SInce in Scripture, and divers Histories, we find that by the Delusion and Temptation of the Devil, silly Creatures are drawn aside to com­ply with a Diabolick Power, out of Revenge, to mischief their Fellow-Creatures; and other sinister Designs; it may not prove ungrateful to the Age, among other Matters of this kind, to give an Impar­tial Account of divers Persons who have been lately Try'd, Convicted and Executed in New-England, for their Bewitching, Torturing and Destroying People and Cattle; with many strange and amazing Circum­stances that attended the Effecting of their hellish Per­formances. And, First,

At a Sessions of Oyer and Terminer, Bridget Bishop was Try'd, for Bewitching and Hurting divers Persons, and Destroying their Cattle. Against whom, upon Evidence, it appear'd in Court, That she, or some­thing in her shape, often came and pinched and bit several Persons, grievously tormenting and affrighting them, urging them to write their Names in a Book which was then produc'd; and one refusing it, was carry'd by force from her Wheel, and threatned to be drown'd in a River, if she did not Sign it; but she [Page 3] overcame the Temptation: And that Bishop boasted she had been the death of divers People. And those she had bewitch'd, when at any time she look'd upon them, were extremely tortur'd; and when they were in a Swoon, if she touch'd them, they would imme­diately revive, and many the like Gestures, work'd strange Effects. Once she tempted one Deliverance Hobbs to Sign the Book she brought; and because she refused, a Spectre, in the Shape of Bishop, whip'd her with Iron Rods; and that she knew this Woman to be at a General Meeting of Witches, in a Field near a Village call'd Salem; and that there she took Bread and Wine in a Diabolical way, as a Sacrament. John Cook said, upon Oath, That he was assaulted by her Shape in his Chamber; which hit him a blow on the Head, and made an Apple fly out of his Hand into his Mother's Lap, at a great distance.

Her shape was often seen in a great Light, which appear'd with her, so that she might easily be discern'd. John Blys's Wife Testified, That having bought a Sow of Bishop's Husband, and the Money be­ing pay'd to another Person, the Sow was soon after taken with strange Fits, Leaping and Jumping, and beating her Head against the places where she came, refusing her meat, &c.

She was held to bewitch a Child of one Samuel Shattock's, and when she payed the said Shattock mo­ney, it was unaccountably conveyed away, though Locked never so safely up, she oppressed one John Lou­der in the night, and had like to have destroy'd him; and after that, he being at home, and the doors shut, a black Pig, or rather the Devil in such a shape, ap­pear'd to him, which he going to kick, it vanished, as he thought, out of the Window: then a black thing Jumped in again, with a Body like a Monkey, the [Page 2] [...] [Page 3] [...] [Page 4] Face something like a Man, and the feet like a Cocks, which in the midst of his affrighment, told him, That understanding he was in trouble, he come as a Messen­ger to tell him, that if he would be ruled by him, he should want nothing in the World; whereupon endea­vouring to seize it, he could feel no substance it seem­ing to Jump out of the Window again, and then com­ing to the Porch, said, You had better take my Coun­sel. He then struck at it with a Stick, but the Stick broke, and it Vanishing, his Arm was disabled, and afterward throwing dirt upon his Breast, it struck him Dumb for three Days.

Many other things of the like nature were testifyed against her. As that she appeared several times with a strange Light, and upon her with-drawing, it was Dark. That one Stacy being threatned by her, was one dark Night thrown against a Stone-Wall, and down a Bank, &c. His Horse-traces breaking in pieces, and he not being able to lift up two Bushels of Corn, though otherwise a Strong Man. It was suspected she killed this Party's Daughter by Witchcraft, and it was pro­ved that in taking down an old Cellar-Wall of hers, Poppets made of Clouts and Hogs-Hair, were found stuck with headless-pins. To these Accusations and Proofs against her, she made little Defence.

Susanna Martin was Tryed upon the same account, and the People that were to appear against her, found themselves upon their looking at her, in a strange dis­order, falling down when they came to approach her, and being asked the reason, she gave a very slight An­swer.

Against her it was proved, that one John Allen, re­fusing to carry her some Staves, by reason of the weak­ness of his Oxen that drove his Wain, she told him he had better he had; and soon after one of his Oxen tired: [Page 5] but this was not all, putting his Oxen to pasture among others, they first took a River, and then being reco­vered, they ran into the Sea, where they were all drowned but one, which for a time run Mad.

John Atkinson, having bought a Cow of this Wo­man's Son, and she being displeased at the Bargain, though this Cow was Ham-string'd and halter'd, she grew so Mad, that she broke all the Ropes, and though tyed to a Tree, she got away. Bernard Peche, testifi­ed, That she came in at his Window one Night, and lay upon him for two hours, when recovering himself, he got hold of her Hand, and bit her by the Finger, so that she going down Stairs, drops of Blood were found, and the prints of her feet in the Snow at the threshold, but no farther. Once she and another assaulted him in his Barn, where he knocked them down with a Quarter-Staff, but they rose up and got away, and having threat­ned one time, to send a she-Devil to fetch him away, a Cat soon after came in at the Window, and took hold on his Throat, when calling upon the Name of God, it flew out of the Window. Also falling out with one Kembal, for his refusing to buy a Puppy of her, she said he should have Puppies enough, and one day coming home, he was by an invisible Power, driven out of the Road upon stumps of Trees, and immedi­ately a Puppy shot too and fro between his Legs, and sometimes over his Shoulder, which he could not hit, though often with his Ax he struck, at it: soon after a­nother, bigger appeared, and flew at him with great fierceness, when calling upon the Name of Christ, it vanished; and though Kembal told it to no body, yet Martin, the Prisoner, declared how he had been served.

One Pressy, gave Evidence against this Woman, that coming home one Night, he saw a little out of his way a great Light, to which going and striking at it, he [Page 4] [...] [Page 5] [...] [Page 6] found it a solid Body, and giving it many blows, he had not gone far from it, but Martin appeared, and the next day he heard she was Ill of blows and hurts received. One Ring Testified that she came to him one Night, and bit him by the fingers, the mark of which was produced in Court.

Elizabeth How, was likewise Tryed at the same Court for a Witch, and it appeared against her that her evil looks cast People into swooning fits, and many great disorders. That she bewitched one Stafford's Wife, and Child bewitched her Brother's Cattle to Death and the Cattle of divers other Peo­ple Miscarried by her Curses, and bad Wishes, and if any displeased, her one mischief or other befel them, and one Sherwin's Wife dying, charged her to have a hand in her Death by Witchcraft.

She bewitched and killed a Mare of one Cumings, and a Daughter of Tymothy Pearly's, the Girl affirming to her Death, that this Woman had bewitched her, and would be in a strange taking, when even she was named, saying at the last, Though she could torment her Body, she could not hurt her Soul. Divers recanting Witches came in against her, and declared, that she had been Baptized with them by the Devil, whereup­on they kneeled down and Worshipped him.

Martha Carrier, was another who was Tryed at this Court upon the like account, and against her it was proved by several Persons, whom she had bewitched, that they had been by her, or something in her shape, bit, pinched, and almost choaked, and even upon her Examination and Tryal, her looks and gestures struck them into strange Consternations and Disorders their Necks turning wildly about, at which she scoffingly declared, it were no matter if their Necks were twi­sted off. Her own Children had declared that she had brought them up to the same mischievous ends, decla­ring [Page 7] how and where they had been upon these wicked designs, and what mischief they had done.

She falling out with one Abbot, about measuring of Ground, he after her threatning of him, had a swelling in his Foot, then a pain in his Side, and many other grievous sores fell upon him, which brought him al­most to his Grave, till such times as this Woman was apprehended, and then he recovered. His Cattle many of them were taken away, by strange and unusual Deaths. One Toothmaker likewise lost many Cattle upon falling out with her, and having a Wound, she told him it should never be Cured, which indeed could not be effected, till the time of her being seized, and then it immediately grew well. Likewise the Cattle of John Rogers were bewitched upon his falling out with her, and divers other People suffered the like: She ta­king one Phoebe Chandler by the Shoulder, soon after she heard a Voice over her Head, saying, In a few Days she should be poyson'd; and thereupon her Hand swel­led, and she was in many great pains and torments. Divers Women that had been of her Conversation, ac­cus'd her being at Witch-Meetings, and of Eating and Drinking with the Devil; and, that she drew some of them into the Snare.

One thing strangely happen'd, during her Tryal, viz. One Susanna Sheldon had her Hands tied together with a Whale-Bone by an Invisible Hand, that it could not be undone without cutting; and for this Service of Carrier, the Devil promis'd to make her Queen of Hell.

Among these Women, a Man was Try'd, as a Dealer in the Black-Art, and Witchcraft. It appear'd against him, That he had intic'd a great many to sign the Devil's Book with Blood, or some Necromantick Matter. He was suspected to make away Two Wives by Witchcraft; whose Ghosts appear'd, and declar'd [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 8] as much to divers People, charging them to reveal it; and tho' he was but a weak Man to appearance, yet he would lift more than the strongest Man could do. So that it was conjectur'd, that the Devil must of necessity assist him by a secret power. It appear'd against him, that he had intic'd many into Witchery; and One re­fusing to sign his Book, was afflicted with cruel Pains for a long time. Some he bit, and the print of his Teeth remained in their Flesh. And it further ap­pear'd, that he was the chief Summoner to the Witch-Meetings, and persuaded People to communicate with the Devil; and many other horrible things, as de­stroying of Cattle, and the like.

So that upon full Evidence against them all, they were Convicted, and receiv'd Sentence of Death, and were accordingly executed: But several Children, and others, that had been seduc'd by them to these hel­lish Practices, met with lighter Punishments, and have Time allowed them to repent.