Mather, Cotton

(1663-1728), graduated from Harvard before he was sixteen years old. He was active in urging on the witchcraft persecutions. He wrote much against intemperance, and in every way aimed at being useful to society, but was exceedingly meddlesome, pedantic and conceited. He was probably the most learned man in America at the time in which he lived, having a wide acquaintance with books and foreign languages. His works number 382. The chief ia his ‘‘ Magnalia Christ i American a,’’ a church history of New England, published in 1702. 444