My Dear Brother. Boston,N.England
6^d5^th 1705.

You are carried into the land of the Canadians for
your good. God has called you to glorify Him in
that land. Your patience, your constancy, your resignation
under your vast afflictions, bring more glory to Him, than
y^rbest activity in any other serviceableness. You visit
Heaven with prayers, and are visited of Heaven with comforte.
Our prayers unite with yours. You are continually and af-
fectionately remembered in y^eprayers of NewEngland. The
faithful throughout the country, remember you, publickly,
privately, secretly. The supplications will not be
lost. An answer is coming. Your deliverance will be
part of y^eanswer. We shall see you again, we hope.
Tis our hope that you may be preparing for a more than
ordinary usefulness yet before you dy. Your calamities
are useful in y^emean time, even unto us the ministers of
N.E. They Awaken us. They Awaken our soul to
carry on the Designs of Reformation. Since the fate of
Dearfield, great things have been done in several parts of
New England, those Holy Designs.

What shall we do to be more particularly expressive in
our concern for you? One thing I took upon me,
as my own peculiar charge; The expence of
your sons Eleazers Education. He often comes
to me. You will have a Blessing in Him. I have
procured subscriptions of about 12, or 13 ^LB a year, to
support him at y^e college. I shall do what else I
can for him. I was greatly beholden to two worthy
men, Mr. Bromfield and Mr. Bolt, (who would be re-
membered to you and by you) for their assistence in
that affay^rof the subscriptions.

I add no more; but with earnest cries to Heaven, that
you (and those with you, and Especially yours) may be
restored unto us, I subscribe,
Your Kinsman and Brother,
Co. Mather

Courtesy of Historic Deerfield, Inc.
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This letter to John Williams signed by Cotton Mather is really a copy of the letter written by Mather, a practice that was not strange in the days before typewriters, computers, and photocopy machines. Reverend Williams was taken to Canada, along with 108 others from Deerfield on February 29, 1704, and held captive there until he was returned in November 1706. Reverend Mather writes to give him courage to handle the separation, assures him that an answer is coming, and tells him that his oldest son, Eleazer (b.1688), is being educated by money given by Mather and others.

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