Devil; Witchcraft -- Great Britain; Witchcraft -- United States
‘_Octob. 17._ About the middle of the night, these new guests were first
awaked, by a knocking at the Presence Chamber door, which they also
conceived did open, and something to enter, which came through the room,
and also walkt through the withdrawing room into the Bed chamber, and
there walkt about that room with a heavy step during half an hour; then
crept under the bed where Captain _Hart_, and Capt. _Carelesse_ lay, where
it did seeme (as it were) to bite and gnaw the Mat and Bed-coards, as if
it would tear and rend the feather beds, which having done a while, then
would they heave a while, and rest; then heave them up again in the bed
more high than it did before, sometime on the one side, sometime on the
other, as if it had tried which Captain was heaviest; thus having heaved
for some half an hour, from thence it walkt out, and went under the
servants’ bed, and did the like to them; thence it walkt into a
withdrawing room, and there did the same to all who lodged there: Thus
having welcomed them for more than two hours space, it walked out as it
came in, and shut the outer door again, but with a clap of some mightie
force; these guests were in a sweat all this while, but out of it falling
into a sleep again, it became morning first before they spoke their minds,
then would they have it to be a Dog, yet they described it more to the
likenesse of a great Bear, so fell to examining under the Beds, where
finding only the Mats scratcht, but the Bed-coards whole, and the
quarters of Beef which lay on the floor untoucht, they entertained other
thoughts.
‘_Octob. 18._ They were all awaked, as the night before, and now conceived
that they heard all the great clefts of the Kings Oak brought into the
Presence Chamber, and there thumpt down, and, after, roul about the room;
they could hear their chairs and stools tost from one side of the room
unto the other; and then (as it were) altogether jostled; thus having done
an hour together, it walkt into the withdrawing room, where lodged the two
Captains, the Secretary, and two servants; here stopt the thing a while,
as if it did take breath, but raised a hideous tone, then walkt into the
Bed-chamber, where lay those as before, and under the Bed it went, where
it did heave, and heave again, that now they in bed were put to catch hold
upon Bed-posts, and sometimes one of the other, to prevent their being
tumbled out upon the ground; then coming out as from under the bed, and
taking hold upon the bed-posts, it would shake the whole bed, almost as if
a cradle rocked; Thus, having done here for half an hour, it went into the
withdrawing room, where first it came and stood at the bed’s feet, and
heaving up the bed’s feet, flopt down again a while, until at last it
heaved the feet so high, that those in bed thought to have been set upon
their heads, and having thus for two hours entertained them, went out as
in the night before, but with a great noise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account