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��The First Schoolmaster of Boston.
��The last edition was published in Boston in 1838. In a prospectus, containing commendations of the work from many eminent men of learning, the Honor- able Josiah Quincy, ll.d., president of Harvard College, said of it : "A work which was used for more than a century in the schools of New England, as the first elementary book for learners of the Latin language ; which held its place in some of the most eminent of those schools, nearly, if not quite, to the end of the last century; which has passed through at least twenty editions in this country ; which was the subject of the successive labor and improvement of a man who spent seventy years in the business of instruction, and whose fame is second to that of no schoolmaster New England has ever produced, re- quires no additional testimony to its worth or its merits." A copy of this edition is now in the library of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Dr. David W. Cheever, of Boston, a de- scendant of the schoolmaster, also has one in his possession.
There is another old book in the Boston Athenaeum, published in 1757, containing three short essays under the title of Scripture Prophecies Explained. The first one is " On the Restitution of All Things " ; the second is " On St. John's First Resurrection " ; and the third, " On t'he Personal Coming of Jesus Christ, as Commencing at the Beginning of the Millenium described in the Apocalypse." These were written by Mr. Cheever, but at what time of his life there seems to be some doubt. They indicate his religious zeal, which at this time in New Haven was put forth for the good of the church. Although he was never ordained to the ministry, yet he occasionally preached. In 1649, however, he dissented from
��the judgment of the church and elders in regard to some cases of discipline, and for some comments on their action, which seemed to them severe, they brought charges against him. Two of the principal ones were : " i. His un- seemly gestures and carriage before the church, in the mixed assembly ; " and " 2. That when the church did agree to two charges (namely, of assumption and partiality), he did not give his vote either to the affirmative or the negative."
As showing some of the phases »of a common humanity, the reading of the trial is interesting. Mr. Cheever, who was then thirty-five years old, was de- sired to answer these charges of un- seemly gestures, which his accusers had brought down to a rather small point, such as holding down his head into the seat, "then laughing or smiling," and also " wrapping his handkerchief about his face, and then pulling it off again ; " and still another, " that his carriage was offensively uncomely," three affirming " that he rather carried it as one acting a play, than as one in the presence of God in an ordinance."
In his answer to these, Mr. Cheever explained his actions as arising from violent headaches, which, coming upon him usually " on the Lord's day in the evening, and after church meeting," were mitigated by winding his handker- chief around his head ' as a fillet.' As to his smiling or laughing, he knew not whether there was any more than a nat- ural, ordinary cheerfulness of counte- nance seeming to smile, which whether it be sinful or avoidable by him, he knew not ; " but he wished to humble himself for the •* least appearance of evil, and occasion of offence, and to watch agamst it." As to his work- ing with the church, he said : " I must act with the church, and (which
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