State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 1 (of 2)
History
State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 1 (of 2)
Trials -- Great Britain
As concerning Elizabeth and Deborah Pacy, the first of the age
of 11 years, the other of the age of 9 years or thereabouts: as
to the elder, she was brought into the Court at the time of the
instructions given to draw up the Indictments, and afterwards at
the time of trial of the said prisoners, but could not speak one
word all the time, and for the most part she remained as one
wholly senseless, as one in a deep sleep, and could move no part
of her body, and all the motion of life that appeared in her
was, that as she lay upon cushions in the court upon her back,
her stomach and belly, by the drawing of her breath, would
arise to a great height: and after the said Elizabeth had lain a
long time on the table in the court, she came a little to
herself and sat up, but could neither see nor speak, but was
sensible of what was said to her, and after a while she laid her
head on the bar of the court with a cushion under it, and her
hand and her apron upon that, and there she lay a good space of
time: and by the direction of the judge, Amy Duny was privately
brought to Elizabeth Pacy, and she touched her hand: whereupon
the child without so much as seeing her, for her eyes were
closed all the while, suddenly leaped up, and catched Amy Duny
by the hand, and afterwards by the face; and with her nails
scratched her till blood came, and would by no means leave her
till she was taken from her, and afterwards the child would
still be pressing towards her, and making signs of anger
conceived against her.
Deborah the younger daughter was held in such extreme manner,
that her parents wholly despaired of her life, and therefore
could not bring her to the Assizes.
_The Evidence which was given concerning these two children was to this
effect._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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