An Antecedent and a Horror

           JosephCurwen,asrevealedbytheramblinglegendsembodiedinwhatWardheardandunearthed,wasaveryastonishing,enigmatic,andobscurelyhorribleindividual.HehadfledfromSalemtoProvidence—thatuniversalhavenoftheodd,thefree,andthedissenting—atthebeginningofthegreatwitchcraftpanic;beinginfearofaccusationbecauseofhissolitarywaysandqueerchemicaloralchemicalexperiments.Hewasacolorless-lookingmanofaboutthirty,andwassoonfoundqualifiedtobecomeafreemanofProvidence;thereafterbuyingahomelotjustnorthofGregoryDexter’sataboutthefootofOlneyStreet.HishousewasbuiltonStampers’HillwestoftheTownStreet,inwhatlaterbecameOlneyCourt;andin1761hereplacedthiswithalargerone,onthesamesite,whichisstillstanding.

           NowthefirstoddthingaboutJosephCurwenwasthathedidnotseemtogrowmucholderthanhehadbeenonhisarrival.Heengagedinshippingenterprises,purchasedwharfagenearMile-EndCove,helpedrebuildtheGreatBridgein1713,andin1723wasoneofthefoundersoftheCongregationalChurchonthehill;butalwaysdidheretainhisnondescriptaspectofamannotgreatlyoverthirtyorthirty-five.Asdecadesmountedup,thissingularqualitybegantoexcitewidenotice;butCurwenalwaysexplaineditbysayingthathecameofhardyforefathers,andpracticedasimplicityoflivingwhichdidnotwearhimour.