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
_To the Prisoners found not guiltie_
by the IVRIES.
_Elizabeth Astley._
_John Ramsden._
_Alice Gray._
_Isabel Sidegraues._
_Lawrence Hay._[X_a_]
_To you that are found not guiltie, and are by the Law to bee
acquited, presume no further of your Innocencie then you haue just
cause: for although it pleased God out of his Mercie, to spare you at
this time, yet without question there are amongst you, that are as
deepe in this Action, as any of them that are condemned to die for
their offences: The time is now for you to forsake the Deuill:
Remember how, and in what sort hee hath dealt with all of you: make
good vse of this great mercie and fauour: and pray unto God you fall
not againe: For great is your happinesse to haue time in this World,
to prepare your selues against the day when you shall appeare before
the Great Iudge of all._
_Notwithstanding, the iudgement of the Court, is_, You shall all enter
Recognizances with good sufficient Suerties, to appeare at the next
Assizes at Lancaster, and in the meane time to be of the good
behauiour. All I can say to you:
_Jennet Bierley_,
_Ellen Bierley_,
_Jane Southworth_, is, That GOD hath deliuered you beyond expectation,
I pray GOD you may vse this mercie and fauour well; and take heed you
fall not hereafter: And so the Court doth order you shall be
deliuered.
What more can bee written or published of the proceedings of this
honourable Court: but to conclude with the Execution of the
Witches,[X_b_] who were executed the next day following at the common
place of Execution, neare vnto Lancaster. Yet in the end giue mee
leaue to intreate some fauour that haue beene afraid to speake vntill
my worke were finished. If I haue omitted any thing materiall, or
published any thing imperfect, excuse me for that I haue done: It was
a worke imposed vpon me by the Iudges, in respect I was so wel
instructed in euery particular. In hast I haue vndertaken to finish it
in a busie Tearme amongst my other imploiments.
My charge was to publish the proceedings of Iustice, and matter of
Fact, wherein I wanted libertie to write what I would, and am limited
to set forth nothing against them, but matter vpon Record, euen in
their owne Countrie tearmes, which may seeme strange. And this I hope
will giue good satisfaction to such as vnderstand how to iudge of a
businesse of this nature. Such as haue no other imploiment but to
question other mens Actions, I leaue them to censure what they please,
It is no part of my profession to publish any thing in print, neither
can I paint in extraordinarie tearmes.[X2_a_] But if this discouerie
may serue for your instruction, I shall thinke my selfe very happie in
this Seruice, and so leaue it to your generall censure.
_Da veniam Ignoto non displicuisse meretur,
Festinat studys qui placuisse tibi._
[Illustration: decoration]
* * * * *
_THE_
ARRAIGNEMENT
AND TRIALL OF
IENNET PRESTON, OF
GISBORNE IN CRAVEN,
in the Countie of Yorke.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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