Typical of the Witchcraft Trials Frontispiece Painting by Mattison, about 1854. The only conception of the witchcraft trials ever spread on canvas.—Courtesy of _The Essex Institute_. PAGE Witch-eclipse of the Moon 1 Salem Village (now Danvers 14 Highlands) The New England Witch 15 The 1692 Meetinghouse 17 The Present Church and Parsonage opp. 18 Governor Simon Bradstreet 21 The Mathers, Increase and Cotton opp. 22 The Witch Plat, or Place of 29 Executions The Witch Plat, showing “The opp. 29 Crevice” Warrant for Mrs. Howe’s Arrest opp. 31 Ipswich Farms 51 Location of Mrs. Howe’s Home 60 The Aaron Howe House 62 Descendants of James Howe, Sr. 64 The Howe Arms 66 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTRODUCTION The proceedings in witchcraft in 1692 to us who are two hundred and twenty years removed from the scene, seem, at first, impossible, then mortifying, and persuasive of disowning our fathers and forgetting the period of their folly. At best, the occurrence furnishes the wildest and saddest chapter in our New England history. ANTIQUITY OF THE WITCH AND HER LEGAL STATUS The doctrine of familiar spirits was current in most ancient times. It is possible that immediately after the fall in Adam the imprisoned spirit of man began to assert its former freedom and ability. The old Scriptures depicted the witch’s character, gave warning of her blighting influence, and enacted heavy penalties against employing her agency. In Exodus, xxii. 18: “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” In Leviticus, xx. 27: “A man also or a woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” In Deuteronomy, xviii. 9-12: “When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or any observer of times, or any enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer; for all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord.” THE COLONIAL LAWS AND THEIR BIBLICAL ORIGIN