Discovery of Witches: The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of LancasterPotts, Thomas, active 1612-1618
History
Discovery of Witches: The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster
Potts, Thomas, active 1612-1618
Preston, Jennet, -1612; Witchcraft -- England -- Lancashire
These Examinations being taken, they were brought into the Court, and
there openly in the presence of this great Audience published, and
declared to the Iurie of Life and Death; and thereupon the Gentlemen
of their Iury required to consider of them. For although they stood
vpon their Triall, for matter of Fact of Witchcraft, Murther, and much
more of the like nature: yet in respect all their Accusations did
appeare to bee practise: they were now to consider of them, and to
acquit them. Thus were these poore Innocent creatures, by the great
care and paines of this honorable Iudge, deliuered from the danger of
this conspiracie; this bloudie practise of the Priest laid open: of
whose fact I may lawfully say; _Etiam si ego tacuero clamabunt
lapides_.
These are but ordinary with Priests and Iesuites: no respect of Bloud,
kindred, or friendship, can moue them to forbeare their Conspiracies:
for when he had laboured treacherously to seduce and conuert them, and
yet could doe no good; then deuised he this meanes.
_God of his great mercie deliuer vs all from them and their damnable
conspiracies: and when any of his Maiesties subiects, so free and
innocent as these, shall come in question, grant them as honorable a
Triall, as Reuerend and worthy a Iudge to sit in Iudgement vpon them;
and in the end as speedie a deliuerance. And for that which I haue
heard of them; seene with my eyes, and taken paines to Reade of them:
My humble prayer shall be to God Almightie._ Vt Conuertantur ne
pereant. Aut confundantur ne noceant.
To conclude, because the discourse of these three women of Salmesbury
hath beene long and troublesome to you; it is heere placed amongst
the Witches, by special order and commandement, to set forth to the
World the practise and conspiracie of this bloudy Butcher. And because
I haue presented to your view a Kalender in the Frontispice of this
Booke, of twentie notorious Witches: I shall shew you their
deliuerance in order, as they came to their Arraignement and Triall
euery day, and as the Gentlemen of euery Iury for life and death stood
charged with them.
[Illustration: decoration]
THE ARRAIGNMENT
_and Triall of_ ANNE REDFERNE,[N3_b_]
_Daughter of_ ANNE WHITTLE, _alias_ CHATTOX,
_of the Forrest of Pendle, in the Countie of Lancaster, for
Witchcraft; vpon Wednesday the nineteenth of August,
at the Assises and Generall Gaole-deliuerie, holden at
Lancaster_,
Before
_Sir_ EDWARD BROMLEY _Knight, one of his Maiesties
Iustices of Assise at Lancaster._
_Anne Redferne._
Svch is the horror of Murther, and the crying sinne of Bloud, that
it will neuer bee satisfied but with Bloud. So fell it out with this
miserable creature, _Anne Redferne_, the daughter of _Anne Whittle_,
alias _Chattox_: who, as shee was her Mother, and brought her into the
World, so was she the meanes to bring her into this danger, and in the
end to her Execution, for much Bloud spilt, and many other mischiefes
done.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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