An Essay on Demonology, Ghosts and Apparitions, and Popular Superstitions: Also, an Account of the Witchcraft Delusion at Salem, in 1692Thacher, James
Philosophy
An Essay on Demonology, Ghosts and Apparitions, and Popular Superstitions: Also, an Account of the Witchcraft Delusion at Salem, in 1692
Thacher, James
Superstition; Witchcraft; Witchcraft -- Massachusetts -- Salem
She complained that she had
Glover's chain round her leg, and would imitate her in her gait. An
invisible chain would be clapped about her, and she would, in much
pain and fear, cry out when they put it on. Sometimes we could with
our hands knock it off as it began to be fastened. But when it was on
she would be pulled out of her seat, with such violence that it was
difficult to keep her out of the fire. I may add, says the learned,
but credulous doctor, that the demons put an unseen rope with a cruel
noose about her neck, by which she was choked till she was black in
the face, and though it was got off before it killed her, yet there
were the red marks of it, and of a finger and thumb, remaining for
some time. She once said, if she could steal or get drunk, she would
be well. At one time an invisible horse was brought to her, and she
would put herself in the posture of a riding woman. She would in her
chair throw herself into a riding posture, sometimes ambling,
sometimes trotting, and sometimes galloping very furiously, and
attempting to ride up stairs. Dr Mather observes, that the girl having
learned that he was about to prepare a sermon on the occasion of the
witchcraft, became very turbulent and insolent, constantly endeavoring
to interrupt his studying the sermon. In prayer time, the demons would
throw her on the floor, where she would whistle and sing to drown the
voice, and attempt to kick and strike the speaker. But to conclude
this tedious story. At Christmas, says the doctor, this girl and her
sister in another house, were by the demons made very drunk, though
the people in the house were well satisfied that it was without strong
drink. They imitated, with wonderful exactness, the actions of one
drunk in speaking, and reeling, and vomiting, and anon sleeping, till
they recovered. These children were all restored to their natural
health, and lived to adult age. Governor Hutchinson, in his History of
Massachusetts, says he was acquainted with the eldest daughter; she
sustained an unblemished character; but he believes she never made any
confession of fraud or imposition in this transaction.
Hutchinson was truly an excellent historical writer, whatever may have
been his political principles and conduct as chief magistrate. From
the history and from the collections of the Historical Society, I copy
the following narrative, with the view of evincing to what extent
artful children may impose on credulous persons.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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