Docter Grigg's Maid. There was also at Meeting Goodwife C. [Cory] (who was afterward Examined on Suspicion of being a Witch:) They had several sore Fits, in the Time of Publick Worship, which did something interrupt me in my first Prayer; being so unusual. After Psalm was Sung, Abigail Williams said to me, Now stand up, and Name your Text! And after it was read, she said, It is a long Text. In the beginning of Sermon, Mrs. Pope, a Woman afflicted, said to me, Now there is enough of that. And in the Afternoon, Abigail Williams, upon my referring to my Doctrine, said to me, I know no Doctrine you had, if you did name one, I have forgot it. In Sermon Time when Goodwife C. was present Ab. W. called out, Look where Goodwife C. sits on the Beam suck[l]ing her Yellow Bird betwixt her Fingers! Anne Putman, another Girle afflicted, said there was a Yellow Bird sat on my Hat as it hung on the Pin in the Pulpit! But those that were by restrained her from speaking loud about it." —Lawson, First Edition, Pages 3 and 4.
This, as will have been noticed, is the Account of an Eye Witness.
10
The Warrant for the Apprehension of Rebecca Nurse is dated 23 March, 169½. The Day following, the Marshal, George Herrick, made his Return, that he had brought her to the house of Nath. Ingersal, where she was in Custody. The Witnesses were Ann Puttnam, Jr., Abigail Williams, Mary Walcott, and Elizabeth Hubbard. Mary Walcott's Age was about 17; Elizabeth Hubbard's also about 17. Nothing could be too abominable for these Miscreants to make up and swear to. Mary Walcott said, among other things, that besides being "most greviously afflicted by" being bitten, pinched, and almost choked by the Prisoner, because she would not write in her Book, Goody N. said she would kill her if she did not; and on the 3rd of May, in the Evening the Apparition of the Prisoner told her "she had an Hand in the Deaths of Benjamin Holton, John Harrod, Rebekah Sheppard and seuerall others."
Abigail Williams's Testimony is much the same. She heard the Accused confess (by her Apparition) the committing of several Murders, together with her Sister Cloyse; as upon old Goodm: Hanvood, Benj. Porter and Rebek: Shepard… Sarah Vibber, Mr. Sam: Parris, N. Ingersoll and T. Putnam also testified against the poor aged Woman. Putnam's Age was about 40; Parris's, as before mentioned, about 39. John Putnam, Sen. (another Wit.) aged about 63. Edwd. Putnam, another, aged about 30. Another, Sarah Holton, relict of Benj. Holton. Another, Ann Putnam, Wife of Thomas, swore to the choking by the Accused, and to her declaring she would kill her, and said she had killed Benj. Holton, John Fuller and Rebekah Shepard; also that she and her Sister Cloyse and Ed: Bishop had killed young John Putnam's Child… "Immediately there did appear to me six Children in Winding-sheets, which called me Aunt… Told me they were my Sister Baker's Children of Boston; and that Gooddy Nurs, and Mistris Cary of Charlestown, and an old deaf Woman at Boston had murthered them… Also there appeared to me my own Sister Bayley and three of her Children in Winding-sheets, and told me Goody Nurs had murthered them." This was all taken as good and sufficient Testimony!
11
This Reference is to the first Edition of Lawson's Work, A Brief and True Narrative, &c. His Account is given in Note 9.
12
Lawson, First Edition, Page 4.
13
Lawson, Page 8. The Words "at a House in the Village," are in the Original, which shows that the Witch-meeting was in that part of Salem since Danvers.
14
This Affair of the 1st of April, is an Abridgement of Lawson, Page 8, but nothing important to the present Purpose is omitted.
15
The following is the Relation by Lawson, given in his own Words, that the Reader may judge of his accuracy: "The 3d of April, the Lord's Day, being Sacrament Day, at the Village, Good. C., upon Mr. Parris's naming his Text, John, 6, 70. One of them is a Devil, the said Good. C. went immediately out of the Meetinghouse, and flung the door after her violently, to the amazement of the Congregation: She was afterwards seen by some in their Fits, who said, O Goodw. C. I did not think to see you here! (and being at their red bread and drink) said to her, Is this a Time to receive the Sacrament. You ran away on the Lord's Day, and scorned to receive it in the Meetinghouse, and Is this a Time to receive it? I wonder at you! This is the Summ of what I either saw myself, or did receive Information from Persons of undoubted Reputation and Credit." —Page 8.
16
"On the 11th of April, 1692, a Council was convened at Salem; at which there were present Dep. Gov. Thomas Danforth, James Russell, John Hathorne, Isaac Addington, Maj. Samuel Appleton, Capt. Samuel Sewall and Jonathan Corwin. To them Complaint was exhibited by Capt. Jonathan Wallcott and Lieut. Nathaniell Ingersall, both of Salem Village, on the behalf of several Neighbors, as well as on their own; against Sarah Cloyce, wife of Peter Cloyce of Salem Village, and Elizabeth Proctor, wife of John Proctor of Salem Farms [on the Road towards Boston] for high suspition of sundry Acts of Witchcraft, committed on the Bodies of Abigail Williams and John Indian, both of Mr. Samuel Parris his Famyly, Mary Walcot, Ann Putnam and Mercy Lewis, &c." When the Accused were brought before the Council, Mr. Parris "was desired and appointed to wright ye Examination," which he accepted, and the Record is still extant in his Hand-writing. Accordingly Elizabeth Proctor, and her Husband, John Proctor, and Sarah Cloyce were all committed to Prison, "per advise of ye Councill." —Witchcraft Records, i. 101-2.
17
The Testimony and Indictment against Philip English may be seen in the Hist. and Antiq's Boston, 497, printed from the Originals in the Author's Possession. With the same are the two Indictments (in the Hand-writing of Edward Rawson), charging him with bewitching Elizabeth Booth, of Salem, Single-woman, and Mary Wallcott. These Indictments are both dated May 31st, 1692. The Monsters who carried on the Charges, were much like a Pack of hungry Wolves. One would set up the Howl of Witch, and immediately others would follow. So in the Case of Philip English, a large number of Persons joined those Girls in their "Crying out on" him. This encouraged them to keep up their Deceptions. Mrs. English was accused before her Husband. One Mary Warren, Servant to Mr. Procter, outwent all others, except perhaps Elizabeth Booth, in the Invention of Stories. Rebutting Testimony was brought against her, but it had no Effect with the Court. Edward Bishop, aged 44; Sarah, 41, and Mary Estey, 56; all said that they heard Mary Warren say, when in Jail together in Salem, that the Magistrates might as well examine Keysar's Daughter that had been distracted many Years, and believe what she said, as well as what any of the Afflicted said. Mary English, aged 39, said, being at Salem about a Month before, she heard Mary Warren speak the same Words.
18
Dr. Mather affirms that "the Old Government was Reassumed, and the Old Charter too was Reassumed, as far as it was possible to be done; Every thing in the World was done, but only declaring that the Judgment passed in the King's Court of Chancery (however it might be thought a Grievance) did the Charter no Damage; which if some were wiser then to say, who can help it? Well, did I oppose this Reassumption! They that were acquainted with me, I am sure, did not think so; and they that sent their Tory Pamphlets about the Countrey against me, as an Impudent Youth [then aged 26] for my assisting the Reassumed Government, I am sure did not think so. Let the things Published for the supporting of the Reassumed Government; and particularly the very first Passage in the First Sermon, at the Anniversary Election, which the Deputies of the General-Court called me to Preach and Print, (which by the way, would they have done, if the Young Man had been such an one as this Man would render him?) be my Everlasting Apology; and let Calves never Bleat, nor Bulls (of Bashan) Roar against me, on that Point any more." —Remarks upon a Scandalous Book, &c., Pages 46-7. The "Passage" he refers to in his Election Sermon is too long
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