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
Now, one of the latest Printed Accounts about a _Tryal of Witches_, is
of what was before him, and it ran on this wise. [Printed in the Year
1682.] And it is here the rather mentioned, because it was a Tryal, much
considered by the Judges of _New England_.
_I._ _Rose Cullender_ and _Amy Duny_, were severally Indicted, for
Bewitching _Elizabeth Durent_, _Ann Durent_, _Jane Bocking_, _Susan
Chandler_, _William Durent_, _Elizabeth_ and _Deborah Pacy_. And the
Evidence whereon they were Convicted, stood upon divers particular
Circumstances.
_II._ _Ann Durent_, _Susan Chandler_, and _Elizabeth Pacy_, when they
came into the Hall, to give Instructions for the drawing the Bills of
Indictments, they fell into strange and violent Fits, so that they were
unable to give in their Depositions, not only then, but also during the
whole Assizes. _William Durent_ being an Infant, his Mother Swore, That
_Amy Duny_ looking after her Child one Day in her absence, did at her
return confess, that she had _given suck to the Child_: (tho' she were
an Old Woman:) Whereat, when _Durent_ expressed her displeasure, _Duny_
went away with Discontents and Menaces.
The Night after, the Child fell into strange and sad Fits, wherein it
continued for Divers Weeks. One Doctor _Jacob_ advised her to hang up
the Childs Blanket, in the Chimney Corner all Day, and at Night, when
she went to put the Child into it, if she found any Thing in it then to
throw it without fear into the Fire. Accordingly, at Night, there fell a
great Toad out of the Blanket, which ran up and down the Hearth. A Boy
catch't it, and held it in the Fire with the Tongs: where it made an
horrible Noise, and Flash'd like to Gun-Powder, with a report like that
of a Pistol: Whereupon the Toad was no more to be seen. The next Day a
Kinswoman of _Duny's_, told the Deponent, that her Aunt was all
grievously scorch'd with the Fire, and the Deponent going to her House,
found her in such a Condition. _Duny_ told her, she might thank her for
it; but she should live to see some of her Children Dead, and her self
upon Crutches. But after the Burning of the Toad, this Child Recovered.
This Deponent further Testifi'd, That Her Daughter _Elizabeth_, being
about the Age of Ten Years, was taken in like manner, as her first Child
was, and in her Fits complained much of _Amy Duny_, and said, that she
did appear to Her, and afflict her in such manner as the former. One
Day she found _Amy Duny_ in her House, and thrusting her out of Doors,
_Duny_ said, _You need not be so Angry, your Child won't live long._ And
within three Days the Child Died. The Deponent added, that she was Her
self, not long after taken with such a Lameness, in both her Legs, that
she was forced to go upon Crutches; and she was now in Court upon them.
[It was Remarkable, that immediately upon the Juries bringing in _Duny_
Guilty, _Durent_ was restored unto the use of her Limbs, and went home
without her Crutches.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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