The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England WitchesMather, Cotton
History
The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches
Mather, Cotton
Witchcraft -- New England -- Early works to 1800
'The Last Night my Daughter _Ann_, was grievously Tormented by Witches,
Threatning that she should be _Pressed_ to Death, before _Giles Cory_.
But thro' the Goodness of a Gracious God, she had at last a little
Respite. Whereupon there appeared unto her (she said) a man in a Winding
Sheet, who told her that _Giles Cory_ had Murdered him, by _Pressing_
him to Death with his Feet; but that the Devil there appeared unto him,
and Covenanted with him, and promised him, _He should not be Hanged._
The Apparition said, God Hardned his heart; that he should not hearken
to the Advice of the Court, and so Dy an easy Death; because as it said,
_It must be done to him as he has done to me._ The Apparition also said,
That _Giles Cory_, was carry'd to the Court for this, and that the Jury
had found the Murder, and that her Father knew the man, and the thing
was done before she was born. Now Sir, This is not a little strange to
us; that no body should Remember these things, all the while that _Giles
Cory_ was in Prison, and so often before the Court. For all people now
Remember very well, (and the Records of the Court also mention it,) That
about Seventeen Years ago, _Giles Cory_ kept a man in his House, that
was almost a Natural Fool: which Man Dy'd suddenly. A Jury was
impannel'd upon him, among whom was Dr. _Zorobbabel Endicot_; who found
the man bruised to Death, and having clodders of Blood about his Heart.
The Jury, whereof several are yet alive brought in the man Murdered; but
as if some Enchantment had hindred the Prosecution of the Matter, the
Court Proceeded not against _Giles Cory_, tho' it cost him a great deal
of Mony to get off.' Thus the Story.
_The Reverend and Worthy Author, having at the Direction of His
EXCELLENCY the Governour, so far Obliged the Publick, as to give some
Account of the Sufferings brought upon the Countrey by +Witchcraft+; and
of the Tryals which have passed upon several Executed for the Same:_
_Upon Perusal thereof, We find the Matters of Fact and Evidence, Truly
reported. And a Prospect given, of the +Methods of Conviction+, used in
the Proceedings of the Court at +Salem+_
Boston Octob. 11. William Stoughton
1692. Samuel Sewall.
But is _New-England_, the only Christian Countrey, that hath undergone
such Diabolical Molestations? No, there are other Good people, that have
in this way been harassed; but none in circumstances more like to
_Ours_, than the people of God, in _Sweedland_. The story is a very
Famous one; and it comes to Speak English by the Acute Pen of the
Excellent and Renowned Dr. _Horneck_. I shall only single out a few of
the more Memorable passages therein Occurring; and where it agrees with
what happened among ourselves, my Reader shall understand, by my
inserting a Word of every such thing in \Black Letter\.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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