Devil; Witchcraft -- Great Britain; Witchcraft -- United States
‘Mr. John ---- fearing some further mischief, takes a Constable, and goes
to her Lodging, where he finds the Old Woman, and charges the Constable
with her. She made many attempts to escape, but the Devil, who owed her a
shame, had now left her, and she was apprehended. As she was conducted
towards the Justice’s house, she tried to leap over the Wall, and had done
it, had not the Constable knocked her down. In this manner she was carried
before the Justice. There was Evidence that was With him in his Sickness
could Witness that he had unaccountable Fits, Vomitted up Old Nails, Pins
and such like, his body being turned into strange postures, and, all the
while, nothing but crying out of Mother _Griffith_, that she was come to
torment him. His Arm rotted almost off, Gangreen’d, and kill’d him. When
she came before the Justice, she pleaded innocence, but the circumstances
appeared so plainly, that she was committed to _Bridewell_, where she now
remains.
‘24 July, 1704.’
If we needed any evidence to show the decadence of witchcraft, it can be
found in the case of Sarah Mordike, who was (luckily for her) tried by
Lord Chief Justice Holt in 1701. Hutchinson gives the best report of this
case that I can find.
‘_Richard Hathaway_, Apprentice to _Thomas Wellyn_, a Blacksmith in
_Southwark_, had either real Convulsions, or counterfeit Fits; at the time
when he was bound first to his Master. When he had served about three
Years, he was thought to be so ill, that he was put into the Hospital, and
was judged to be a very miserable Spectacle, lying in strange Fits, and
going double; and, after seven Weeks was turned out as incurable.
‘In September 1690 (?1700) he said he was bewitched, and vomited great
Numbers of Pins, and seemed to be dumb and blind, and was thought to live
without Meat for ten Weeks together, tho’ he was put with Keepers into an
empty House a great part of the Time, and had a bed bought on purpose, and
was watched Day and Night by Persons that were Strangers to him. One of
his Watchers deposed, That a Lump of Hair, loose Pins, a Stump of a Nail,
half a Nutshel, and two or three pieces of Stone came from him. A second
Witness confirmed this, and added, That he stood over him at the Time,
with a drawn Sword in his Hand. His Face would be drawn on one side, He
foamed at the Mouth, and crooked Pins were found in the Foam. His Head was
bent to the Reins of his Back, and he went, sometimes, almost upon his
Ankles. He would lie as if he was dead; and, once, was brought to himself
by Cupping Glasses. Screeking and other Noises were heard in the Bed, and
about the House, and Charms were applied to him, and were said to do him
good. It was also deposed, That he barked like a Dog, and in his Fits
burnt like a Flame of Fire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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