saw this and thought “woah, its the guy (and his flop son) from my mutual’s blog!!”
but do you perchance have any books about increase mather or the puritans in general that you’d recommend? 😛
aaaa Cresci mention !!! they got his and John Cotton's portraits mixed up though 😭
unfortunately there's not many Increase bios, but the two good ones i've read are The Last American Puritan by Michael G Hall, which is very good, it's the most extensive overall and the only one to really go in-depth into his personal life, since the author's the only one to have used Increase's diaries.
the other one I'd recommend is Increase Mather by Mason Lowance, it's a bit older and it's more focused just on Increase as a writer, and his intellectual influence through Harvard, so it doesn't go much into his life outside of that, but it's good for what it is. and it's also short lol
and then ofc there's Cresci's autobiography (my beloved), he wrote it specifically for Cotton (🤢) and his other kids to read, as like a guide to how to overcome spiritual challenges, but it's written mostly like a diary that he came back to throughout different periods of his life. i almost want to compare it to JJ's Confessions; content aside it has a similar feeling of, well, confessing, and laying everything out to search for some sort of self-understanding
Summary: Was it death that the clergyman wished for her? Did he know of her existence, which led him to burn her, to regard her as a witch – or could something more have developed between two individuals who should have felt nothing but contempt for one another?
warning: kiss, angst, obsession, comfort, dark themes , mention of death,
+++++++++++++++
Salem.
The city of the new century, the new beginning and the proud settlers.
A city that had a high reputation. Before the rumors of witchcraft were proven. Witches. The servants of the devil.
The whores of Satan. The stained women. Women who bring sin to the city, knowing that they would conquer it. At least that is what some of the inhabitants thought.
No one could have guessed that only a decade later it would actually be so. Numerous witch trials were done, young women, old women and even a few children were burned, hanged and executed. But the witches remained in Salem. They remained hidden in their circle under Mary Sibley.
The leader of the town's coven and wife of the town's founder, there was no better disguise. But at the moment when they all thought that the worst was over, he came.
The man who was God for them. The man who implemented the word of God, showed no mercy, the man who had already killed hundreds if not thousands of witches.
Increase Mather. Father of Reverent Cotton Mather. But unlike his drunken son, he kept his promise to rid the people of witches, and he did.
On his first day he exposed the brothel owner as a witch, hung her and broke her neck with his own hands.
A cruel sight.
The accomplice he banished from Salem she would die out there.
This was now two weeks ago and there was still tension in the circles of the witches. All but one. One witch who kept herself out of the circle as best she could.
A young woman who would not necessarily call herself one. She knew magic, yes, but only weak, non-threatening spells. Spells for her own purpose and that was to pursue her business.
Her flower store was the only one in Salem and yet one of the best stores. Her footsteps made the wood creak as she walked down the stairs of her small house into her store.
The shutters were closed, but with a simple flick of her wrist, the candles in her store lit up.
"Well, let's get to work," she murmured happily and began to put the vases and barrels of flowers in place before picking up the flower seeds and placing the bags on the shelves.
It took a while but she didn't mind. She loved the flowers, the smell, the colors, they were all so beautiful.
A smile was on her lips as she reached to the bag on her belt and took out a pinch of the powder. Rubbed butterfly wings along with rose quartz created an illusion spell.
The flower rays for each according to what they love most, desire, need.
It opened the way to the heart. She blew the powder swirled through the air and settled on the many flowers. To her they smelled like normal flowers, but she knew as soon as she opened the windows and the light came in, the scent would spread and the inhabitants would come by themselves.
And they did, as soon as she had opened the shutters and turned off the candles, not five minutes later her first customers were standing in front of the door.
"Good day, I'm glad you're here" she greeted the first people and was delighted by the loving expression in the eyes of her customers.
Not even three hours later, her cash register was already more than half full. A good sign. At midday, the customers became fewer. Lunch break for all but also she was glad that she could make a little break.
Sitting on the small chair behind her cash box she took out of the drawer the small chest with the Rosenqaurz.
Putting the pink gemstones into her mortar, she began to grind the stone into small pieces to replenish her supply of powder.
Humming to herself, she concentrated on her work, looking forward and hoping to continue soon. Suddenly her door was ripped open and a few loose petals flew through the air.
Jerking at the sudden intrusion, she saw who her new client was.
"Increase Mather the Lord bless you what can I do for you?" she asked, hiding the remaining stone in her skirt pocket before rising. The older man glanced around the store.
His eyes seemed to carefully examine everything from every single palm to the flower seeds. What does he want? she asked herself and swallowed as she became a little nervous.
She knew no, everyone knew how well and precisely he went about finding the witches. Not answering her question, his leather-gloved hand closed around the handle of her door before closing it.
Until his bright blue eyes finally landed on her. A slight smile played around her lips as she bowed slightly.
"A routine check after last week's execution, I always do samples," he began, moving through her store.
With each of his sure steps, the wood creaked under his leather boots. Random samples? The others didn't say anything, she remembered and slowly walked around her table to stand in front of it. She watched him.
His black clothes from his leather well laced boots. The black trousers matched the black shirt which was adorned by a cloak with golden engravings.
The cloak slightly covered his arms and the power underneath gave her goosebumps. A white puffy collar enclosed by a small silver cross that perfectly encircled his neck. His black leather gloves nestled perfectly on his hands.
The hands that had already killed so many bodies. Had touched evil...had sinned.
The bright sky-blue eyes like those so watchful and yet radiating a charm that she could not stop staring. Searching his gaze, hoping he would look at her.
The white hair that made him look even more attractive despite his age. In contrast to the colorful flowers, he looked truly handsome. He looks truly godlike she thought and bit her lip for a moment.
A true irony of a witch who had fallen for a witch hunter.
"Since when do you have this business?" his question rang out and pulled her out of her observation.
Briefly, his gaze was on her, making her heart beat faster. As if he would break through each of her facades and recognize her for what she was.
"I got it from my mother eight years ago when she died of a fever in winter," she confessed, her hands clinging to her skirt.
Mother, close your eyes to my sins, she thought, hoping that her mother would not see her like this.
He nodded and continued walking before touching some of the flowers with his hands.
"Do you have a relatives?" his next question rang out.
"Excuse me, but is this a consultation?" she asked, more surprised than distinguished, and saw him looking at her again. Briefly his blue eyes showed knowledge before they became more cautious.
A short smile appeared on his lips.
"It all depends on you, my dear," he said more calmly and approached her.
"On me?" she repeated, nervously tugging at her skirt as he came closer and closer to her. She looked into his eyes, saw him studying her.
Looking at her, noticing her body. As she wore a blouse with a wide neckline due to the warm seasons. A dress would be too impractical. But not so sinful. He looked at her skin and looked at every free part for a little too long.
Involuntarily her heartbeat quickened and she stroked a strand of hair over her slightly flushed ears.
"Are you feeling unwell?" he asked, knowing full well what effect he was having on her. He took another step closer and she backed away.
But she bumped against the table and was caught when he practically cut her off.
"Of course, why shouldn't it be?" she said hastily, trying to escape his gaze. "My dear, you answer with counter-questions, you retreat from me, your gaze is on me, studying me, and yet you flee...besides, your heart beats so loudly that I can hear it" he purred softly, taking off a glove before brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I-I'm just nervous," she said softly, looking down at the floor. She heard his brief knowing smirk.
"Or aroused by the attempt to charm me with the illusions of your being a witch," he whispered in her ear before putting a finger under her chin and forcing her to look at him.
"Have you," he said when he saw her disgusted expression.
"N-No, I'm not a witch, please sir, you'll have to take my word for that" she tried, but when she felt his other hand on her arm, covered in cold leather, she stopped.
He was holding her tightly not strong enough to leave a mark but strong enough to tell her that he knew.
His other hand moved from her hand down her neck and lingered on her main artery for a moment.
He seemed to delight in her feelings, a certain glow of satisfaction and something like devotion in it.
Before he continued, deliberately running over her décolleté to feel the soft, warm skin underneath.
"The sin of the devil" he murmured, but what he meant was beyond her.
She hardly dared to breathe out of fear, excitement, nervousness and that little feeling of love in her heart. Suddenly she gasped in surprise as he reached into her skirt pocket.
He knew exactly that there was something there but he took his time. She felt him move over the thin fabric to feel the warmth and softness of her thighs.
They inevitably pressed against each other.
"Whore" she heard him say but she did not answer. She just continued to look at him as if in a stupor and tried to not give in to the sin of lust.
Before he held the rose quartz in front of her face.
"What is this, my sinful flower?" he said, and she knew that he knew what it was.
"Rose quartz" she answered slowly and saw his short nod when he was satisfied. ,,And what does the crystal stand for?" he asked, knowing that he was only teasing her more.
"For harmony in life, divine energy and-" she stopped and looked down again. But the cold leather had gone from her arm to her chin.
Once again he forced her to look at him with a look that would not allow any further reflection.
"And" he said, and the blue of his eyes seemed to have taken her completely, "And for love" she said softly, yet audibly to him.
"Love, lust, the body, the charms of desire that tempt to sin" he listed and she knew exactly what he was alluding to. But she listened carefully to his every word, she had to do it if she still had any will to live.
Before he embraced the stone more gently and pressed it softly against her lips.
"A kiss...from the stone crushed with the beautiful butterfly. A powder, an illsuion of love from a witch and you are guilty" he said and saw her short shake of her head.
But neither he withdrew the stone nor she withdrew.
"What am I going to do with you?" he said rather to himself and again ran his gaze over her body.
"No, you are not my head witch...you could have killed me for too long" he began to set up his these.
Before he suddenly pulled the stone away and put it in his pocket.
"No you are much better my sweet flower" he said and his fingertips passed over her lips.
A moment lay between them and she thought he would pull away.
When suddenly she felt his lips on hers. It was only a moment and yet it gave her feelings for him free rein. But it seemed as if he would finally give in to his sinful desire for a moment.
He desired her, he wanted to possess her. He wanted to make her his and rescue her from the sinful world to have her for himself.
Before he gently pushed her away from him and put the cold leather around her neck.
"You are mine...my personal witch, mine to control and command. But do not think that I am not watching you. One wrong look, one too fast movement, one sin and I'll burn you personally. And don't you dare tell your witches anything, they won't believe a whore" he said coolly.
Yet with a certain love in his voice before moving away from her and walking to the door. "I will see you again my love" he said before his eyes looked into hers one last time before the door closed and she was left alone.
Left with a heart full of sins and love for a witch hunter who could kill her at any time.
