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
7. _Phebe Chandler_ testified, that about a Fortnight before the
Apprehension of _Martha Carryer_, on a Lords Day, while the Psalm was
singing in the Church, this _Carryer_ then took her by the Shoulder,
and shaking her, asked her, _Where she lived?_ she made her no Answer,
altho as _Carryer_, who lived next door to her Father's House, could
not in Reason but know who she was. Quickly after this, as she was at
several times crossing the Fields she heard a Voice that she took to
be _Martha Carryers_, and it seem'd as if it were over her head. The
Voice told her, _She should within two or three Days be Poison'd_:
Accordingly within such a little time, one half of her Right Hand
became greatly swollen and very painful; as also part of her Face;
whereof she can give no Account how it came. It continued very bad
for some days; and several times since she has had a great pain in
her Breast; and been so seized on her Legs that she has hardly been
able to go. She added that lately, going well to the House of God,
_Richard_ the Son of _Martha Carryer_, look'd very earnestly upon
her, and immediately her Hand which had formerly been Poisoned, as is
abovesaid, began to pain her greatly, and she had a strange burning
at her Stomach; but was then struck deaf, so that she could not hear
any of the Prayer, or Singing, till the two or three last words of the
Psalm.[117]
8. One _Foster_, who confessed her own share in the Witchcraft, for
which the Prisoner stood Indicted, affirmed, that she had seen
the Prisoner at some of their Witch-meetings, and that it was this
_Carryer_, who perswaded her to be a Witch. She confessed that the
Devil carried them on [139] a Pole to a Witch-meeting, but the Pole
broke, and she hanging about _Carryer's_ Neck, they both fell down, and
she then received an hurt by the fall, whereof she was not at this very
time recovered.[118]
9. One _Lacy_, who likewise confessed her share in this Witchcraft,
now testified that she and the Prisoner, were once bodily present, at
a Witch-meeting in _Salem_-Village, and that she knew the Prisoner to
be a Witch, and to have been at a Diabolical Sacrament, and that the
Prisoner was the undoing of her and her Children, by enticing them into
the Snare of the Devil.[119]
10. Another _Lacy_, who also confessed her share in this Witchcraft,
now testified that the Prisoner was at the Witch meeting in
_Salem_-Village, where they had Bread and Wine administred unto them.
11. In the time of this Prisoners Tryal, one _Susanna Shelden_[120]
in open Court, had her Hands unaccountably tied together, with a
Wheel-band, so fast, that without cutting, it could not be loosed. It
was done by a Spectre; and the Sufferer affirm'd, it was the Prisoners.
_Memorandum._ This _Rampant Hag, Martha Carryer_, was the person of
whom the Confessions of the Witches and of her own Children, among the
rest, agreed, that the Devil had promised her, she should be Queen of
Hell.[121]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account