG. VOL. V. 41

Pp. 16.

diately to the table, having turn'd our backs only to visit and view some new stone-charge or Window-breach and this experiment was four or five times repeated, and I still found one or two missing of the number, which we all mark'd, when I did but just Remove the light from off the table, and step to the door, and back again.

because there came many Stones, and those pretty great ones, some as big as my fist, into the Entry or Porch of the House, we withdrew into the next Room to the Porch, no person having Receiv'd any hurt, (Praised be Almighty Providence, for certainly the infernal agent, constant enemy to mankind, had he not been Over-Ruled, intended no less than Death or maim) save only that two Youths were hit, one on the Leg, the other on the Thigh, notwithstanding the stones came so thick, and so forcibly against the sides of so narrow a Room. Whilst we stood amazed at this Accident, one of the maidens imagined she saw them come from the Hall, next to that we were in, where searching, (and in the cellar, down out of the Hall), and finding nobody, another and myself observed two little stones in a short space Successfully to fall on the floor, coming as from the Ceiling close by us, and we concluded it must necessarily be done by means extraordinary and præternatural. Coming again into the Room where we first were, (next the Porch) we had many of these lapidiary salutations, but unfriendly ones; for, shutting the door, it was no small surprise to me to have a good big stone come with force and noise (just by my head) against the door on the inside; and then shutting the other door, next the Hall, to have the like accident; so going out again, upon a necessary Occasion, to have another very near my body, clattering against the Board-wall of the House; but it was a much greater, to be so near the danger of having my head broke with a Mall, or great Hammer brushing along the top or Roof of the Room from the other end, as I was walking in it, and lighting down by ine; but it fell so, that my Landlord had the greatest damage, his windows (especially those of the first mention'd Room) being with many stones miserably and strangely batter'd, most of the stones giving the Blow on the inside, and forcing the Bars, Lead, and hasps of the casements outwards, and yet falling back (sometimes a yard or two) into the Room; only one little stone we took out of the glass of the window, where it lodg'd itself in the breaking it, in a hole exactly fit for the stone. The Pewter and Brass were frequently pelted, and sometimes thrown down upon the ground; for the evil spirit seemed then to effect variety of Mischief, and diverted himself at this end after he had done so much execution at the other. So were two candlesticks, after many hittings, at last struck off the table where they stood, and likewise a large Pewter Pot, with the force of these stones. Some In the morning (Monday morning) I was inform'd of them were taken up hot, and (it seems) coming by several of the domesticks of more of the same out of the fire; and some (which is not unre- kind of trouble; among which the most signal markable) having been laid by me upon the table was, the vanishing of the spit which stood in the along by couples, and numbred, were found miss- Chimney Corner, and the sudden coming of it ing; that is, two of them, as we return'd imme-again down the Chimney, sticking of it in a log

After this had continued in all the parts and sides of the first Room (and down the chimney) for above four hours, I, weary of the noise, and sleepy, went to Bed, and was no sooner fallen asleep, but was awakened with the unwelcome disturbance of another Battery of a different sort, it issuing with so prodigious a Noise against the thin Board-wall of my chamber, (which was within another) that I could not imagin it less than the fracture and downfall of great part of the chamber, or at least of the Shelves, Books, Pictures, and other things, placed on that side, and on the Partition-wall between the Anti-Chamber and the door of mine. But the noise immediately bringing up the company below, they assured me no mischief of that nature was done, and shewed me the biggest stone that had as yet been made use of in this unaccountable Accident, weighing eight Pounds and a half, that had burst open my chamber door with a Rebound from the floor, as by the dent and Bruise in it near the Door I found next morning, done, probably, to inake the greater Noise, and give the more astonishment, which would sooner be effected by three motions, and consequently three several Sounds, viz., one on the Ground, the next to and on the Door, and the last from it again to the Floor, then if it had been one single Blow upon the door only; which ('tis Probable) wou'd have split the door, which was not Permitted, nor so much as a square of the glass-window broken or crack'd (at that time) in all the chamber. Glad thereof, and desiring them to leave me, and the door shut, as it was before, I endeavoured once more to take my Rest, and was once more prevented by the like Passage, with another like offensive weapon, it being a whole Brick that lay in the anti-chamber chimney, and used again to the same malicious purpose as before, and in the same manner too, as by the mark in the Floor, whereon was some of the dust of the Brick, broken a little at the end, apparant next morning. The Brick itself lying just at the door. However, after I had lain awhile harkning to their adventures below, I drop'd asleep again and Receiv'd no further molestation that night.

we all know that there was no Person in the hall except, at that Instant, myself and another having search'd dilligently there, and wondring whence those should come that were about the same time drop'd near us; so far we were from doing it ourselves, or seeing any other there to do it.

that lay in the fire-place or hearth; and then be-Night, the beginning of this Lithoboly. They did ing by one of the family set by on the other side of affirm, that as they were standing in the Porchthe chimney, presently cast out of the window Chamber window, they saw, as it were, a Person into the Back-side. Also a pressing-Iron lying on putting out a hand out of the Hall Window, as the ledge of the chimney Back, was convey'd in-throwing stones toward the Porch or Entry; and visibly into the yard. I should Think it (too) not unworthy the Relation, that; discoursing then with some of the family, and others, about what had past, I said, I thought it necessary to take and keep the great stone, as a proof and evidence, for they had taken it down from my Chambers; and so I carried it up, laid it on my table in my Chamber, and lock'd my door, and going out upon occasions, and soon Returning I was told by my landlady that it was a little while after my going forth, removed again, with a noise, which they all below heard, and was thrown into the antichamber, and there I found it lying in the middle of it; thereupon I the second time carried it up, and laid it on the table, and had it in my custody a long time to show, for the Satisfaction of the Curious.

There were many more stones thrown about in the house that morning, and inore in the fields that day, where the master of the house was, and the men at Work. Some more Mr. Woodbridge, a minister, and myself, in the afternoon did see, (but could not any hand throwing them) lighting near, and jumping and tumbling on the grass: so did one Mrs. Clark, and her son, and several others; and some of them felt them too. One Person would not be perswaded but that the Boys at work might throw them, and strait her little boy standing by her was struck with a stone on the Back, which caused him to fall a crying, and her (being Convinc'd) to carry him away forthwith.

In the Evening, as soon as I had sup'd in the outer Room before mine, I took a little musicalInstrument, and began to touch it, (the door indeed was then set open for Air) and a good big stone came rumbling in, and as it were to lead the dance, but on a much different account than in the days of old, and of old fabulous Inchantments, my musick being none of the best. The noise of this brought up the Deputy-President's wife, and many others of the neighborhood That were below, who wonder' to see this stone followed (as it were) by many others, and a Pewter spoon among the Rest, all which fell strangely into the Room in their Presence, and were taken up by the Company. And beside all this, there were seen by two youths in the orchard and fields, as they said, a black cat, at the time the stones were toss'd about, and it was shot at, but missed, by its changing Places, and being immediately at some distance, and then out of sight, as they Related: Agreeable to which, it may not be improper to insert, what was observed by two maids, Grand-children of Mr. Walton on the Sunday

On Monday night, about the hour it first began there, were inore stones thrown in the kitchin, and down the Chimney, one Captain Barefoot, of the Council for that Province, being present, with others; and also (as I was going up to bed) in an upper Chamber, and down those stairs.

Upon Tuesday night, about Ten, some five or six stones were severally thrown in the maid's chamber, near the kitchin, and the glass-Windows broke in three new places, and one of the maids hit as she lay. At the same time was heard by them, and two young men in the house, an odd, dismal sort of whistling, and thereupon the youths ran out, with intent to take the supposed thrower of stones, if Possible; and on the back-side near the window they heard the noise (as they said) of something stepping a little before them, as it were the trampling of a young colt, as they fancied, but saw nothing; and going on, could discover nothing but that the noise of the stepping or tramping was ceas'd, and then gone on a little before.

On Saturday morning I found two stones more on the stairs; and some were on Sunday night convey'd into the Room next the kitchin.

Upon Monday following Mr. Walton going (with his men) by water to some other land, in a place called the Great Bay, and to a house where his son was placed, they lay there that night, and the next morning had this adventure. As the men were all at work in the woods, felling wood, they were Visited with another set of stones, and they gathered up near upon a hat-full, and put thein between two trees near adjoining, and returning from carrying wood, to the Boat, the hat and its contents (the stones) were gone, and the stones were presently after thrown about again, as before; and after search, found the hat press'd together, and lying under a square piece of timber at some distance from thence. They had them again at young Walton's House, and half a brick thrown into a cradle, out of which his young child was newly taken up.

Here it may seem most Proper to inform the Reader of a parallel passage, (viz.) what happened another time to my landlord in his Boat; wherein going up to the same place, (the great Bay) and