Giles Corey, Yeoman Part 7

_Martha._ I am no witch. I am a gospel woman. There is no such thing as a witch. Shall I confess that I am what doth not exist? It were not only a lie, but a fool's lie.

_Mercy._ There is a black man whispering in her ears.

_Hathorne._ What saith the black man to you, goodwife?

_Martha._ I pray your wors.h.i.+ps to ask the maid. Perchance, since she sees him, she can also hear what he saith better than I.

_Hathorne._ Why do you not tell how the devil comes in your shape and hurts these maids?

_Martha._ How can I tell how? I was never acquaint with the ways of the devil. I leave it to those wise maids who are so well acquaint to tell how. Perchance he hath whispered it in their ears.

_Afflicted Girls._ Oh, there is a yellow bird! There is a yellow bird perched on her head!

_Hathorne._ What say you to that, Goodwife Corey?

_Martha._ What can I say to such folly?

_Hathorne._ Constables, let go the hands of Martha Corey.

[_The_ Constables _let go her hands, and immediately there is a great outcry from the_ Afflicted Girls.

_Afflicted Girls._ She pinches us! Hold her hands! Hold her hands again! Oh! oh!

_Ann._ She is upon me again! She digs her fingers into my throat!

Hold her hands! Hold her hands! She will be the death of me!

_Giles._ Devil take ye, ye lying trollop! 'Tis a pity somebody had not been the death of ye before this happened!

_Hathorne._ Constables, hold the hands of the accused.

[Constables _obey, and at once the afflicted are quiet._

_Hathorne._ Goodwife Corey, what do you say to this?

_Martha._ I see with whom we have to do. May the Lord have mercy upon us!

_Hathorne._ What say you to the charges that your husband, Giles Corey, hath many a time brought against you in the presence of witnesses--that you hindered him when he would go to prayer, causing the words to go from him strangely; that you were out after nightfall, and did ride home on a broomstick; and that you scoffed at these maids and their affliction, as if you were a witch yourself?

_Giles._ I said not so! Martha, I said it not so!

_Hathorne._ What say you to your husband's charge that you did afflict his ox and cat, causing his ox to fall in the yard, and the cat to be strangely sick?

_Giles._ Devil take the ox and the cat! I said not that she did afflict them.

_Hathorne._ Peace, Goodman Corey; you are now in court.

_Martha._ I say, if a gospel woman is to be hung as a witch for every stumbling ox and sick cat, 'tis setting a high value upon oxen and cats.

_Giles._ I would mine had all been knocked in the head, la.s.s, and me too!

_Hathorne._ Peace! Ann Hutchins, what saw you when Goodwife Corey went home with you through the wood?

_Ann._ Hold fast her hands, I pray, or she will kill me. The trees were so full of yellow birds that it sounded as if a mighty wind pa.s.sed over them, and the birds lit on Goody Corey's head. And black beasts ran alongside through the bushes, which did break and crackle, and they were at Goody Corey and me to go to the witch dance on the hill. And they said to bring Olive Corey and Paul Bayley. And Goody Corey told them how she and Olive would presently come, but not Paul, for he never would sign the book, not even though Olive trapped him by the arts they had taught her. And Goody Corey showed me the book then, and besought me to sign, and go with her to the dance. And when I would not, she and Olive also afflicted me so grievously that I thought I could not live, and have done so ever since.

_Hathorne._ What say you to this, Goodwife Corey?

_Martha._ I pray your wors.h.i.+p believe not what she doth charge against my daughter.

_Corwin._ Mercy Lewis, do you say that you have seen both of the accused afflicting Ann Hutchins?

_Mercy._ Yes, your wors.h.i.+p, many a time have I seen them pressing her to sign the book, and afflicting when she would not.

_Corwin._ How looked the book?

_Mercy._ 'Twas black, your wors.h.i.+p, with blood-red clasps.

_Corwin._ Read you the names in it?

_Mercy._ I strove to, your wors.h.i.+p, but I got not through the C's; there were too many of them.

_Hathorne._ Let the serving-woman, Nancy Fox, come hither.

[Nancy Fox _makes her way to the front._

_Hathorne._ Nancy, I have heard that your mistress afflicts you.

_Nancy._ That she doth.

_Hathorne._ In what manner?

_Nancy._ She sendeth me to bed at first candlelight as though I were a babe; she maketh me to wear a woollen petticoat in winter-time, though I was not brought up to't; and she will never let me drink more than one mug of cider at a sitting, and I nigh eighty, and needing on't to warm my bones.

_Corwin._ Hath she ever afflicted you? Your replies be not to the point, woman.

_Nancy._ Your wors.h.i.+p, she hath never had any respect for my understanding, and that hath greatly afflicted me.

_Hathorne._ Hath she ever shown you a book to sign?

_Nancy._ Verily she hath; and when I would not, hath afflicted me with sore pains in all my bones, so I cried out, on getting up, when I had set awhile.

_Hathorne._ Hath your mistress a familiar?

_Nancy._ Hey?

_Hathorne._ Have you ever seen any strange thing with her?

_Nancy._ She hath a yellow bird which sits on her cap when she churns.