The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination (Vol. 3 of 3)Mather, Cotton
History
The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination (Vol. 3 of 3)
Mather, Cotton
Witchcraft -- New England
Yea, there were two Testimonies, that _G. B._ with only putting the
Fore-finger of his right hand into the Muzzel of an heavy Gun, a
fowling piece of about six or seven foot Barrel did lift up the Gun,
and hold it out at Arms-end; a Gun which the Deponents, though strong
men, could not with both hands lift up, and hold out at the Butt-end,
as is usual. Indeed one of these Witnesses, was over-perswaded by
some persons to [118] be out of way upon _G. B_'s. Tryal; but he came
afterwards with sorrow for his withdraw, and gave in his Testimony. Nor
were either of these Witnesses made use of as Evidence in the Tryal.
6. There came in several Testimonies, relating to the Domestick affairs
of _G. B._ which had a very hard Aspect upon him; and not only proved
him a very ill Man, but also confirmed the belief of the Character,
which had been already fastned on him.
'Twas Testified, that keeping his two successive Wives in a strange
kind of slavery, he would when he came home from abroad pretend to
tell the talk which any had with them. That he has brought them to
the point of Death, by his harsh dealings with his Wives, and then
made the People about him to promise that in case Death should happen
they would say nothing of it. That he used all means to make his Wives
Write, Sign, Seal, and Swear a Covenant never to reveal any of his
Secrets. That his Wives had privately complained unto the Neighbours
about frightly Apparitions of Evil Spirits, with which their House was
sometimes infested; and that many such things have been whispered among
the Neighbourhood. There were also some other Testimonies, relating
to the death of People, whereby the Consciences of an impartial Jury
were convinced, that _G. B._ had bewitched the persons mention'd in
the Complaints. But I am forced to omit several such Passages in this
as well as in all the succeeding Tryals, because the Scribes who took
notice of them, have not supplied me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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