State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 1 (of 2)
History
State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 1 (of 2)
Trials -- Great Britain
whereupon the deponent was very angry with the said Amy for the
same; at which the said Amy was much discontented, and used many
high expressions and threatening speeches towards her; telling
her, That she had as good to have done otherwise than to have
found fault with her, and so departed out of her house; and that
very night her son fell into strange fits of swooning and was
held in such terrible manner, that she was much affrighted
therewith, and so continued for divers weeks. And the said
examinant farther said, that she being exceedingly troubled at
her child's distemper, did go to a certain person named Dr.
Jacob, who lived at Yarmouth, who had the reputation in the
country, to help children that were bewitched; who advised her
to hang up the child's blanket in the chimney-corner all day,
and at night when she put the child to bed, to put it into the
said blanket, and if she found anything in it, she should not be
afraid, but throw it into the fire. And this deponent did
according to his direction, and at night when she took down the
blanket with an intent to put her child therein, there fell out
of the same a great toad, which ran up and down the hearth, and
she having a young youth only with her in the house desired him
to catch the toad and throw it into the fire, which the youth
did accordingly and held it there with the tongs; and as soon as
it was in the fire it made a great and horrible noise, and after
a space there was a flashing in the fire like gunpowder, making
a noise like the discharge of a pistol, and thereupon the toad
was no more seen or heard. It was asked by the court, if that
after the noise and flashing, there was not the substance of the
toad to be seen to consume in the fire? And it was answered by
the said Dorothy Durent, that after the flashing and noise,
there was no more seen than if there had been none there. The
next day there came a young woman, a kinswoman of the said Amy,
and a neighbour of this deponent, and told this deponent, that
her aunt (meaning the said Amy) was in a most lamentable
condition, having her face all scorched with fire, and that she
was sitting alone in her house in her smock without any fire.
And thereupon this deponent went into the house of the said Amy
Duny to see her, and found her in the same condition as was
related to her; for her face, her legs, and thighs, which this
deponent saw, seemed very much scorched and burnt with fire, at
which this deponent seemed much to wonder, and asked the said
Amy how she came into that sad condition? and the said Amy
replied, she might thank her for it, for that she this deponent
was the cause of it, but that she should live to see some of her
children dead, and she upon crutches. And this deponent farther
saith, that after the burning of the said toad, her child
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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