had learned in her younger days, greatly to the annoyance of the
whole neighborhood--to Fleet in particular, who was a man fond of
quiet. It was in vain he exhausted his shafts of wit and ridicule,
and every expedient he could devise: it was of no use--the old lady
was not thus to be put down; so, like others similarly situated,
he was obliged to submit. His shrewdness, however, did not forsake
him; from this seeming evil he contrived to educe some good; he
conceived the idea of collecting the songs and ditties as they came
from his mother, and such as he could gather from other sources,
and publishing them for the benefit of the world--not forgetting
himself. This he did--and thus "Mother Goose's Melodies" were
brought forth. The adoption of this title was in derision of his
good mother-in-law, and was perfectly characteristic of the man,
as he was never known to spare his nearest friends in his raillery,
or when he could excite laughter at their expense.

COTTON MATHER AND MOTHER GOOSE thus stand in juxtaposition; and as
the former was instrumental in cementing the union, which resulted
in placing the latter so conspicuously before the world, it is but
just that it should be so,--although the one was a learned man,
a most voluminous writer, and published a great many books, some
wise and some foolish, it may well be doubted whether any one, or
all of them, together, have passed through so many editions,--been
read by so many hundreds of thousands, not to say millions,--put
so many persons to sleep, or in general done so much good to the
world as the simple melodies of the other.

Requiescat.