thoughts. He was kept awake at nights, meditating terror, so that he had
scarce any sleep at all for a long time together; and it was observed at
last, that he was scarcely well capable of managing his ordinary
business, and was judged delirious by the coroner's inquest. The news of
this extraordinarily affected the minds of people here, and struck them
as it were with astonishment. After this, multitudes in this and other
towns seemed to have it strongly suggested to them, and pressed upon
them, to do as this person had done. And many who seemed to be under no
melancholy, some pious persons who had no special darkness or doubts
about the goodness of their state-nor were under any special trouble or
concern of mind about any thing spiritual or temporal-had it urged upon
them as if somebody had spoke to them, Cut your throat, now is a good
opportunity. Now! now! So that they were obliged to fight with all their
might to resist it, and yet no reason suggested to them why they should
do it.

About the same time,