An Essay on Demonology 12

An Essay on Demonology 12

This

fellow had himself been accused of witchcraft, but had now become an

accuser for his own safety. He showed several old scars which he said

were the effects of witchcraft, but more likely of the lash. On

inquiry who they would accuse as the cause of their sufferings, they

cried out _Carey_, and immediately a warrant was sent by the justices

to bring my wife before them. Her chief accusers were two girls; my

wife declared to the justices that she never had any knowledge of

them before that day. She was obliged to stand with her arms

extended. I requested that I might hold one of her hands, but it was

denied me. She then desired that I would wipe the tears and the sweat

from her face and that she might lean herself on me as she was faint;

but justice Hathorn said she had strength enough to torment those

persons, and she should have strength enough to stand. I remonstrated

against such cruel treatment, but was commanded to be silent, or I

should be turned out of the room. Indian John was now called in to be

one of the accusers; he fell down and tumbled about like a brute, but

said nothing. The justices asked the girls who afflicted the Indian;

they answered she, (meaning my wife); the justices ordered her to

touch him in order to his cure; but her head must be turned another

way, lest instead of curing, she should make him worse by looking on

him; her hand was guided to take hold of his, but the Indian seized

hold of her hand, and pulled her down on the floor, in a violent

manner; then his hand was taken off, and her hand put on his, and the

cure was quickly wrought. My wife, after being thus cruelly treated,

was put into prison, and the jailor was ordered to put irons on her

legs which weighed about eight pounds. These chains, with her other

afflictions, soon produced convulsion fits, so that I was

apprehensive she would have died that night. I intreated that the

irons might be removed, but in vain. I now attended the trials at

Salem, and finding that spectre evidence, together with idle or

malicious stories, was received against the lives of innocent people,

I trembled for the fate of my wife; as the same evidence that would

serve for one would serve for all. In this awful situation, I thought

myself justifiable in devising some means of escape; and this,

through the goodness of God, was effected. We were pursued as far as

Rhode Island, but we reached New York in safety, where we were

kindly received by Governor Fletcher. To speak of the treatment of

the prisoners and the inhumanity shown them at their executions, is

more than any sober Christian can endure. Those that suffered, being

many of them church members, and most of them of blameless

conversation.--Jonathan Carey.'

 

Captain John Alden, of Boston, mariner, was sent for by the

magistrates of Salem, upon the accusation of several poor, distracted,

or possessed creatures, or witches. On his examination, these wretches

began their juggling tricks, falling down, crying out, and staring in

the faces of people; the magistrates demanded of them several times

who it was of all the people in the room, that hurt them; one of the

accusers pointed several times to one Captain Hill, but said nothing,

till a man standing behind her to hold her up, stooped down to her

ear, when she immediately cried out, Alden, Alden afflicted her. Being

asked if she had ever seen Alden, she answered no, but she said the

man told her so. Alden was then committed to custody, and his sword

taken from him, for they said he afflicted them with his sword. He

was next sent for to the meeting-house, by the magistrates, and was

ordered to stand on a chair to the open view of all the assembly. The

accusers cried out that Alden pinched them when he stood on the chair;

and one of the magistrates bid the marshal hold open his hands, that

he might not pinch those creatures. Mr Gidney, one of the justices,

bid Captain Alden confess, and give glory to God. He replied, he hoped

he should always give glory to God, but never would gratify the devil.

He asked them why they should think that he should come to that

village to afflict persons that he had never seen before; and appealed

to all present and challenged any one to produce a charge against his

character. Mr Gidney said he had known him many years, and had been to

sea with him, and always believed him to be an honest man; but now he

saw cause to alter his opinion. Alden asked Gidney what reason could

be given why his looking upon him did not strike him down as well as

the miserable accusers; but no reason could be given. He assured

Gidney that a lying spirit was in his accusers, and that there was not

a word of truth in all they said of him. Alden, however, was

committed to jail where he continued fifteen weeks, when he made his

escape. At the examinations, and at other times, it was usual for the

accusers to tell of the black man, or of a spectre, as being then on

the table; the people present would strike with swords or sticks at

those places. One justice broke his cane at this exercise; and

sometimes the accusers would say they struck the spectre; and it was

even reported that several of the accused women were hurt and wounded

thereby, though at home at the same time.

 

In June and July, the court of Oyer and Terminer proceeded on trials

and condemnations, and six miserable creatures were executed,

protesting their innocence.

 

At the trial of Sarah Good, one of the afflicted girls fell into a

fit, and after coming out of it, she cried out against the prisoner

for stabbing her in the breast while in court, and actually produced a

piece of the blade of the knife which she said was used and broken in

doing it. Upon this, a young man was called to prove the imposition.

He produced a haft and part of the blade, which the court, having

viewed and compared, found to be the same; and the young man affirmed,

that yesterday he happened to break that knife, and that he cast away

the upper part in the presence of the person who now produced it. The

girl was cautioned by the court not to tell any more lies, but was

still employed to give evidence against the prisoners whose lives were

in her hands.

 

Mr Noyes, the minister, urged Sarah Good to confess, saying he knew

she was a witch, and she knew she was a witch; to which she replied,

'You are a liar. I am no more a witch than you are a wizard.' At the

trial of Rebecca Nurse it was remarkable that the jury brought her in

not guilty; immediately all the accusers in the court, and soon after

all the afflicted out of court, made a hideous outcry, to the

amazement of the court and spectators. The court having expressed some

dissatisfaction, the jury were induced to go out again to consider

better one __EXPRESSION__ of hers when before the court. They now brought

her in guilty, and she was condemned. After her condemnation, she was

by Mr Noyes of Salem, excommunicated and given to the devil. The

governor, however, saw cause to grant a reprieve, upon which, when

known, the accusers renewed their dismal outcries against her,

insomuch that the governor was by some Salem gentlemen prevailed with

to recall the reprieve, and she was executed with the rest. The

testimonials of her Christian behaviour, both in the course of her

life, and at her death, are numerous and highly satisfactory. Mary

Easty, her sister, was also condemned. She was of a serious and

religious character, and before her execution she presented a petition

to the court and the reverend ministers at Salem, protesting her

innocence before God. She petitioned, not for her own life, for she

knew she must die; but most earnestly prayed, that if possible, no

more innocent blood might be shed. By her own innocence she said she

knew the court was in the wrong way, and humbly begged that their

honors would examine the confessing witches, being confident that many

of them had belied themselves and others. They had accused her and

others, she said, of having made a league with the devil, which she

and they most positively denied. 'The Lord alone, who is the searcher

of all hearts, knows that as I shall answer it at the tribunal seat,

that I know nothing of witchcraft, therefore I cannot, I dare not,

belie my own soul by confessing.' She intreats their honors not to

deny the humble petition of a poor, dying, innocent person, and prays

that the Lord will give a blessing to their endeavors that no more

innocent blood be shed. These two women were among the eight who were

executed together, when the Rev. Mr Noyes, turning towards the bodies,

said, what a sad thing it is to see eight firebrands of hell hanging

there!!

 

John Proctor, while confined in prison, complained that two young men

were compelled to a confession by being tied neck and heels till the

blood was ready to burst out of their noses. They then confessed that

one had been a wizard a month, and the other five weeks, and that

their mother had made them so when she had been confined in jail

without seeing them for nine weeks. He adds, 'My son, William Proctor,

when he was examined, because he would not confess that he was guilty,

they tied him up neck and heels till the blood gushed out of his

nose.'

 

At a court held in Salem, April, 1692, by the honorable Thomas

Danforth, deputy governor, Elizabeth Proctor was tried for witchcraft.

The witnesses were Indian John, husband to Tituba, and three or four

girls who pretended to be afflicted by the said Proctor. The questions

by the court, and the answers of the witnesses, were exceedingly

futile and whimsical; but they exhibited their antic gestures and

fits, which they pretended were caused by the presence of the prisoner

at the bar. The court then put the question thus--'Elizabeth Proctor,

you understand whereof you are charged, viz. to be guilty of sundry

acts of witchcraft: what say you to it?' 'Speak the truth as you will

answer it before God another day. What do you say, Goody Proctor, to

these things?' 'I take God in heaven to be my witness, that I know

nothing of it, no more than a child.' Proctor, the husband, being

present in court, the afflicted girls cried out against him, saying he

was a wizard, and again exhibited their tricks and fits. The question

was put by the court, 'Who hurts you?' Answer. 'Goodman Proctor, and

his wife too.' By the court. 'What do you say, Goodman Proctor, to

these things?' 'I know not, I am entirely innocent.' It is no less

painful than astonishing to add that by such miserable evidence,

Proctor and his wife were both condemned and executed. Proctor

earnestly entreated that he might be allowed a few days to prepare

himself for death, and at his execution he desired in the most

affecting manner that Mr Noyes would pray with, and for him; but his

request was cruelly denied him, because he would not confess himself

to be a wizard.

 

August 19th, 1692, five persons were executed, all protesting their

innocence in the firmest manner. One of this number was Mr George

Burroughs, who had been a preacher several years before at Salem

village, where there had been some misunderstanding between him and

the people; afterwards he became a preacher at Wells. It was alleged

against Mr Burroughs, that he had been seen to perform feats of

strength exceeding the natural powers of man. He had lifted a barrel

of molasses or cider from a canoe, and carried it to the shore. He

would, with one hand, extend a heavy musket of six or seven feet

barrel, at arm's length. In addition to these charges, it was urged

by the writers of that day, as a principal part of the evidence, that

seven or eight of the confessing witches witnessed against him. But it

will appear from the examinations by the court, that their evidence

was drawn from them. For example. Question to Mary Lacey. 'Was there

not a man among you at your meetings?' 'None but the devil.' 'Your

mother and grandmother say there was a minister there; did you not see

men there?' 'There was a minister there, and I think he is now in

prison.' 'Was there not one Mr Burroughs there?' 'Yes.'--Question to

another witness. 'Were there not two ministers there?' 'I heard Sarah

Good talk of a minister or two, one of them is he that has been to the

eastward; his name is Burroughs.' Margaret Jacobs had been brought to

accuse herself of being a witch, and then to charge Burroughs the

minister, and her own grandfather, but afterwards being struck with

horror, she chose to lose her own life rather than persist in her

confession. She begged forgiveness of Burroughs before his execution,

who is said to have freely forgiven her; and to have prayed with, and

for her. She also recanted all she had said against her grandfather,

but all in vain as to his life. Some of the accusers asserted that

Burroughs often attended the witch or devil's sacrament. Some

testified, that, in their torments, Burroughs tempted them to go to a

sacrament; and he would, with the sound of a trumpet, summon other

witches; who, quickly after the sound, would come from all quarters

unto the rendezvous. Numerous other charges, equally frivolous, were

brought against this unfortunate minister, as stated by Dr Cotton

Mather; among others, his venomous bites, leaving the prints of his

teeth upon the flesh, which would compare precisely with his set of

teeth. It is seldom that a man, 80 years of age, can boast a good set

of teeth, and some said that he had not one in his head, and could be

no other than imaginary teeth, but these could answer their purpose.