And considering that this may fall into the hands of such as never saw those
Wonders, it may be needful to transcribe the whole account he has given thereof,
without any variation (but with one of the Indictments annext to the Tryal of
each).[308]
Thus far the Account given in Wonders of the
Invisible World; in which setting aside such words as these, in the Tryal
of G. B. viz., “They (i.
e. the Witnesses) were enough to fix the character of a Witch upon
him.”[309]
In the Tryal of Bishop, these words, “but there was no need of
them,” i. e. of further Testimony.[310]
In the Tryal of How, where it is said, “and there came in Testimony
of preternatural Mischiefs, presently befalling some that had been instrumental to
debar her from the Communion, whereupon she was intruding.”[311] Martin
is call'd “one of
the most impudent, scurrilous, wicked Creatures in the World.” In his
Account of Martha Carryer, he is pleased to call her “a Rampant
Hag,”
[312] etc.
These Expressions, as they manifest that he wrote more like an Advocate
than an Historian,[313] so also that those
that were his Imployers[314] were not mistaken
in their choice of him for that work, however he may have mist it in other
things.
As in his owning (in the Tryal of G. B.) That the Testimony of the
bewitched and confessors was not enough against the Accused, for it is known
that not only in New-England, such Evidence has been taken for sufficient, but
also in England, as himself there owns, and will also hold true of Scotland, etc.,
they having proceeded upon such Evidence, to the taking away of the Lives of
many, to assert that this is not enough is to tell the World that such Executions
were but so many Bloody Murders; which surely was not his intent to say.
His telling that the Court began to think that Burroughs stept aside to put
on invisibility, is a rendring them so mean Philosophers, and such weak
Christians, as to be fit to be imposed upon by any silly pretender.
His calling the Evidence against How trivial, and others against Burroughs,
he accounts no part of his Conviction; and that of lifting a Gun with one Finger,
its being not made use of as Evidence, renders the whole but the more perplext.
(Not to mention the many mistakes therein contain'd.)[315]
Yet all this (and more that might have been hinted at) does not hinder, but
that his Account of the manner of Trials of those for Witchcraft is as faithfully
related as any Tryals of that kind, that was ever yet made
publick;[316] and it may
also
be reasonably thought that there was as careful a Scrutiny, and as unquestion'd
Evidences improved, as had been formerly used in the Tryals of others, for such
crimes in other places. Tho indeed a second part might be very useful, to set
forth which was the Evidence Convictive in these Tryals, for it is not supposed,
that Romantick or Ridiculous stories should have any influence, such as biting a
Spectres Finger, so that the Blood flowed out, or such as Shattock's Story of 12
Years standing, which yet was presently 18 Years or more, and yet a Man of that
excellent Memory, as to be able to recall a small difference his Wife had with
another Woman, when Eighteen Years were past.
[317]
As it is not to be supposed that such as these could Influence any Judge or
Jury, so not unkindness to relations, or God's having given to one Man more
strength than to some others, the over-setting of Carts, or the death of Cattle, nor
yet Excrescencies (call'd Tets) nor little bits of Rags tied together (call'd
Poppets.) Much less any persons illness, or having their Cloaths rent when a
Spectre has been well banged, much less the burning the Mares Fart, mentioned
in the Tryal of How.[318]
None of these being in the least capable of proving the Indictment; The
supposed Criminals were Indicted for Afflicting, etc., such and such particular
persons by Witchcraft, to which none of these Evidences have one word to say,
and the Afflicted and Confessors being declared not enough, the matter needs yet
further explaining.[319]
But to proceed, the General Court having sat and enacted Laws, particularly
one against Witchcraft, assigning the Penalty of Death to any that shall feed,
reward or employ, etc., Evil Spirits, though it has not yet been explained what
is intended thereby, or what it is to feed, reward or imploy Devils, etc., yet some
of the Legislators have given this instead of an Explanation, that they had therein
but Copied the Law of another Country.[320]
January 3. By vertue of an Act of the General
Court, the first Superior Court was held at Salem, for the County of Essex, the
Judges appointed were Mr. William Stoughton (the Lieutenant Governour)
Thomas Danforth, John Richards, Wait Winthorp,[321] and Samuel Sewall, Esquires,
Where Ignoramus[322] was found upon the several Bills of Indictment against Thirty,
and Billa Vera[323] against Twenty six more; of all
these Three only were found Guilty by the Jewry upon Trial, two of which were
(as appears by their Behaviour) the most senseless and Ignorant Creatures that
could be found;[324] besides which it does not appear what came in against those
more than against the rest that were acquitted.[325]
The Third was the Wife of Wardwell, who was one of the Twenty
Executed, and it seems they had both confessed themselves Guilty; but he
retracting his said Confession, was tried and Executed;[326] it is supposed that this
Woman fearing her Husbands fate, was not so stiff in her denyals of her former
Confession, such as it was. These Three received Sentence of Death.
At these Tryals some of the Jewry made Inquiry of the Court, what
Account they ought to make of the Spectre Evidence? and received for Answer
“as much as of Chips in Wort.”[327]
January 31, 169 2/3. The Superior Court began
at Charles-town, for the County of Middlesex, Mr. Stoughton, Mr. Danforth, Mr.
Winthorp, and Mr. Sewall Judges, where several had Ignoramus returned upon
their Bills of Indictment, and Billa Vera upon
others.
In the time the Court sat, word was brought in, that a Reprieve was sent
to Salem,[328] and had prevented the Execution of Seven of those that were there
Condemned, which so moved the chief Judge,[329] that he said to this effect,
“We were in a way to have cleared the Land of these, etc., who
it is obstructs
the course of Justice I know not; the Lord be merciful to the
Countrey,” and so went off the Bench, and came no more that Court: The
most remarkable of the Tryals, was of Sarah Daston, she was a Woman of about
70 or 80 Years of Age. To usher in her Tryal, a report went before, that if there
were a Witch in the World she was one, as having been so accounted of, for 20
or 30 Years; which drew many People from Boston, etc., to hear her Tryal.
There were a multitude of Witnesses produced against her; but what Testimony
they gave in seemed wholly forreign, as of accidents, illness, etc., befalling them,
or theirs after some Quarrel; what these testified was much of it of Actions said
to be done 20 Years before that time. The Spectre-Evidence was not made use of
in these Tryals, so that the Jewry soon brought her in not Guilty; her Daughter
and Grand-daughter, and the rest that were then tried, were also acquitted. After
she was cleared Judge Danforth Admonished her in these words, “Woman,
Woman, repent, there are shrewd things come in against you”; she was
remanded to Prison for her Fees, and there in a short time expired. One of
Boston that had been at the Tryal of Daston, being the same Evening in company
with one of the Judges in a publick place, acquainted him that some that had been
both at the Tryals at Salem and at this at Charlestown, had asserted that there was
more Evidence against the said Daston than against any at Salem, to which the
said Judge conceeded, saying, That it was so. It was replied by that person, that
he dare give it under his hand, that there was not enough come in against her to
bear a just reproof.
[330]
April 25, 1693. The first Superiour Court was
held at Boston, for the County of Suffolk, the Judges were the Lieutenant
Governour, Mr. Danforth, Mr. Richards and Mr. Sewall, Esquires.
Where (besides the acquitting Mr. John Aldin by Proclamation) the most
remarkable was, what related to Mary Watkins, who had been a Servant, and
lived about Seven Miles from Boston, having formerly Accused her Mistress of
Witch
craft, and was supposed to be distracted, she was threatned if she persisted in
such Accusations to be punished; this with the necessary care to recover her
Health, had that good effect, that she not only had her Health restored, but also
wholly acquitted her Mistress of any such Crimes, and continued in Health till the
return of the Year, and then again falling into Melancholly humours she was
found strangling her self; her Life being hereby prolonged, she immediately
accused her self of being a Witch; was carried before a Magistrate and
committed. At this Court a Bill of Indictment was brought to the Grand Jury
against her, and her confession upon her Examination given in as Evidence, but
these not wholly satisfied herewith, sent for her, who gave such account of her
self, that they (after they had returned into the Court to ask some Questions)
Twelve of them agreed to find Ignoramus, but the Court was pleased to send
them out again, who again at coming in returned it as before.
She was continued for some time in Prison, etc., and at length was sold to
Virginia.[331] About this time the
Prisoners in all the Prisons were released.[332]
To omit here the mentioning of several Wenches in Boston, etc., who
pretended to be Afflicted, and accused several, the Ministers often visiting them,
and praying with them, concerning whose Affliction Narratives are in being in
Manuscript.[333] Not only these, but the generality of those Accusers may have since
convinc'd the Ministers by their vicious courses that they might err in extending
too much Charity to them.
The conclusion of the whole in the Massachusetts Colony was, Sir William
Phips, Governour, being call'd home, before he went he pardon'd such as had
been condemned, for which they gave about 30 Shillings each to the Kings
Attorney.[334]
In August 1697. The Superiour Court sat at
Hartford, in the Colony of Connecticut, where one Mistress Benom was tried for
Witchcraft, she had been accused by some Children that pretended to the Spectral
sight; they searched her several times for Tets; they tried the Experiment of
casting her into the Water,[335] and after this she was Excommunicated by the
Minister of Wallinsford.[336] Upon her Tryal nothing material appearing against her,
save Spectre Evidence, she was acquitted, as also her Daughter, a Girl of Twelve
or Thirteen Years old, who had been likewise Accused; but upon renewed
Complaints against them, they both fled into New-York Government.[337]
Before this the Government Issued forth the following
Proclamation.[338]
By the Honourable the Lieutenant Governour, Council
and Assembly of his Majesties Province of the Massachusetts Bay, in General
Court Assembled.
Whereas the Anger of God is not yet turned away, but his Hand is still
stretched out against his People in manifold Judgments, particularly in drawing
out to such a length the troubles of Europe, by a perplexing War; and more
especially, respecting ourselves in this Province, in that God is pleased still to go
on in diminishing our Substance, cutting short our Harvest, blasting our most
promising undertakings more ways than one, unsetling of us,[339] and by his more
Immediate hand, snatching away many out of our Embraces, by sudden and
violent Deaths, even at this time when the Sword is devouring so many both at
home and abroad, and that after many days of publick and Solemn addressing of
him, And altho considering the many Sins prevailing in the midst of us, we
cannot but wonder at the Patience and Mercy moderating these Rebukes; yet we
cannot but also fear that there is something still wanting to accompany our
Supplications. And doubtless there are some particular Sins, which God is Angry
with our Israel for, that have not been duly seen and resented by us, about which
God expects to be sought, if ever he turn again our Captivity.
Wherefore it is Commanded and Appointed, that Thursday the Fourteenth
of January next be observed as a Day of Prayer, with Fasting throughout this
Province, strictly forbidding all Servile labour thereon; that so all Gods People
may offer up fervent Supplications unto him, for the Preservation, and Prosperity
of his Majesty's Royal Person and Government, and Success to attend his Affairs
both at home and abroad; that all iniquity may be put away which hath stirred
God's Holy jealousie against this Land; that he would shew us what we know not,
and help us wherein we have done amiss to do so no more; and especially that
whatever mistakes on either hand have been fallen into, either by the body of this
People, or any orders of men, referring to the late Tragedy, raised among us by
Satan and his Instruments, thro the awful Judgment of God, he would humble us
therefore[340]and pardon all the Errors of his Servants and People, that desire to
love his Name and be attoned to his Land; that he would remove the Rod of the
wicked from off the Lot of the Righteous; that he would bring the American
Heathen, and cause them to hear and obey his Voice.
Given at Boston, Decemb. 17, 1696, in the 8th Year of his Majesties
Reign.
Isaac Addington, Secretary.
