The next Morning, the Children with their Parents, came to the Lodgings of the Lord Chief Justice, and were in as good health as ever in their Lives; being Restored within half an Hour after the Witches were Convicted. The Witches were Executed; and _Confessed_ nothing; which indeed will not be wondred by them, who Consider and Entertain the Judgment of a Judicious Writer, _That the Unpardonable Sin, is most usually Committed by Professors of the Christian Religion, falling into Witchcraft_. We will now proceed unto several of the like Tryals among ourselves.[149] FOOTNOTES: [113] Written in 1692. [114] Notwithstanding the extraordinary Familiarity of our Author with the Devil, he does not as yet pretend to have seen him, although he must have been in Everybody's Way. About twenty Years later, according to De Foe, he had become quite scarce, insomuch that few could pretend to have seen him; and hence People became somewhat credulous about the Existence of his Majesty, "as if nothing but seeing the Devil could satisfie them there was such a Person; and nothing is more wonderful to me, in the whole System of Spirits, than that Satan does not think fit to justify the Reality of his Being, by appearing to such in some of his worst Figures, and tell them in full Grimace who he is."--_Essay on Apparitions._ [115] The appearing of the Devil in the Shape of a black Man, or a Man in black is the old Story imported from England. See _Examination and Confession of_ Christian Green, Wife of Robert Green _of Brewham, Co. Somerset_, printed in _Sadducismus Triumphatus_, ed. 1726, P. 306. [116] It is not so remarkable that some should have destroyed themselves under such Circumstances, as that the greater Part of them did not so perish. [117] This is not a Whit behind the far-famed Story of "The Devil and Dr. Faustus." [118] Church Difficulties were so common, that it is not quite certain to which the Author has Reference; though it seems likely he refers to the Troubles in the Time of Mr. Nicholet.--See Felt, _History of_ ii, _Salem_, 587-8. [119] This was indeed a Dilemma; but it may now seem exceeding strange that learned Judges had not adopted the only safe Course at such a Time, and simply _to have done nothing_. They appear to have been as much amazed and out of their Wits as the poor Sufferers; and to find Relief proceeded to shed their Blood, and to shout thereupon that they "_had been fairly executed!_" [120] How the Judges could have read these Admissions of a "snarled Business" into which no one could pretend to see, and to "declare their singular Approbation thereof," it is difficult to comprehend, upon any other Grounds than as expressed in the last Note. They were indeed as blind as any in the "_Buffet_." [121] By these "Ty-dogs" the Author probably had Reference to _Cerberus_. Writers on Mythology do not mention, as I remember, that their Monster was ever turned loose to worry Mankind.