filled with water. As soon as they were able to notice, they found the
water dripping on all sides to the floor, the whole table-cloth wet,
seven of the goblets entirely empty, the eighth half emptied, and not
one of them thrown over, or in the slightest manner displaced. The
whole house was filled with what seemed, to the sight and smell, to be
smoke; but no combustion, scorch, discoloration, or the least
indication of heat, could be found on any of the objects struck. The
building, in its thirteen rooms, from the garret to the ground-floor,
had been flooded with lightning; but, with all its inmates, escaped
without considerable or permanent injury.]

In the course of a mysterious providence, this venerable mansion was
destined to be rendered memorable by its connection with the darkest
scene in our annals. As that scene cannot otherwise be comprehended in
all the elements that led to it, it is necessary to give the
intermediate history of the Townsend Bishop farm and mansion. In 1641,
Bishop sold it to Henry Chickering, who seems to have been residing
for some time in Salem, and to whom, in January, 1640, a grant of land
had been made by the town. He continued to own it until the 4th of
October, 1648; although he does not appear to have resided on the farm
long, as he soon removed to Dedham, from which place he was deputy to
the General Court in 1642, and several years afterwards. He sold the
farm at the above-mentioned date to Governor Endicott for one hundred
and sixty pounds. In 1653, John Endicott, Jr., the eldest son of the
Governor, married Elizabeth, daughter of Jeremiah Houchins, an eminent
citizen of Boston, who had before resided in Hingham, which place he
represented as deputy for six years. The name was pronounced
"Houkins," and so perhaps was finally spelled "Hawkins." By agreement,
or "articles of marriage contract," Endicott bestowed the farm upon
his son. "Present possession" was given. How long, or how much of the