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
In the beginning of the Evening I went to give Mr. _P._ a Visit. When I
was there, his Kinswoman, _Abigail Williams_, (about 12 Years of Age)
had a grievous fit; she was at first hurried with violence to and fro in
the Room (though Mrs. _Ingersol_ endeavoured to hold her) sometimes
making as if she would fly, stretching up her Arms as high as she could,
and crying, _Whish, Whish, Whish_, several times; presently after she
said, there was Goodw. _N._ and said, _Do you not see her? Why there she
stands!_ And she said, Goodw. _N._ offered her THE BOOK, but she was
resolved she would not take it, saying often, _I wont, I wont, I wont
take it, I do not know what Book it is: I am sure it is none of God's
Book, it is the Devil's Book for ought I know._ After that, she ran to
the Fire, and begun to throw Fire-brands about the House, and run
against the Back, as if she would run up Chimney, and, as they said, she
had attempted to go into the Fire in other Fits.
On Lords Day, the Twentieth of _March_, there were sundry of the
afflicted Persons at Meeting, as Mrs. _Pope_, and Goodwife _Bibber_,
_Abigail Williams_, _Mary Walcut_, _Mary Lewes_, and Doctor _Grigg's_
Maid. There was also at Meeting, Goodwife _C._ (who was afterward
Examined on suspicion of being a _Witch_:) They had several sore Fits in
the time of Publick Worship, which did something interrupt me in my
first Prayer, being so unusual. After _Psalm_ was sung _Abigail
Williams_ said to me, _Now stand up, and name your Text!_ And after it
was read, she said, _It is a long Text._ In the beginning of Sermon,
Mrs. _Pope_, a Woman afflicted, said to me, _Now there is enough of
that._ And in the Afternoon, _Abigail Williams_, upon my referring to my
_Doctrine_, said to me, _I know no Doctrine you had, If you did name
one, I have forgot it._
In Sermon time, when Goodwife _C._ was present in the Meeting-House,
_Ab. W._ called out, _Look where Goodwife C. sits on the Beam suckling
her Yellow Bird betwixt her fingers!_ _Ann Putman_, another Girle
afflicted, said, _There was a Yellow Bird sat on my Hat as it hung on
the Pin in the Pulpit;_ but those that were by, restrained her from
speaking loud about it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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