SOme Wise Men in all Ages of the World, have been very hardly brought to believe the Account of Extraordinary R [...] lations, especially about Witches and Witch-craft, but it is an open Violence, or at least a manifest injury, to common Sence, to Codemn all Facts, as false because some are so, at this rate all Criminals ought to be Acquitted, because some hve Suffered unde­servedly: But that there are, and hath been Witches and Witch-crafts, many Authors have prov'd at large from Reasons▪ Scripture, Antiquity, and the Expearance of all Nations and Ages▪ The following Narritive coming to my hand i thought it might be acceptable to the Publick, Especially since Providence designs those Eminent, Occurances raither for our Practical in­struction than for a Subject of Notional Speculation.

On Saturday March the 5th the Assizes being then at VVorcester, the Tryals of Rebecca West, Margaret Landis, Susan Cock, and Rose Hallybread, Four Noto­rious and Reputed Witches, came on for several Di­abolical and abominable Practises, by Witchcraft and Fascination on the Bodies of Children and Cattle, &c. The Court being Sat, Rebecca West was brought to the Bar, when after her Indictment was Read. Iohn Edes was call'd as an Evidence against her, who De­posed that the said Rekecca West some Weeks a go Confess'd to him; that she had familiarity with the Devil, who came to her in the likeness of a young Man, promising her that she should be revenged of all her Enimies, and have what she desired, if she would deny God and wholy trust to him; and that the said Prisoner further told him, that upon request­ing [Page 3] the Devil to revenge her on one Iohn Start who Livd in the same House, he quickly after Sickned and Dyed, so that she then thought he could do as God, and thereupon desired him to joyn in that Wicked and Develish Art, Mathew Hopkins, also Deposed that the said Prisoner Confessed to him since in Prison, that the Devil came to her one Night as she was going to Bed, and told her he would Mary her, and that he then kissed her, but was as cold as Clay, and that he took her by the Hand and leading her a­bout the Chamber a turn or two, he said they were Married, and promised to be her Loving Hu [...]band, and to avenge her of her Enimies; and that she sent the Devil to Kill the said Iohn Hart, which was done accordingly. Thomas Hart Father of the Deceased De­posed that he verily believed that his Son dyed by Witchcraft, and that during his Torture he heard him cry out against Rebecca West; a Docter of Physick also spoke to the same Effect, as did several otheres; Upon which being asked by the Court what she could say for herself, she only alledged that her great Pove­ty had occasion'd all this, and pleaded guilty, desiring Mercy, but the Jury after having received their Charge, Imediatly brought her in guilty of Murther and Witch-craft.

Then Margaret Landish, was brought to the Bar, and Arrain'd for Witch-craft, and Diabolical Sorce­ry, &c. The first Evidence deposed that about the [...]rst of December, as the said prisoner passed by his Door, a Child of his, then pointed at her, saying there goes pegg the Witch, upon which the said Margaret turn'd back and Clap'd her Hands in a [Page 4] Threatning manner, telling her she should Sma [...] it, and that very Night the said Child fell Sick in Raving manner, and dyed within three Weeks after. Another Witness deposed, that the said Child, when in its Violent Fitts, would often say that pegg the Witch was by her Bed side, making strange Mouths at her. Another Evidence deposed, that she once heard the said Margaret say, that she could not enjoy her Helth, if she did not send her Imps to do some Mis­chief or another, and that her Imps did usually suck two Teats near the privy parts; upon which the said Evidence being asked how she got this Confession from the prisoner, she reply'd that the said prisoner, did use her Endeavours▪ to Intice her to be a Witch also▪ by telling her that she should want for nothing, and further added that she went with her to a Witches Meeting, where she saw the Devil in the likeness of a tall black Man, at which she was so much afrighted that she never went with her any more. Ano­ther young Woman spoke, partly to the same effect, and that she was once with the said Margaret, and o­ther, in Mr. Bargrrans Orchard, consulting and plot­ting the Childs Ruin; the Childs Docter also deposed that she dyed of a Distemper, which was more than meerly Natural, and that she was under the Torture of some Diabolical Agent: The prisoner in her own defence, said that they were all Malicious people and deny'd that she had Confessed any thing to the Evi­dence, insinuating as if they had formerly an old Grudge against her, and thereupon made a strange Howling in the Court, to the great disturbance of the whole Bench. Upon which the Court having ex­plain'd [Page 5] and Sum'd up the Evidence, told the Jury [...]hat as they ought to beware of Condemning the In­ [...]ccent, punc; if they thought the Credite of the Evidence sufficent in what they had deposed, their Eyes ought [...]ot to spare her, adding that the Holy Scripture de­ [...]clares, that we must not suffer a Witch to Live, Es­ [...]ecially, when guilty of Murther Tortures, &c. Whereupon the Jury after an Hours Consultation brought her in guilty.

Susan Cock, and Rose Hallybread, was next Arraigned [...]or Sorcery and Witch-craft, in Torrmenting and Murthring of Mary Peak, and Iohn Peak, the Chil­dren of Obadiah Peak of Preston; The chief Evidence against them were Abraham Chad, and Elin Shearcraft, who deposed that they were present with the prisoners, when they first attempted to Torment the said Chil­dren; they being then going to enter into that devil­ish way of practise, and being asked how they went [...]bout such a damnable Action, they both were jointl­ [...]y declaring the whole matter, but the Court caused them to be Examined, apart and Seperate from one [...]other, to find whither their Evideece agreed: Where­upon Abraham Chad was Examined and the other Evidence had out of the Court; at which time, he the said, Abraham deposed that, in the House of Su­san Cock, the two prisoners having made a great Fire, they made the Shape of the dceased Children in Wax, [...]nd puting them both on a Spit, one of prisoners [...]urn'd it, while the other Stuck pinns and needles in [...]heir Bellies, Heads, and Eyes, and told him that as [...]hem Figuers wasted, the Children wou'd wast▪ and [...]s the Spit wene round, they both Muttered to them­selves [Page 6] strange kind of words, which he did not understand: He also Deposed that seve [...]al Imps in the shape of Mice ran to and from the Fire, and that the next day he heard his Neigh­bours discourse, how the Children weae Tor­mented, with strange Prickings in their Eyes, Belly and Head, and so continued worss, and worss till they Dyed, which was about a Week after. Elin Shearcreft being call'd in, gave the very same Account, tho somthing more large and exact: The Father and Mother of the two Children said, that about the same time that the Evidence mention'd, they cry'd out against the said Witches by Name, and continualy made complaints, as if Pinns and Needles had been actually thrust into their Bodies, withou [...] Intermision for above an Hour together. A Midwife and other Women Deposed in Court that searching the Bodies of the Prisoners, they found several large Teates in the secret Parts of their Bodies: and at the same time asking them, how they came there, they both made Answer, that the Devils Imps had don [...] it▪ However upon their Tryals, they deny'd each Particular, alledging that they were not [Page 7] then in their Sences, and seemed both to weep and howl, tho not one Tear could be desco­vered to fall from their Eyes; many more Witneses apeared against them, concerning the Bewitching Mr. Peaks Children, which for brevity sake I am forced to omit; but in fi [...]e it appearing on all hands that they had b [...]en very base and Notorious Persons, for [...]eral Years; and none appearing on their B [...]halfs. The Court sum'd up each Circum­st [...]nce with great care, tenderness, and Mode­ration, and delivered their Opinions to the Jury, with all the Leagal Fairness, and Justice that could be desired, or expected, even from the Witches themselves, desiring God to di­rect them in their Verdict. However the mat­te [...] being proved against the Prisoners by un­answerable Demonstration, and undenyable Evidence, as well as Extraordinary Circum,stances, the Jury brought them in both guilty of Witch-craft, Fascination and Murther, and received Sentance to be Burnt at the Stak all Four together.

When being come to the Place of Execu­ [...]on, they made a strange and lamentable [Page 8] Yeling and Howling, after which they con­fessed the Crimes, for which they Suffered and also declared how they had Kill'd abun­dance of Cattle for several years past, and that it was extream Pride, Malice and Revenge that caused them to Enter into such a curssed an Hellish League with the Devil, who told them to the last, that he would secure them from Publick Punishment, but now to late, they found him a Lyer, as he was from the begining of the Wor [...] Cock and Landish seem'd penitent, desiring all you [...] Women to take Warning by their Devilish Lives, [...] Shameful Deaths, assuring the Spectators, that as S [...] tan in the first Infancy of the World prevaild on Woman to bring his Hellish attempts to pass, so still strives with that Sex, as the weaker Vessels Work their Distructions; they both said the Lor [...] prayer very Distnctly, but Rebecca West, and [...] Hallybread dyed very Stuburn, and Refractory wi [...] out any remorss, or seeming Terror of Conscien [...] for their abominable VVitch-craft.

I heartly wish the sad Fates of these Four Notori [...] and Barbarous Wretches may be a warning to all M [...] ous, and Revengful persons whatsoever, least th [...] De [...] who sets them on Work, at last pays them the W [...] [...] Eternal Damnation, whieh undoubtedly will be the [...] portion of all those, who wilfully Engages in the Servic [...] [...] so faithless Master.