The Wonders of the Invisible World Part 4

All this while, Mr. _Beacon_ had no advice of any thing amiss attending his Brother then in _England_; but about the latter end of _June_ following, he understood by the common ways of Communication, that the _April_ before, his Brother going in haste by Night to call a Coach for a Lady, met a Fellow then in Drink, with his _Doxy_ in his Hand: Some way or other the Fellow thought himself Affronted with the hasty pa.s.sage of this _Beacon_, and immediately ran into the Fire-side of a Neighbouring Tavern, from whence he fetch'd out a Fire-fork, wherewith he grievously wounded _Beacon_ in the Skull; even in that very part where the Apparition show'd his Wound. Of this Wound he Languished until he Dyed on the Second of _May_, about five of the Clock in the Morning at _London_. The Murderer it seems was endeavouring to Escape, as the Apparition affirm'd, but the Friends of the Deceased _Beacon_, Seized him; and Prosecuting him at Law, he found the help of such Friends as brought him off without the loss of his Life; since which, there has no more been heard of the Business.

This History I received of Mr. _Joseph Beacon_ himself; who a little before his own Pious and hopeful Death, which follow'd not long after, gave me the Story written and signed with his own Hand, and attested with the Circ.u.mstances I have already mentioned.

But I shall no longer detain my Reader, from his expected Entertainment, in a brief account of the Tryals which have pa.s.sed upon some of the Malefactors lately Executed at _Salem_, for the _Witchcrafts_ whereof they stood Convicted. For my own part, I was not present at any of them; nor ever had I any Personal prejudice at the Persons thus brought upon the Stage; much less at the Surviving Relations of those Persons, with and for whom I would be as hearty a Mourner as any Man living in the World: _The Lord Comfort them!_ But having received a Command so to do, I can do no other than shortly relate the chief _Matters of Fact_, which occurr'd in the Tryals of some that were Executed, in an Abridgment Collected out of the _Court-Papers_, on this occasion put into my hands.

You are to take the _Truth_, just as it was; and the Truth will hurt no good Man. There might have been more of these, if my Book would not thereby have swollen too big; and if some other worthy hands did not perhaps intend something further in these _Collections_; for which cause I have only singled out Four or Five, which may serve to ill.u.s.trate the way of Dealing, wherein _Witchcrafts_ use to be concerned; and I report matters not as an _Advocate_, but as an _Historian_.

They were some of the Gracious Words inserted in the Advice, which many of the Neighbouring Ministers, did this Summer humbly lay before our Honorable Judges, _We cannot but with all thankfulness, acknowledge the success which the Merciful G.o.d has given unto the Sedulous and a.s.siduous endeavours of Our Honourable Rulers, to detect the abominable Witchcrafts which have been committed in the Country; Humbly Praying, that the discovery of those mysterious and mischievous wickednesses, may be Perfected._ If in the midst of the many Dissatisfactions among us, the Publication of these Tryals, may promote such a Pious Thankfulness unto G.o.d, for Justice being so far executed among us, I shall Rejoice that G.o.d is Glorified; and pray, that no wrong steps of ours may ever sully any of his Glorious Works. But we will begin with,

A MODERN INSTANCE OF WITCHES,

DISCOVERED AND CONDEMNED IN A TRYAL,

BEFORE THAT CELEBRATED JUDGE,

SIR MATTHEW HALE.

It may cast some Light upon the Dark things now in _America_, if we just give a glance upon the _like things_ lately happening in _Europe_. We may see the _Witchcrafts_ here most exactly resemble the _Witchcrafts_ there; and we may learn what sort of Devils do trouble the World.

The Venerable _Baxter_ very truly says, _Judge +Hale+ was a Person, than whom, no Man was more Backward to Condemn a Witch, without full Evidence._

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 Circ.u.mstances.

_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 a.s.sizes. _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.]

_III._ As for _Elizabeth_ and _Deborah Pacy_, one Aged Eleven Years, the other Nine; the elder, being in Court, was made utterly senseless, during all the time of the Trial: or at least speechless. By the direction of the Judg, _Duny_ was privately brought to _Elizabeth Pacy_, and she touched her Hand: whereupon the Child, without so much as seeing her, suddenly leap'd up and flew upon the Prisoner; the younger was too ill, to be brought unto the a.s.sizes. But _Samuel Pacy_, their Father, testifi'd, that his Daughter _Deborah_ was taken with a sudden Lameness; and upon the grumbling of _Amy Duny_, for being denied something, where this Child was then sitting, the Child was taken with an extream pain in her stomach, like the p.r.i.c.king of Pins; and shrieking at a dreadful manner, like a Whelp, rather than a Rational Creature. The Physicians could not conjecture the cause of the Distemper; but _Amy Duny_ being a Woman of ill Fame, and the Child in Fits crying out of _Amy Duny_, as affrighting her with the Apparition of her Person, the Deponent suspected her, and procured her to be set in the stocks. While she was there, she said in the hearing of Two Witnesses, _Mr. +Pacy+ keeps a great stir about his Child, but let him stay till he has done as much by his Children, as I have done by mine:_ And being Asked, What she had done to her Children, she Answered, _She had been fain to open her Childs Mouth with a Tap to give it Victuals._ The Deponent added, that within Two Days, the Fits of his Daughters were such, that they could not preserve either Life or Breath, without the help of a Tap. And that the Children Cry'd out of _Amy Duny_, and of _Rose Cullender_, as afflicting them with their Apparitions.

_IV._ The Fits of the Children were various. They would sometimes be Lame on one side; sometimes on t'other. Sometimes very sore; sometimes restored unto their Limbs, and then Deaf, or Blind, or Dumb, for a long while together. Upon the Recovery of their Speech, they would Cough extreamly; and with much Flegm, they would bring up Crooked Pins; and one time, a Two-penny Nail, with a very broad Head. Commonly at the end of every Fit, they would cast up a Pin. When the Children Read, they could not p.r.o.nounce the Name of, _Lord_, or _Jesus_, or _Christ_, but would fall into Fits; and say, Amy Duny _says_, _I must not use that Name._ When they came to the Name of _Satan_, or _Devil_, they would clap their Fingers on the Book, crying out, _This bites, but it makes me speak right well!_ The Children in their Fits would often Cry out, _There stands_ Amy Duny, or _Rose Cullender_; and they would afterwards relate, _That these Witches appearing before them, threatned them, that if they told what they saw or heard, they would Torment them ten times more than ever they did before._

_V._ _Margaret Arnold_, the Sister of Mr. _Pacy_, Testifi'd unto the like Sufferings being upon the Children, at her House, whither her Brother had Removed them. And that sometimes, the Children (_only_) would see things like Mice, run about the House; and one of them suddenly snap'd one with the Tongs, and threw it into the Fire, where it screeched out like a Rat. At another time, a thing like a Bee, flew at the Face of the younger Child; the Child fell into a Fit; and at last Vomited up a _Two-penny Nail_, with a Broad Head; affirming, _That the Bee brought this Nail, and forced it into her Mouth._ The Child would in like manner be a.s.saulted with Flies, which brought Crooked Pins, unto her, and made her first swallow them, and then Vomit them. She one Day caught an Invisible _Mouse_, and throwing it into the Fire, it Flash'd like to Gun-Powder. None besides the Child saw the _Mouse_, but every one saw the _Flash_. She also declared, out of her Fits, that in them, _Amy Duny_ much tempted her to destroy her self.

_VI._ As for _Ann Durent_, her Father Testified, That upon a Discontent of _Rose Cullender_, his Daughter was taken with much Illness in her Stomach and great and sore Pains, like the p.r.i.c.king of Pins: and then Swooning Fits, from which Recovering, she declared, _She had seen the Apparition of +Rose Cullender+, Threatning to Torment her._ She likewise Vomited up diverse Pins. The Maid was Present at Court, but when _Cullender_ look'd upon her, she fell into such Fits, as made her utterly unable to declare any thing.

_Ann Baldwin_ deposed the same.

_VII._ _Jane Bocking_, was too weak to be at the a.s.sizes. But her Mother Testifi'd, that her Daughter having formerly been Afflicted with Swooning Fits, and Recovered of them; was now taken with a great Pain in her Stomach; and New Swooning Fits. That she took little Food, but every Day Vomited Crooked Pins. In her first Fits, she would Extend her Arms, and use Postures, as if she catched at something, and when her Clutched Hands were forced open, they would find several Pins diversely Crooked, unaccountably lodged there. She would also maintain a Discourse with some that were Invisibly present, when casting abroad her Arms, she would often say, _I will not have it!_ but at last say, _Then I will have it!_ and closing her Hand, which when they presently after opened, a Lath-Nail was found in it. But her great Complaints were of being Visited by the shapes of _Amy Duny_, and _Rose Cullender_.

_VIII._ As for _Susan Chandler_, her Mother Testified, That being at the search of _Rose Cullender_, they found on her Belly a thing like a Teat, of an Inch long; which the _said Rose_ ascribed to a strain. But near her Privy-parts, they found Three more, that were smaller than the former. At the end of the long Teat, there was a little Hole, which appeared, as if newly Sucked; and upon straining it, a white Milky matter issued out. The Deponent further said, That her Daughter being one Day concerned at _Rose Cullenders_ taking her by the Hand, she fell very sick, and at Night cry'd out, _That +Rose Cullender+ would come to Bed unto her._ Her Fits grew violent, and in the Intervals of them, she declared, _That she saw +Rose Cullender+ in them, and once having of a great Dog with her._ She also Vomited up Crooked Pins; and when she was brought into Court, she fell into her Fits. She Recovered her self in some Time, and was asked by the Court, whether she was in a Condition to take an Oath, and give Evidence. She said, she could; but having been Sworn, she fell into her Fits again, and, _Burn her! Burn her!_ were all the words that she could obtain power to speak. Her Father likewise gave the same Testimony with her Mother; as to all but the Search.

_IX._ Here was the Sum of the Evidence: Which Mr. Serjeant _Keeling_, thought not sufficient to Convict the Prisoners. For admitting the Children were Bewitched, yet, said he, it can never be Apply'd unto the Prisoners, upon the Imagination only of the Parties Afflicted; inasmuch as no person whatsoever could then be in Safety.

Dr. _Brown_, a very Learned Person then present, gave his Opinion, that these Persons were Bewitched. He added, That in _Denmark_, there had been lately a great Discovery of Witches; who used the very same way of Afflicting people, by Conveying Pins and Nails into them. His Opinion was, that the Devil in Witchcrafts, did Work upon the Bodies of Men and Women, upon a _Natural Foundation_; and that he did Extraordinarily afflict them, with such Distempers as their Bodies were most subject unto.

_X._ The Experiment about the _Usefulness_, yea, or _Lawfulness_ whereof Good Men have sometimes disputed, was divers Times made, That tho' the Afflicted were utterly deprived of all sense in their Fits, yet upon the _Touch_ of the Accused, they would so screech out, and fly up, as not upon any other persons. And yet it was also found that once upon the touch of an innocent person, the like effect follow'd, which put the whole Court unto a stand: altho' a small Reason was at length attempted to be given for it.

_XI._ However, to strengthen the Credit of what had been already produced against the Prisoners, One _John Soam_ Testifi'd, That bringing home his Hay in Three Carts, one of the Carts wrenched the Window of _Rose Cullenders_ House, whereupon she flew out, with violent Threatenings against the Deponent. The other Two Carts, pa.s.sed by Twice, Loaded, that Day afterwards; but the Cart which touched _Cullenders_ House, was Twice or Thrice that Day overturned. Having again Loaded it, as they brought it thro' the Gate which Leads out of the Field, the Cart stuck so fast in the Gates Head, that they could not possibly get it thro', but were forced to cut down the Post of the Gate, to make the Cart pa.s.s thro', altho' they could not perceive that the Cart did of either side touch the Gate-Post. They afterwards, did with much Difficulty get it home to the Yard; but could not for their Lives get the Cart near the place, where they should unload. They were fain to unload at a great Distance; and when they were Tired, the Noses of them that came to a.s.sist them, would burst forth a Bleeding; so they were fain to give over till next morning; and then they unloaded without any difficulty.

_XII._ _Robert Sherringham_ also Testifi'd, That the Axle-Tree of his Cart, happening in pa.s.sing, to break some part of _Rose Cullenders_ House, in her Anger at it, she vehemently threatned him, _His Horses should suffer for it._ And within a short time, all his Four Horses dy'd; after which he sustained many other Losses in the sudden Dying of his Cattle. He was also taken with a Lameness in his Limbs; and so vexed with Lice of an extraordinary Number and Bigness, that no Art could hinder the Swarming of them, till he burnt up two Suits of Apparel.

_XIII._ As for _Amy Duny_, 'twas Testifi'd by one _Richard Spencer_ that he heard her say, _The Devil would not let her Rest; until she were Revenged on the Wife of +Cornelius Sandswel+._ And that _Sandswel_ testifi'd, that her Poultry dy'd suddenly, upon _Amy Dunys_ threatning of them; and that her Husbands Chimney fell, quickly after _Duny_ had spoken of such a disaster. And a Firkin of Fish could not be kept from falling into the Water, upon suspicious words of _Duny's_.

_XIV._ The Judg told the Jury, they were to inquire now, first, whether these Children were Bewitched; and secondly, Whether the Prisoners at the Bar were guilty of it. He made no doubt, there were such Creatures as Witches; for the Scriptures affirmed it; and the Wisdom of all Nations had provided Laws against such persons. He pray'd the G.o.d of Heaven to direct their Hearts in the weighty thing they had in hand; for, _To Condemn the Innocent, and let the Guilty go free, were both an Abomination to the Lord._

The Jury in half an hour brought them in _Guilty_ upon their several Indictments, which were Nineteen in Number.

The next Morning, the Children with their Parents, came to the Lodgings of the Lord Chief Justice, and were in as good health as ever in their Lives; being Restored within half an Hour after the Witches were Convicted.

The Witches were Executed; and _Confessed_ nothing; which indeed will not be wondred by them, who Consider and Entertain the Judgment of a Judicious Writer, _That the Unpardonable Sin, is most usually Committed by Professors of the Christian Religion, falling into Witchcraft._

We will now proceed unto several of the like Tryals among our selves.

I.

THE TRYAL OF G. B. AT A COURT OF

OYER AND TERMINER,

HELD IN SALEM, 1692.

Glad should I have been, if I had never known the Name of this Man; or never had this occasion to mention so much as the first Letters of his Name. But the Government requiring some Account of his Trial to be inserted in this Book, it becomes me with all Obedience to submit unto the Order.

I. This _G. B._ Was Indicted for Witch-craft, and in the prosecution of the Charge against him, he was Accused by five or six of the Bewitched, as the Author of their Miseries; he was Accused by Eight of the Confessing Witches, as being an head Actor at some of their h.e.l.lish Randezvouzes, and one who had the promise of being a King in Satan's Kingdom, now going to be Erected: He was accused by Nine Persons for extraordinary Lifting, and such feats of Strength, as could not be done without a Diabolical a.s.sistance. And for other such things he was Accused, until about thirty Testimonies were brought in against him; nor were these judg'd the half of what might have been considered for his Conviction: However they were enough to fix the Character of a Witch upon him according to the Rules of Reasoning, by the Judicious _Gaule_, in that Case directed.

II. The Court being sensible, that the Testimonies of the Parties Bewitched, use to have a Room among the _Suspicions_ or _Presumptions_, brought in against one Indicted for Witch-craft; there were now heard the Testimonies of several Persons, who were most notoriously Bewitched, and every day Tortured by Invisible Hands, and these now all charged the Spectres of _G. B._ to have a share in their Torments. At the Examination of this _G. B._ the Bewitched People were grievously harra.s.sed with Preternatural Mischiefs, which could not possibly be Dissembled; and they still ascribed it unto the endeavours of _G. B._ to Kill them. And now upon the Tryal of one of the Bewitched Persons, testified, that in her Agonies, a little black Hair'd Man came to her, saying his Name was _B._ and bidding her set her hand to a Book which he shewed unto her; and bragging that he was a _Conjurer_, above the ordinary Rank of Witches; That he often Persecuted her with the offer of that Book, saying, _She should be well, and need fear n.o.body, if she would but Sign it;_ But he inflicted cruel Pains and Hurts upon her, because of her denying so to do. The Testimonies of the other Sufferers concurred with these; and it was remarkable, that whereas _Biting_ was one of the ways which the Witches used for the vexing of the Sufferers; when they cry'd out of _G. B._ Biting them, the print of the Teeth would be seen on the Flesh of the Complainers, and just such a Set of Teeth as _G. B's_ would then appear upon them, which could be distinguished from those of some other Mens. Others of them testified, That in their Torments, _G. B._ tempted them to go unto a Sacrament, unto which they perceived him with a Sound of Trumpet, Summoning of other Witches, who quickly after the Sound, would come from all Quarters unto the Rendezvouz. One of them falling into a kind of Trance, affirmed, that _G. B._ had carried her away into a very high Mountain, where he shewed her mighty and glorious Kingdoms, and said, _He would give them all to her, if she would write in his Book;_ but she told him, _They were none of his to give;_ and refused the Motions; enduring of much Misery for that refusal.

It cost the Court a wonderful deal of Trouble, to hear the Testimonies of the Sufferers; for when they were going to give in their Depositions, they would for a long time be taken with Fits, that made them uncapable of saying any thing. The Chief Judg asked the Prisoner, who he thought hindred these Witnesses from giving their _Testimonies_? And he answered, _He supposed it was the Devil._ That Honourable Person replied, _How comes the Devil then to be so loath to have any Testimony born against you?_ Which cast him into very great Confusion.

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 Circ.u.mstances 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_.

IV. Judicious Writers have a.s.signed it a great place in the Conviction of _Witches_, _when Persons are Impeached by other notorious Witches, to be as ill as themselves; especially, if the Persons have been much noted for neglecting the Wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d_. Now, as there might have been Testimonies enough of _G. B's_ Antipathy to _Prayer_, and the other Ordinances of G.o.d, tho by his Profession, singularly Obliged thereunto; so, there now came in against the Prisoner, the Testimonies of several Persons, who confessed their own having been horrible _Witches_, and ever since their Confessions, had been themselves terribly Tortured by the Devils and other Witches, even like the other Sufferers; and therein undergone the Pains of many _Deaths_ for their Confessions.