Devil; Witchcraft -- Great Britain; Witchcraft -- United States
‘About three days after, they were surprized with new wonders, for there
was to be seen such sights as they never saw before, _viz._, the Bellows
flew about the house, and Candlesticks and other things thrown after the
Girl as she passed to and fro in her master’s house; and, going to her
Mother’s house, which was at _Astead_, about three miles distant from
_Yowel_, such numberless numbers of stones were thrown at her, that she
found it hazardous to Travel, but had she returned, it might have been the
same; and so she continued till she came to her mother’s house, where, on
Sunday the 9th of _October_, they were possest with admiration, as well as
those of her Master’s Family, for her Grandfather’s Britches were
strangely found to be on the top of the house, as near as can be imagined,
over his Bed; and, besides, such great quantities of Nuts and Acorns flew
about, that the Spectators never beheld the like before. The pewter
danced about the house in a strange manner, and hits a Gentleman such a
blow on the back, that I suppose he will have but little stomach
hereafter, to go to see the Devil dance.
‘But the same day happened another Wonder, no less strange than what is
before recited, for there was a Fiddle close laid up in a Chest, which was
strangely, and unknown to any of the house, hung up in the room, and,
after, was removed to the top of the Bed-Tester, and, the third time,
carried quite away, and hath no more been seen since.
‘But, on Thursday, the 18th of this present _October_, there being a Fair
kept at _Yowel_, the mother of this afflicted maid came thither, and,
meeting with this old suspected _Witch_ (whom she had great reason to
imagine so to be,) fell foul upon her, and so evilly Treated her, that she
fetcht out some of her Hellish Blood, but the effects and event thereof, I
must get time to acquaint you with.’
The Rev. Joseph Glanvill was a great collector of these stories, and after
his death many were published, as being found among his papers. One is a
story of a Mr. Jermin, minister of Bigner in Sussex, who had noises in his
house like guns going off whilst it seemed that people ran swiftly down
stairs, into his chamber, and there seemed to wrestle, whilst one day,
when a physician was dining with him ‘there came a Man on Horseback into
the Yard, in Mourning. His Servant went to know what was his Busness, and
found him sitting very Melancholy, nor could he get any Answer from him.
The Master of the House and the Physician went to see who it was; upon
which, the Man clapt spurs to his Horse, and rode into the House, up
Stairs into a long Gallery, whither the Physician followed him, and saw
him vanish in a Fire at the upper end of the Gallery. But though none of
the Family received hurt at any time, yet Mr. _Jermin_ fell into a Fever
with the Disturbance he experienced, that endangered his Life.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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