Lancashire, it seems, has been noted for its reputed witches, and so has Warboys and other places in Huntingdonshire. Nor has this town been unproductive of persons who bore the same name, or had the hard fate of lying under the same imputation.—The first of these, that has fallen within the knowledge of the present writer, was _Margaret Read_, who is said to have been _burnt_ here for witchcraft, in 1590.—Poor creature! She was certainly _murdered_! by the magistrates! by what was called the law of the land, and in the venerable and sacred name of justice! Such acts, however, have been but too common in all ages, in all countries, and even in what are called protestant states. England was then such a state, but that did not always secure the people from injustice and oppression, or prevent in all instances the rulers and magistrates from shedding innocent blood. About eight years after, that is, in 1598, one _Elizabeth Housegoe_ was executed here on the same account: but whether she was put to death by _burning_, or by _hanging_, does not appear. Whichever it was, it was a most horrid and detestable deed, and would lead one to shudder at the barbarous character of our ancestors, but for certain existing circumstances, which seem too clearly to indicate that we are not yet got so far beyond them in civilization and humanity as we are apt sometimes to conceive. Our boasted superiority in those respects over all modern nations, may also be suspected to be much less real than imaginary. _Mary Smith_ is the next name that occurs among this description of hapless sufferers at Lynn. She is said to have been _burnt_ {723a} here, on the 12th. of January 1616, for witchcraft, which she was accused of having practised upon divers persons by means of a vocal contract with the devil. The poor creature, who no doubt was insane, acknowledged the truth of these foolish accusations; which acknowledgement, probably, formed the chief, if not the only proof of her guilt: and _Alexander Roberts_, styling himself _preacher of God’s Word at King’s Linne_, in the same year published a treatise on Witchcraft, in which the story of this Mary Smith, this pitiable victim of the stupid ignorance and savage superstition of our ancestors, is related. {723b}