About the Book
The sovereignty and goodness of GOD, together with the faithfulnessof his promises displayed, being a narrative of the captivity andrestoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, commended by her, to all thatdesires to know the Lord's doings to, and dealings with her. Especiallyto her dear children and relations. The second Addition [sic] Correctedand amended. Written by her own hand for her private use, and now madepublic at the earnest desire of some friends, and for the benefit of theafflicted. Deut. 32.39. See now that I, even I am he, and there is nogod with me, I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal, neither isthere any can deliver out of my hand.On the tenth of February 1675, came the Indians with great numbers uponLancaster: their first coming was about sunrising; hearing the noiseof some guns, we looked out; several houses were burning, and the smokeascending to heaven. There were five persons taken in one house; thefather, and the mother and a sucking child, they knocked on the head;the other two they took and carried away alive. There were two others, who being out of their garrison upon some occasion were set upon;one was knocked on the head, the other escaped; another there was whorunning along was shot and wounded, and fell down; he begged of them hislife, promising them money (as they told me) but they would not hearkento him but knocked him in head, and stripped him naked, and split openhis bowels. Another, seeing many of the Indians about his barn, venturedand went out, but was quickly shot down. There were three othersbelonging to the same garrison who were killed; the Indians getting upupon the roof of the barn, had advantage to shoot down upon them overtheir fortification. Thus these murderous wretches went on, burning, anddestroying before them.At length they came and beset our own house, and quickly it was thedolefulest day that ever mine eyes saw. The house stood upon the edge ofa hill; some of the Indians got behind the hill, others into the barn, and others behind anything that could shelter them; from all whichplaces they shot against the house, so that the bullets seemed to flylike hail; and quickly they wounded one man among us, then another, and then a third. About two hours (according to my observation, in thatamazing time) they had been about the house before they prevailed tofire it (which they did with flax and hemp, which they brought out ofthe barn, and there being no defense about the house, only two flankersat two opposite corners and one of them not finished); they fired itonce and one ventured out and quenched it, but they quickly fired itagain, and that took. Now is the dreadful hour come, that I have oftenheard of (in time of war, as it was the case of others), but now mineeyes see it. Some in our house were fighting for their lives, otherswallowing in their blood, the house on fire over our heads, and thebloody heathen ready to knock us on the head, if we stirred out. Nowmight we hear mothers and children crying out for themselves, and oneanother, "Lord, what shall we do?" Then I took my children (and one ofmy sisters', hers) to go forth and leave the house: but as soon aswe came to the door and appeared, the Indians shot so thick that thebullets rattled against the house, as if one had taken an handful ofstones and threw them, so that we were fain to give back. We had sixstout dogs belonging to our garrison, but none of them would stir, though another time, if any Indian had come to the door, they were readyto fly upon him and tear him down. The Lord hereby would make us themore acknowledge His hand, and to see that our help is always in Him.But out we must go, the fire increasing, and coming along behind us, roaring, and the Indians gaping before us with their guns, spears, and hatchets to devour us. No sooner were we out of the house,