Irish Witchcraft and DemonologySeymour, St. John D. (St. John Drelincourt)
History
Irish Witchcraft and Demonology
Seymour, St. John D. (St. John Drelincourt)
Demonology; Witchcraft -- Ireland
"Nicholas Pyne being sworn, saith, That the second night after that
the Witch had been in Prison, being the 24th [26?] of March last, he
and Joseph Thompson, Roger Hawkins, and some others went to speak
with her concerning the Maid, and told her that it was the general
opinion of the Town that she had bewitched her, and desired her to
deal freely with them, whether she had bewitched her or no. She said
she had not _bewitched_ her, but it may be she had _overlooked_ her,
and that there was a great difference between bewitching and
overlooking, and that she could not have done her any harm if she had
not touch'd her, and that therefore she had kiss'd her. And she said
that what mischief she thought of at that time she kiss'd her, that
would fall upon her, and that she could not but confess she had
wronged the Maid, and thereupon fell down upon her knees, and prayed
God to forgive her for wronging the poor Wench. They wish'd that she
might not be wholly destroyed by her; to which she said, it must be
another that would help her, and not they that did the harm. And then
she said, that there were others, as Goody Halfpenny and Goody Dod, in
Town, that could do these things as well as she, and that it might be
one of these that had done the Maid wrong.
"He further saith, That towards Evening the Door of the Prison shook,
and she arose up hastily and said, _What makest thow here this time a
night?_ And there was a very great noise, as if some body with Bolts
and Chains had been running up and down the Room, and they asked her
what it was she spoke to, and what it was that made the noise; and she
said she saw nothing, neither did she speak, and if she did, it was
she knew not what. But the next day she confess'd it was a Spirit, and
her Familiar, in the shape of a Greyhound.
"He further saith, That he and Mr. Edward Perry and others for Trial
of her took a Tile off the Prison, went to the place where the Witch
lay, and carried it to the House where the Maid lived, and put it in
the fire until it was red-hot, and then dripped some of the Maid's
water upon it, and the Witch was then grievously tormented, and when
the water consumed she was well again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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