Dr. Colman; but, valuable as it is, we cannot introduce extracts from it here. His allusion, however, to the then past and present state of things connected with his subject, is so happy that we cannot overlook it.

"Dr. Mather's brethren in the Ministry here," he says, "are bereaved and weak with him. God has taken their father, as well as his, from their heads this day. He was a Pastor in the town when the eldest of the present Pastors were but children, and long before most of them were born. They are weak indeed when he that is now speaking to them is the first in years among them, in all respects else the least," &c. • The Rev. JOSHUA GEE,* colleague with Dr. Mather, also preached a Funeral Sermon on his departed friend, entitled, "ISRAEL'S Mourning for AARON's Death." In this discourse there is the following important note: "Within a few months past, we have been called to lament the deaths of two such aged servants of the LORD. The Rev. Mr. Samuel Danforth of Taunton, who died Nov. 14. And my honored father-in-law, the Mr. Peter Thatcher of Milton, who died Dec. 17, 1727: while the days of mourning were scarce over in this town for my dearly beloved friend and brother, the Rev. Mr. William Waldron, who died Sept. 11, 1727."

Dr. Mather's son, "SAMUEL MATHER, M. A., and Chaplain at CASTLE WILLIAM," also preached a Funeral Sermon on his father's death. "The Departure and Character of ELIJAH considered and improved," was its running title. Only about five years before, the deceased preached a sermon on the death of his father; in the title-page of which, instead of the author's name, we read, "By one who, as a SON with a father, served with him in the Gospel."+

There were other discourses on the occasion of Dr. Mather's death, but they are not within our reach; and if they were, we have not room even for their titles.

Dr. Mather died intestate, and the order of the Judge of Probate for the distribution of his estate is as follows:-"One third to his widow, Lydia Mather; two single shares or fourth parts to Samuel Mather, Clerk, only surviving son, and one share each to the rest of his children, viz: Abigail Willard, deceased, wife of Daniel Willard, also deceased, their children and legal representatives, and Hannah Mather, Spinster." Dated, 25th May, 1730.

The following items, illustrative of the history of the Mather family, are thought to be of sufficient interest to claim an insertion here: "Peter Hix

• Who was Joshua Gee, who in 1731 published a third edition of "The Trade and Navigation of Great Britain Considered," &c.? In this work there is much relative to the "American Plantations."

+ Whoever desires to be further informed respecting the life and character of Dr. Cotton Mather, cannot do better, in our opinion, than to read Dr. Eliot's notice of him in his New Eng. Biographical Dictionary. For neatness, truthfulness, and elegance, it is nothing short of the superlative degree. The article in Dr. Allen's Amer. Biog. Dict. is also a good and candid one. Of the more recent and laboured lives of our subject, we have not room to speak.

of Dorchester and Sarah his wife, appointed guardians to Katherine Mather, aged about five years, daughter of Joseph Mather, yeoman, late of Dorchester, deceased. Dated 9 May, 1695.-Suffolk Wills, vol. XIII. 299."

On

"Petition of Samuel Mather of Boston, Clerk, praying the consideration of the court for the eminent and signal services of his venerable and honored grand-father, with another petition of sundry others of the descendants of the petitioner's grand-father."-Jour. H. R. 20 Dec., 1738. the 29th Dec. following, "The committee reported that, considering the Rev. Dr. Increase Mather not only served his particular church faithfully, and the college as their President with honor, but the province as an agent in procuring the present charter, to the good acceptance of his country; and that his son, the Rev. Dr. Cotton Mather, and grand-son, the petitioner, his successor in the same church and ministry, have not behaved themselves unworthy of such an ancestor, and have never had one foot of land granted to either of them, as we can learn, are therefore of opinion, that, notwithstanding the gratification of £200 given him, as is alleged, it may be proper for this court to grant a farm of 500 acres, to the heirs of the said Dr. Increase Mather, and report accordingly."—ib.

The following year there is this entry upon the Journal:-"Petition of the Rev. Mr. Samuel Mather, praying as entered the 12th and 20th of Dec. last, and a petition of Maria Fifield, Elizabeth Byles, and others, heirs of Dr. Increase Mather, praying the consideration of the court on account of their father's public services."-ib. 22 June, 1739.

In 1730, a petition of Richard Mather and sundry other inhabitants of Suffield and Enfield was presented to the General Court of Massachusetts, praying for a tract of land on "Houssatunnic river," for a township. -ib, 1730.

"Atherton Mather of Windsor, Ct., appointed administrator on the estate of his sister Katherine, late of Windsor, deceased, intestate, spinster, 14 July, 1694. Inventory presented by Atherton Mather, 19 July, 1694. Real estate in Dorchester to be divided between the two surviving brothers and the children of her deceased brethren, by her brother Atherton Mather; his eldest brother, Samuel, having refused the trust."-Suff. Wills, vol. XIII. 288.

"We hear from Halifax, that Dr. Thomas Mather lately died there of a fever. He was a son of the Rev. Samuel Mather of this town, and surgeon of the Provincial Regiment in Nova Scotia.”—Bost. Ev. Post, 20th Dec., 1762.

The Portrait of which ours accompanying this volume was engraved is a beautiful mezzotinto, half size, with the following inscription underneath it: "Cottonus Matherus S. Theologiæ Doctor Regiæ Societatis Londinensis Socius, et Ecclesiæ apud Bostonum Nov-Anglorum nuper Præpositus.

Etatis Sua LXV. MDCCXXVII.

P. Pelham ad vivum pinxit ab Origin Fecit."

Although the name of Mather has never been so conspicuous in Old as in New England, yet there have probably always existed persons of the name in that country of good standing and respectability.* About the commencement of the present century, there were the Rev. WILLIAM MATHER, of Dover, and the Rev. JOHN MATHER of Beverley in Yorkshire. Portraits of these gentlemen have been published-of the former in 1817, and of the latter in 1823. How these persons stood related, or to what branch of the Mather family they belonged, we are entirely uninformed, nor have we attempted any investigations for the family in England, other than we have indicated in this article.

It may not be improper to remark here, upon the Mather portraits, that that of Dr. INCREASE MATHER in "Palmer's Calamy's Nonconformist's Memorial," is probably a fancy sketch; as it has no resemblance whatever to the original painting existing in Boston. There is a painting of the Rev. RICHARD MATHER, (father of INCREASE) at Worcester, of undoubted authenticity.

The name Mather is derived from the Saxon math, to mow; mather, a mower; as mill, miller, &c. The family, at the time of emigration to this country, was not entitled to bear coat-armour, being yeomen, though of good estate. A branch of the family in England has lately had a coat of arms and crest granted them,t as follows:

Arms. Quarterly Argent and Gules, four scythes counterchanged.‡ Crest.-A demi husbandman habited quarterly, Argent and Gules, capped the same, face and hands ppr., holding in the dexter hand a horn Or, in the sinister a scythe ppr-Motto (in old English)—Mowe Warilie.

*There was an Alexander Mather, Member of Parliamant from the city of Norwich, 6 Edward VI. (1547.)-George Mather, Esq., resided near New Orleans in 1784. He resided there twenty-two years.

The grant, according to Burke, (Heraldic Register, 32) bears date Feb. 18, 1847, and was "To THOMAS MATHER of Glyn Abbot, Co. of Flint, and formerly of Liverpool, Esq., a magistrate for the Co. of Flint, son and heir of Thomas M. of Mount Pleasant, Liverpool; and grand-son of Daniel Mather of Toxteth Park, to be borne by the descendants of his late father, and his aunt, Sarah Mather of Toxteth Park, spinster, only surviving sister of his late father." Ellis Mather was (says the foresaid author) the first settler in Toxteth, descended from a family long seated in the parish of Radcliffe and its neighbourhood. They held Toxteth Park from the time of Elizabeth till recently.

Researches of H. G. Somerby, Esq., in England, communicated to the author.

BOSTON, JANUary, 1854.