The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination, (Vol. 1 of 3)Mather, Cotton
History
The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination, (Vol. 1 of 3)
Mather, Cotton
Witchcraft -- New England
Afterwards, this poor Man would be visited with unknown shapes, and
this _T. H._ sometimes among them; which would force him away with
them, unto unknown Places, where he saw Meetings, Feastings, Dancings;
and after his return, wherein they hurried him along through the Air,
he gave Demonstrations to the Neighbours, that he had indeed been so
transported. When he was brought unto these hellish Meetings, one of
the first Things they still did unto him, was to give him a knock on
the Back, whereupon he was ever as if bound with Chains, uncapable of
stirring out of the place, till they should release him. He related,
that there often came to him a Man, who presented him a _Book_, whereto
he would have him set his Hand; promising to him, that he should then
have even what he would; and presenting him with all the delectable
Things, Persons, and Places, that he could imagin. But he refusing to
subscribe, the business would end with dreadful Shapes, Noises and
Screeches, which almost scared him out of his Wits. Once with the Book,
there was a Pen offered him, and an Ink-horn with Liquor in it, that
seemed like Blood: but he never toucht it.
This Man did now affirm, That he saw the Prisoner at several of those
hellish Randezvouzes.
Note, this Woman was one of the most impudent, scurrilous, wicked
Creatures in the World; and she did now throughout her whole Tryal,
discover herself to be such an one. Yet when she was asked, what she
had to say for self? Her chief Plea was, _That she had led a most
virtuous and holy Life_.
IV. _The Tryal of_ ELIZABETH HOW,[173] _at the Court of Oyer and
Terminer, held by Adjournment at Salem June 30, 1692_.
I. E_LIZABETH HOW_ pleading _Not Guilty_ to the Indictment of
Witchcrafts, then charged upon her; the Court, according to the
usual Proceedings of the Courts in _England_, in such Cases, began
with hearing the Depositions of several afflicted People, who were
grievously tortured by sensible and evident _Witchcrafts_, and all
complained of the Prisoner, as the cause of their Trouble. It was also
found that the Sufferers were not able [77] to bear her _Look_, as
likewise, that in their greatest Swoons, they distinguished her _Touch_
from other Peoples, being thereby raised out of them.
And there was other Testimony of People to whom the shape of this
_How_, gave trouble nine or ten years ago.
II. It has been a most usual thing for the bewitched Persons, at the
same time that the _Spectres_, representing the _Witches_, troubled
them, to be visited with Apparitions of _Ghosts_, pretending to have
been Murdered by the _Witches_ then represented. And sometimes the
Confessions of the Witches afterwards acknowledged those very Murders,
which these _Apparitions_ charged upon them; altho' they had never
heard what Informations had been given by the Sufferers.
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