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
VIII. _Faltring, faulty, unconstant, and contrary Answers upon judicial
and deliberate Examination_, are counted some unlucky Symptoms of Guilt,
in all Crimes, especially in Witchcrafts. Now there never was a Prisoner
more eminent for them, than _G. B._ both at his Examination and on his
Trial. His _Tergiversations_, _Contradictions_, and _Falshoods_, were
very sensible: he had little to say, but that he had heard some things
that he could not prove, Reflecting upon the Reputation of some of the
Witnesses. Only he gave in a Paper to the Jury; wherein, altho' he had
many times before, granted, not only that there are _Witches_, but
also, that the present Sufferings of the Country are the effects of
_horrible Witchcrafts_, yet he now goes to evince it, _That there
neither are, nor ever were Witches, that having made a Compact with the
Devil, can send a Devil to Torment other people at a distance._ This
Paper was Transcribed out of _Ady_; which the Court presently knew, as
soon as they heard it. But he said, he had taken none of it out of any
Book; for which, his Evasion afterwards, was, That a Gentleman gave him
the Discourse in a Manuscript, from whence he Transcribed it.
IX. The Jury brought him in _Guilty_: But when he came to Die, he
utterly deni'd the Fact, whereof he had been thus convicted.
II.
THE TRYAL OF BRIDGET BISHOP, ALIAS
OLIVER, AT THE COURT OF OYER AND TERMINER,
HELD AT SALEM, JUNE 2. 1692.
I.
She was Indicted for Bewitching of several Persons in the Neighbourhood,
the Indictment being drawn up, according to the _Form_ in such Cases
usual. And pleading, _Not Guilty_, there were brought in several
persons, who had long undergone many kinds of Miseries, which were
preternaturally inflicted, and generally ascribed unto an _horrible
Witchcraft_. There was little occasion to prove the _Witchcraft_, it
being evident and notorious to all beholders. Now to fix the
_Witchcraft_ on the Prisoner at the Bar, the first thing used, was the
Testimony of the _Bewitched_; whereof several testifi'd, That the
_Shape_ of the Prisoner did oftentimes very grievously Pinch them, Choak
them, Bite them, and Afflict them; urging them to write their Names in a
_Book_, which the said Spectre called, _Ours_. One of them did further
testifie, that it was the _Shape_ of this Prisoner, with another, which
one day took her from her Wheel, and carrying her to the Riverside,
threatned there to Drown her, if she did not Sign to the _Book_
mentioned: which yet she refused. Others of them did also testifie, that
the said _Shape_ did in her Threats brag to them that she had been the
Death of sundry Persons, then by her named; that she had _Ridden_ a Man
then likewise named. Another testifi'd, the Apparition of _Ghosts_ unto
the Spectre of _Bishop_, crying out, _You Murdered us!_ About the Truth
whereof, there was in the Matter of Fact but too much suspicion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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