 | Narratives of the Witchcraft Cases, 1648-1706 |  |
Remarks concerning the Accused.
1. For introduction to the discovery of those that afflicted them, It is reported Mr. Parris's Indian Man and Woman made a Cake of Rye Meal, and the Childrens water, baked it
2. In Time of Examination, they seemed little affected, though all the Spectators were much grieved to see it.
3. Natural Actions in them produced Preternatural actions in the Afflicted, so that they are their own Image without any Poppits of Wax or otherwise.[41]
4. That they are accused to have a Company about 23 or 24 and they did Muster in Armes, as it seemed to the Afflicted Persons.
5. Since they were confined, the Persons have not been so much Afflicted with their appearing to them, Biteing or Pinching of them, etc.
6. They are reported by the Afflicted Persons to keep dayes of Fast and dayes of Thanksgiving, and Sacraments;. Satan endeavours to Transforme himself to an Angel of Light, and to make his Kingdom and Administrations to resemble those of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7. Satan Rages Principally amongst the Visible Subjects of Christ's Kingdom and makes use (at least in appearance) of some of them to Afflict others; that Christ's Kingdom may be divided against it self, and so be weakened.
8. Several things used in England at Tryal of Witches, to the Number of 14 or 15, which are wont to pass instead of or in Concurrence with Witnesses, at least 6 or 7 of them are found in these accused: see Keebles Statutes.[42]
9. Some of the most solid Alflicted Persons do affirme the same things concerning seeing the accused out of their Fitts as well as in them.
10. The Witches had a Fast, and told one of the Afflicted Girles, she
must not Eat, because it was Fast Day, she said, she would: they told
her they would Choake her then; which when she did eat, was
endeavoured.
Finis.
Notes
I. e.,these witches have no need, as do others (see p. 104), to make images, or puppets, in the likeness of those they wish to torment, and then by torturing the puppets to inflict the same tortures on those they represent: these witches have only to act, and their victims are preternaturally compelled to the same action.
is meant is clearly not the collection of English statutes compiled by Joseph Keeble, or Keble, (1632-1710). Often printed (1676, 1681, 1684, 1695, 1706), this seems to have been standard in the colonies as at home; but it contains absolutely nothing but the text of the statutes in force, “with the titles of such as are expired, repealed, altered, or out of use,” and at the end an analytical table of subjects.” The work really meant is Keble's An Assistance to Justices of the Peace (London, 1683, 1689). This work, however, borrows its pages on witchcraft (pp. 217-220) from the older manuals of Lambarde, West, and Dalton; and the passage in question is one compiled by Michael Dalton, for the later editions of his The Countrey Justice, from Thomas Potts's Discoverie of Witches (1613) and Richard Barnard's Guide to Grand-Jury Men (1627). For aid in this identification, and for a transcript of these pages from the Harvard copy of Keble, the editor is indebted to Mr. David M. Matteson.
| Narratives of the Witchcraft Cases, 1648-1706 | |