came by it they knew not, that though buried there, they ware afterward fecretly taken up and removed, they knew not where. This is the only furmife of the kind that I ever came across: and the informers defired me not to rely upon it; as upon my requesting their reattention and recollection, they faid, it was fo faint and transient an idea, that they felt at a lofs, and could by no means be confident. Yet they infided, that a faint idea or impreflion of fuch a report and furmife, imbibed in youth at Hadley, ftill remained on their minds.

One perfon in New-Haven, aged 70, is certain of having immemorially heard that one of thefe good men, befides Dixwell, lies buried here; and has the floating idea that this perfon was Goffe. Upon my afking if it was not Whalley? it was replied, No, but Goffe.Upon afking whether he died here? it was replied, that he did not die here, but after living at a distance up the country fecreted a long time, he came on a visit to Dixwell, and wandered about and lived in fecret places round about New-Haven, and died fomewhere not far from New-Haven, and was fecretly buried here. This was the floating idea, but of no certainty as to either the facts or derivation of information. This however seemed certain and without a doubt, that another befides Dixwell lay here; a little at a lofs about the name, but feemed to adhere to Goffe, never heard of its being Whalley, nor of Whalley's ftone, or if it had been heard of, it was forgotten and loft. And yet this perfon has through life lived in the atmoftphere of good traditionary and fabulous intelligence concerning the Judges, with however but flight and tranfient impreffion, or with impreffions now much confufed and loft.

Poffibly upon General Goffe's danger increafing af ter Whalley's death, he and his friends at Hadley might plan an illufion, for a foundation of faying truly, that after Whalley's death, Goffe went off to the weftward towards Virginia. So Goffe might leave Hadley, vifit

Dixwell, wander about fecretly and lofe himself for a time in fome of his old receffes round about New-Haven, and perhaps then concert with his friend Dixwell the removal of Whalley's corpfe out of the reach and inveftigation of Randolph. During which time it might be truely faid, "that after Whalley's death, the other went off to the weftward towards Virginia, and that it was not known where he was, nor what became of him." When however he might, after a fhort excur fion, return to Hadley, be there foon overtaken by death, and be buried firft at the old man's grave, near Tillton's, and be afterwards with Whalley taken up and removed to New-Haven. This is but conjectural, and left in uncertainty; though it would have been good Oliverian generalfhip. The flory of one going off to the weftward, after the other's death at Hadley, is fpread all over New-England, and is as trite at RhodeIlland, at this day, as at New-Haven and Hadley.

I think fome ufe may be made of all these fparfe, and unconnected traditionary lights, all perhaps alluding to truth, if rightly underftood, towards fupporting the conclufion of Governor Hutchinfon, that both the Judges died at Hadley.

1. That Whalley died at Hadley, I confider as evidenced fully by Goffe's letters; that he was buried in Ruffel's cellar, or under his hearth, or in his garden, or about his houfe, is evidenced by almoft univerfal tradition, by the uniform information in the Ruffel family, and the tradition which can be traced to them. Mrs. Otis and Mrs. M'Neil conftantly affirmed this. If fo, it was not Whalley that was buried at Tillton's.Mr. Hopkins's recent inquiry, indeed, makes the one that died at Hadley to have been buried at Tillton's. But laft fpring, and heretofore, both Mr. Hopkins and others at Hadley, have told me, what I had always received before, that the firft was buried at Mr. Ruffel's, although the traditionary idea at Hadley at this day may fix it at Tillton's. This however I would confider as

verifying the idea that there was indeed a burial at

Tillton's.

And as I have no doubt but that one was buried at Ruffel's, this would conclude in both dying and being buried in Hadley. And this I believe was really the truth. It is to be obferved, that the uinverfal tradition at Bofton, Barnftable and New-Haven, has been, that one of the Judges died at Mr. Ruffel's, and was buried in his cellar, or under his hearth. know from Goffe's letter that this was Whalley.

We

2. That another Judge, befides Whalley, died at Hadley, and was buried at Tillton's. There is a tradition, with fome variation, that one was buried in his garden, behind his barn, in the line of dividend fence : all confpiring to render it probable that one was buried there. And if Whalley was buried at Ruffel's, this must have been Goffe. And fo both died and were buried at Hadley, agreeable to Governor Hutchinson, which he perhaps received from the Leveret family, who were in the fecrets of the Judges. The leaving the manufcripts at Hadley in the Ruffel family, indicates both the Judges dying there, and finifhing their days at Hadley, fay about 1680, for we hear and trace nothing of them after this time, only that foon after the death of Whalley, the other went off to the weftward towards Virginia, and was no more heard of.This might be true if he died at Tillton's, and by his friend Dixwell and others conveyed to New-Haven, which was weftward towards Virginia: which might have been done to elude the fearches of Randolph, who would doubtlefs have procured the execution of vengeance upon the relicts and graves of the perfons, could they have been found. If both died at Hadley, and Whalley was removed, will any one doubt that Goffe, if buried at Hadley, was removed alfo? And thus, though in an oblivion, into which there remains now no traceable light, all the three Judges may lie depofited together in the burying-yard at New-Haven. I

know these are ftrong and perhaps unfupported deductions, but in reference to fuch a conclufion, whether decitive or not, thefe difconnected and feemingly fabulous accounts and furmifes, however trifling, may feem to be not altogether inappofite.

I have indulged myself in an enlargement on this inquiry, ot fo much for afcertaining the unfupported Conclufion that Whalley lies buried in New-Haven, as for bringing together and exhibiting in one view thefe fabulous narratives, and ftatement of circumftances, with their inductive connexions; that fo whoever may curforily and tranfiently hear of them at any time, may be fatisfied that he is poffeffed of all the fcattered information poffible to be obtained, and judge for himfelf how much or how little weight and confidence may be given to them; and alfo for giving opportunity to others to purfue and trace thefe lights in different parts of the country, together with any other circumftances, which may verify or perfect thefe accounts, and contribute to any further elucidation of the pilgrimages and hiftory of thefe Judges. On the whole, I confider it by no means certain, yet rather probable that they all three lie buried in New-Haven. Of this, however, every one will form his own judgment, having before him, I believe, all the light and information, that can ever be poflibly obtained on the fubject.