The Salem Witchcraft, the Planchette Mystery, and Modern Spiritualism: With Dr. Doddridge's DreamStowe, Harriet Beecher
History
The Salem Witchcraft, the Planchette Mystery, and Modern Spiritualism: With Dr. Doddridge's Dream
Stowe, Harriet Beecher
Spiritualism; Upham, Charles Wentworth, 1802-1875. Salem witchcraft; Witchcraft -- Massachusetts -- Salem
Still more affecting is the Memorial of Mrs. Easty when under sentence
of death and fully aware of the hopelessness of her case. She addresses
the judges, the magistrates, and the reverend ministers, imploring them
to consider what they are doing, and how far their course in regard to
accused persons is consistent with the principles and rules of justice.
She asks nothing for herself; she is satisfied with her own innocency,
and certain of her doom on earth and her hope in heaven. What she
desires is to induce the authorities to take time, to use caution
in receiving and strictness in sifting testimony; and so shall they
ascertain the truth, and absolve the innocent, the blessing of God
being upon their conscientious endeavors. We do not know of any
effect produced by her warning and remonstrance; but we find her case
estimated, twenty years afterward, as meriting a compensation of £20!
[About one hundred dollars.] Before setting forth from the jail to the
Witches' Hill, on the day of her death, she serenely bade farewell to
her husband, her many children, and her friends, some of whom related
afterward that "her sayings were as serious, religious, distinct, and
affectionate as could well be expressed, drawing tears from the eyes of
almost all present."
MRS. CLOYSE.
The third of this family of dignified gentlewomen seems to have had a
keener sensibility than her sisters, or a frame less strong to endure
the shocks prepared and inflicted by the malice of the enemy. Some of
the incidents of her implication in the great calamity are almost too
moving to be dwelt on, even in a remote time and country. Mrs. Cloyse
drew ill-will upon herself at the outset by doing as her brother and
sister Nurse did. They all absented themselves from the examinations
in the church, and, when the interruptions of the services became too
flagrant, from Sabbath worship; and they said they took that course
because they disapproved of the permission given to the profanation
of the place and the service. They were communicants, and persons of
consideration, both in regard to character and position; and their quiet
disapprobation of the proceedings of the ministers and their company of
accusers subjected them to the full fury of clerical wrath and womanish
spite. When the first examination of Mrs. Nurse took place, Mrs. Cloyse
was of course overwhelmed with horror and grief. The next Sunday,
however, was Sacrament Sunday; and she and her husband considered it
their duty to attend the ordinance. The effort to Mrs. Cloyse was so
great that when Mr. Parris gave out his text, "One of you is a devil. He
spake of Judas Iscariot," etc., and when he opened his discourse with
references in his special manner to the transactions of the week, the
afflicted sister of the last victim could not endure the outrage. She
left the meeting. There was a fresh wind, and the door slammed as she
went out, fixing the attention of all present, just as Mr. Parris could
have desired.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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