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
III. It has been a frequent thing for the Bewitched People to be
entertained with Apparitions of _Ghosts_ of Murdered People, at the same
time that the _Spectres_ of the Witches trouble them. These Ghosts do
always affright the Beholders more than all the other spectral
Representations; and when they exhibit themselves, they cry out, of
being Murthered by the Witch-crafts or other Violences of the Persons
who are then in Spectre present. It is further considered, that once or
twice, these _Apparitions_ have been seen by others, at the very same
time they have shewn themselves to the Bewitched; and seldom have there
been these _Apparitions_, but when something unusual or suspected, have
attended the Death of the Party thus Appearing. Some that have been
accused by these _Apparitions_ accosting of the Bewitched People, who
had never heard a word of any such Persons ever being in the World, have
upon a fair Examination, freely and fully confessed the Murthers of
those very Persons, altho' these also did not know how the Apparitions
had complained of them. Accordingly several of the Bewitched, had given
in their Testimony, that they had been troubled with the Apparitions of
two Women, who said, that they were _G. B's_ two Wives, and that he had
been the Death of them; and that the Magistrates must be told of it,
before whom if _B._ upon his Tryal denied it, they did not know but that
they should appear again in Court. Now, _G. B._ had been Infamous for the
Barbarous usage of his two late Wives, all the Country over. Moreover,
it was testified, the Spectre of _G. B._ threatning of the Sufferers,
told them, he had Killed (besides others) Mrs. _Lawson_ and her Daughter
_Ann_. And it was noted, that these were the Vertuous Wife and Daughter
of one at whom this _G. B._ might have a prejudice for his being
serviceable at _Salem Village_, from whence himself had in ill Terms
removed some Years before: And that when they dy'd, which was long
since, there were some odd Circumstances about them, which made some of
the Attendents there suspect something of Witch-craft, tho none Imagined
from what Quarter it should come.
Well, _G. B._ being now upon his Tryal, one of the Bewitched Persons was
cast into Horror at the Ghost of _B's_ two Deceased Wives then appearing
before him, and crying for _Vengeance_ against him. Hereupon several of
the Bewitched Persons were successively called in, who all not knowing
what the former had seen and said, concurred in their Horror of the
Apparition, which they affirmed that he had before him. But he, tho much
appalled, utterly deny'd that he discerned any thing of it; nor was it
any part of his _Conviction_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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