Life of William Phips, Biography · Section 16
SECT. 16.
ABOUT the Time of our Bleſſed Lord's coming to Reſide on Earth, we read of ſo many poſſeſſed with Devils, that it is commonly thought the Number of ſuch Miſerable Energumens was then encreaſed above what has been uſual in other Ages; and the Reaſon of that Increaſe, has been made a Matter of ſome Enquiry. Nowthough the Devils might herein deſign by Preternatural Operations to Blaſt the Miracles of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, which Point they Gained among the Blaſphemous Phariſees; and the Devils might herein alſo deſign a villanous Imitation of what was coming to paſs in the Incarnation of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, wherein God came to dwell in Fleſh; yet I am not without ſuſpicion that there may be ſomething further in the Conjecture of the Learned Bartholinus hereupon, who ſays, It was Quod judaei praeter modum, Artibus Magicis dediti Daemonem Advocaverint, the Jews, by the frequent uſe of Magical Tricks, called in the Devils among them.
It is very certain, there were hardly any People in the World grown more fond of Sorceries, than that unhappy People: The Talmuds tell us of the little Parchments with Words upon them, which were their common Amulets, and of the Charms which they mutter'd over Wounds, and of the various Enchantments which they uſed againſt all ſorts of Diſaſters whatſoever. It is affirmed in the Talmuds, that no leſs than Twenty four Scholars in one School, were killed by Witchcraft; and that no leſs than fourſcore Perſons were Hanged for Witchcraft by one Judge in one Day. The Gloſs adds upon it, That the Women of Iſrael had generally fallen to the Practice of Witchcrafts; and therefore it was required. That there ſhould be ſtill choſen into the Council, One ſkilful in the Arts of Sorcerers, and able thereby to diſcover who might be guilty of thoſe Black Arts among ſuch as were accuſed before them.
Now the Arrival of Sir William Phips to the Government of New-England, was at a Time, when a Governour would have had Occaſion for all the Skill in Sorcerie, that was ever neceſſary to a Jewiſh Councellor; A Time when Scores of poor people had newly fallen under, a prodigious Poſſeſſion of Devils, which it was then generally thought had been by Witchcrafts introduced. It is to be confeſſed and Bewailed, That many Inhabitants of New-England, and Young people eſpecially, had been Led away with Little Sorceries, wherein they did Secretly thoſe Things that were not Right againſt the Lord their God; They would often cure Hurts with Spells, and practiſe deteſtable Conjurations with Sieves, and Keys, and Peaſe, and Nails and Horſeſhoes, and other Implements, to Learn the Things, for which they had a forbidden and impious Curioſity. Wretched Books had ſtoln into the Land, wherein Fools were inſtructed, how to become able Fortune-Tellers: Among which, I wonder that a blacker Brand is not ſet upon that Fortune-telling Wheel, which that Sham-Scribler, that goes under the Letters of R. B. has propoſed in his Delights for the Ingenious, as an honeſt and pleaſant Recreation: And by theſe Books, the minds of many had been ſo poiſoned, that they ſtudied this Finer Witchcraft; until, 'tis well, if ſome of them were not betray'd, into what is groſſer, and more ſenſible and Capital. Although theſe Diabolical Divinations are more ordinarily committed perhaps all over the whole World, than they are in the Country of New-England, yet, That being a Country Devoted unto the Worſhip and Service of the Lord JESƲS CHRIST above the Reſt of the World. He ſignalized his Vengeance againſt theſe wickedneſſes, with ſuch extraordinary Diſpenſations, as have not been often ſeen in others Places.
The Devils, which had been ſo play'd withal, and, it may be, by ſome few Criminals more Explicitely engaged and imployed, now broke in upon the Country, after as aftoniſhing a manner, as was ever heard of. Some ſcores of People, firſt about Salem, the Centre and firſt Born, of all the Towns in the Colony, and afterwards in ſeveral other Places, were arreſted with many Praternatural Vexations upon their Bodies, and a variety of cruel Torments, which were evidently inflicted from the Daemons of the Inviſible World. The People that were infected and infeſted with ſuch Daemons, in a few Days Time, arrived unto ſuch a Reſining Alteration upon their Eyes, that they could ſee their Tormentors; they ſaw a Devil of a little Stature, and of a Tawny Colour, attended ſtill with Spectres, that appeared in more Humane Circumſtances.
Theſe Tormentors, tendred unto the Afflicted, a Book, requiring them to Sign it, or to Touch it, at leaſt, in token of their conſenting to be Liſted in the Service of the Devil; which, they refuſing to do, the Spectres under the command of that Blackman, as they called him, would apply themſelves to Torture them, with prodigious Moleſtations.
The afflicted Wretches were horribly Diſtorted and Convulſed; they were Pinched Black and Blew; Pins would be run every where in their Fleſh; they would be ſcalded until they had Bliſters raiſed on them; and a thouſand other things before Hundreds of Witneſſes were done unto them, evidently Praeternatural: For, if it were Praeternatural, to keep a rigid Faſt, for Nine, yea, for Fifteen Days together; or, if it were Praeternatural, to have ones Hands ty'd cloſe together, with a Rope to be plainly ſeen, and then by unſeen Hands preſently pull'd up a great way from the Earth, before a croud of People: Such Praeternatural Things were endured by them.
But of all the Praeternatural Things which befel theſe People, there were none more unaccountable than thoſe, wherein the praeſtigious Daemons would ever now and then cover the moſt Corporeal Things in the World, with a Faſcinating Miſt of Inviſibility. As now; A Perſon was cruelly aſſaulted by a Spectre, that, ſhe ſaid, run at her with a Spindle, though no Body elſe in the Room could ſee either the Spectre or the Spindle: At laſt in her Agonies, giving a ſnatch at the Spectre, ſhe pulled the Spindle away; and it was no ſooner got into her Hand, but the other Folks then preſent, beheld that it was indeed a real, proper, Iron Spindle; which when they locked up very ſafe, it was nevertheleſs by the Daemons taken away to do farther Miſchief.
Again; A Perſon was haunted by a moſt abuſive Spectre, which came to her, ſhe ſaid, with a Sheet about her, though ſeen to none but her ſelf. After ſhe had undergone a deal of Teaze, from the Annoyance of the Spectre, ſhe gave a violent ſnatch at the Sheet that was upon it; where-from ſhe tore a Corner, which in her Hand, immediately was beheld by all that were preſent; a palpable Corner of a Sheet: And her Father, which was now holding of her, catch'd, that he might keep, what his Daughter had ſo ſtrangely ſiezed; but the Spectre had like to have wrung his Hand off, by endeavouring to wreſt it from him: However he ſtill held it; and ſeveral times this odd Accident was renewed in the Family. There wanted not the Oaths of good credible People, to theſe particulars.
Alſo, It is well known, that theſe wicked Spectres did proceed ſo far as to ſteal ſeveral Quantities of Money from divers People, part of which Individual Money, was dropt ſometimes out of the Air, before ſufficient Spectators, into the Hands of the Afflicted, while the Spectres were urging them to ſubſcribe their Covenant with Death. Moreover, Poiſons to the ſtanders-by, wholly Inviſible, were ſometimes forced upon the Afflicted; which when they have with much Reluctancy ſwallowed, they have ſwoln preſently, ſo that the common Medicines for Poiſons have been found neceſſary to relieve them: Yea, ſometimes the Spectres in the ſtruggles, have ſo dropt the Poiſons, that the Standers by have ſmelt them, and view'd them, and beheld the Pillows of the miſerable ſtained with them.
Yet more, the miſerable have complained bitterly of burning Rags run into their forceably diſtended Mouths, and though no Body could ſee any ſuch Clothes, or, indeed any Fires in the Chambers, yet preſently the ſcalds were ſeen plainly, by every Body, on the Mouths of the Complainers, and not only the Smell, but the Smoke of the Burning, ſenſibly fill'd the Chambers.
Once more; the miſerable exclaimed extreamly of Branding Irons heating at the Fire, on the Hearth, to mark them; now though the ſtanders-by could ſee no Irons, yet they could ſee diſtinctly the Print of them in the Aſhes, and ſmell them too as they were carried by the not-ſeen Furies, unto the Poor Creatures for whom they were intended; and thoſe Poor Creatures were thereupon ſo ſtigmatized with them, that they will bear the Marks of them to their Dying Day. Nor are theſe the Tenth Part of the Prodigies that fell out among the Inhabitants of New-England.
Flaſhy People may Burleſque theſe Things, but when Hundreds of the moſt ſober People in a Country, where they have as much Mother-Wit certainly, as the reſt of Mankind, know them to be True, nothing but the abſurd and froward Spirit of Sadduciſm can Queſtion them. I have not yet mentioned ſo much as one Thing that will not be juſtified, if it be required, by the Oaths of more conſiderate Perſons than any that can ridicule theſe odd Phaenomena.
But the worſt part of this aſtoniſhing Tragedy is yet behind; wherein Sir William Phips, at laſt, being dropt, as it were from the Machin of Heaven, was an Inſtrument of caſing the Diſtreſſes of the Land, now ſo darkned by the Wrath of the Lord of Hoſts. There were very worthy Men upon the ſpot, where the aſſault from Hell was firſt made, who apprehended themſelves call'd from the God of Heaven, to ſift the buſineſs unto the bottom of it; and, indeed, the continual Impreſſions, which the out-cries and the havocks of the afflicted People that lived nigh unto them, cauſed on their Minds, gave no little Edge to this Apprehenſion.
The Perſons were Men eminent for Wiſdom and Virtue, and they went about their enquiry into the matter as driven unto it, by a Conſcience of Duty to God and the World. They did in the firſt Place, take it for granted, that there are Witches, or, wicked Children of Men, who upon Covenanting with, and Commiſſioning of Evil Spirits, are attended by their Miniſtry to accompliſh the Things deſired of them: To ſatisfie them in which Perſwaſion, they had not only the Aſſertions of the Holy Scripture; Aſſertions, which the Witch-Advocates cannot evade without ſhifts, too fooliſh for any Prudent, or too profane for any Honeſt Man, to uſe; and they had not only the well-atteſted Relations of the graveſt Authors from Bodin to Bovet, and from Binſfeld to Bromhal and Baxter, to deny all which, would be as reaſonable as to turn the Chronicles of all Nations into Romances, of Don Quixot, and the ſeven Champions; but they had alſo an Ocular Demonſtration in one, who a little before had been executed for Witcheraft, when Joſeph Dudley Eſquire was the Chief Judge. There was one whoſe Magical Images were found, and who confeſſing her Deeds, (when a Jury of Doctors returned her, Compos Mentis) actually ſhewed the whole Court, by what Ceremonies uſed unto them, ſhe directed her Familiar Spirits, how and where to Cruciate the Objects of her Malice; and the Experiments being made over and over again, before the whole Court, the Effect followed exactly, in the Hurts done to People at a diſtance from her. The Exiſtence of ſuch Witches, was now taken for granted by thoſe good Men, wherein ſo far the generality of reaſonable Men have thought, they ran well; and they ſoon received the Confeſſions of ſome accuſed Perſons to confirm them in it; but then, they took one thing more for granted, wherein 'tis now as generally thought they went out of the Way. The Afflicted People vehemently accuſed ſeveral Perſons in ſeveral Places, that the Spectres which afflicted them, did exactly reſemble Them; until the importunity of the Accuſations did provoke the Magiſtrates to examine them. When many of the accuſed came upon their Examination, it was found, that the Daemons, then a thouſand ways abuſing of the poor afflicted People, had with a marvellous exactneſs repreſented them; yea it was found that many of the accuſed, but caſting their Eye on the afflicted, the afflicted, though their Faces were never ſo much another way, would fall down and lye in a ſort of a ſwoon, wherein they would continue, whatever Hands were laid upon them, until the Hands of the accuſed came to touch them, and then they would revive immediately: And it was found, that varioukinds of natural Actions done by many of the accuſed in or to their own Bodies, as Leaning, Bending, Turning Awry, or Squeezing their Hands or the like, were preſently attended with the like things praeternaturally done upon the Bodies of the Afflicted, though they were ſo far aſunder that the Afflicted could not at all obſerve the Accuſed.
It was alſo found that the Fleſh of the Afflicted was often Bitten, at ſuch a rate, that not only the Print of Teeth would be left on their Fleſh, but the very Slaver of Spittle too: And there would appear juſt ſuch a ſet of Teeth, as was in the Accuſed, even ſuch as might be clearly diſtinguiſhed from other Peoples. And uſually the Afflicted went through a terrible deal of ſeeming Difficulties from the tormenting Spectres, and muſt be long waited on, before they could get a Breathing Space from their Torments, to give in their Teſtimonies.
Now many good Men took up an Opinion, That the Providence of God would not permit an Innocent Perſon to come under ſuch a Spectral Repreſentation; and that a concurrence of ſo many Circumſtances, would prove an Accuſed Perſon to be in a Confederacy with the Daemons thus afflicting of the Neighbours; they judged, that except theſe Things might amount unto a Conviction, it would ſcarce be poſſible ever to Convict a Witch; and they had ſome Philoſophical Schemes of Witcheraft, and or the Method and Manner, wherein Magical Poiſons operate, which further ſupported them in their Opinion.
Sundry of the Accuſed Perſons were brought unto their Trial, while this Opinion was yet prevailing in the Minds of the Judges, and the Juries, and perhaps the moſt of the People in the County, then moſtly Suffering; and though againſt ſome of them that were Tried, there came in ſo much other Evidence of their Diabolical Compacts, that ſome of the moſt Judicious and yet vehement Oppoſers of the Notions then in Vogue, publickly declared, Had they themſelves been on the Bench, they could not have Acquitted them; nevertheleſs, divers were Condemned, againſt whom the chief Evidence was founded in the Spectral Exhibitions.
And it happening, that ſome of the Accuſed coming to confeſs themſelves Guilty, their Shapes were no more ſeen by any of the Afflicted, though the Confeſſion had been kept never ſo Secret, but inſtead thereof the Accuſed themſelves became in all Vexations juſt like the Afflicted; this yet more confirmed many in the Opinion, that had been taken up.
And another thing that quickned them yet more to Act upon it, was, That the Afflicted were frequently entertained with Apparitions of Choſts at the ſame Time, that the Spectres of the ſuppoſed Witches troubled them: Which Chriſts always caſt the Beholders into far more Conſternation than any of the Spectres; and when they exhibited themſelves, they cryed out of being Murdered by the Witchcrafts, or other Violences of the Perſons repreſented in the Spectres. Once or Twice, theſe Apparitions were ſeen by others at the very ſame time that they ſhew'd themſelves to the afflicted, and ſeldom were they ſeen at all, but when ſomething unuſual, and ſuſpicious, had attended the Death of the Party thus appearing.
The Afflicted People, many times, had never heard any thing before of the Perſons appearing in Ghoſt, or of the Perſons Accuſed by the Apparitions; and yet the Accuſed upon Examination have confeſſed the Murders of thoſe very Perſons, though theſe Accuſed alſo knew nothing of the Apparitions, that had come in againſt them; and the Afflicted Perſons likewiſe without any private Agreement or Collution, when ſucceſſively brought into a Room, have all aſſerted the ſame Apparations to be there before them: Theſe Murders did ſeem to call for an Enquiry.
On the other Part, there were many Perſons of great Judgment, Piety, and Experience, who from the beginning were very much diſſatisfied at theſe Proceedings; they feared, leſt the Devil would get ſo far into the Faith of the People, that for the ſake of many Truths, which they might find him telling of them, they would come, at length, to believe all his Lyes, whereupon what a Deſolation of Names, yea and of lives alſo, would enſue, a Man might without much Witcheraft be able to Prognoſticate; and they feared, left in ſuch an extraordinary Deſcent of Wicked Spirits from their High Places, upon us, there might ſuch Principles be taken up, as, when put into Practice, would unavoidably cauſe the Righteous to periſh wi…h the Wicked, and procure the Blood-ſhed of Perſons like the Gibeonites, whom ſome learned Men ſuppoſe to be under a falſe Pretence of Witcheraſt, by Saul exterminated.
However uncommon it might be, for guil…leſs Pe… ſons to come under ſuch unaccountable Circumſtances, as were on ſo many of the Accuſed, they held, Some things there are, which if ſuffered to be Common, would ſubvert Government, and Disband and Ruine Humane Society, yet God ſometimes may ſuffer ſuch Things to evene, that we may know thereby, how much we are beholden to him, for that reſtraint which he lays upon the Infernal Spirits, who would elſe reduce a World into a Chaos. They had already known of one at the Town of Groton, hideouſly agitated by Devils, who in her fits, cried out much againſt a very Godly. Woman in the Town, and when that Woman approached unto her, though the Eyes of the Creature, were never ſo ſhut, ſhe yet manifeſted a violent Senſe of her approach: But, when the Gracious Woman thus Impeached, had prayed earneſtly with and for this Creature; then inſtead of crying out againſt her any more, ſhe owned, that ſhe had in all, been deluded by the Devil. They now ſaw, that the more the Afflicted were Hearkned unto, the more the number of the Accuſed encreaſed; until, at laſt, many ſcores were cryed out upon, and among them, ſome, who by the Ʋnblameableneſs, yea and Serviceableneſs of their whole Converſation, had obtained the Juſt Reputation of Good People among all that were acquainted with them. The Character of the Afflicted likewiſe added unto the common Diſtaſt, for though ſome of them too, were Good People, yet others of them, and ſuch of them as were moſt Flippent at Accuſing, had a far other Character.
In fine, the Country was in a dreadful Ferment, and wiſe Men foreſaw a long Train of Diſmal, and Bloody Conſequences. Hereupon they firſt adviſed, that the Afflicted might be kept aſunder, in the cloſeſt Privacy; and one particular Perſon, (whom I have cauſe to know) in purſuance of this Advice, offered himſelf ſingly to provide Accommodations for any ſix of them, that ſo the Succeſs of more than ordinary Prayer with Faſting might with Patience, be experienced, before any other Courſes were taken.
And Sir William Phips arriving to his Government, after this enſnaring horrible Storm was begun, did conſult the neighbouring Miniſters of the Province, who made unto His Excellency and the Council a return, (drawn up, at their deſire, by Mr. Mather the Younger as I have been inform'd) wherein they declared.
We Judge, That in the Proſecution of Theſe and all ſuch Witcherafts, there is need of a very Critical and Exquiſite Caution. Leſt, by too much Credulity, for things received only upon the Devil's Authority, there be a Door opened for a long Train of miſerable Conſequences, and Satan get an Advantage over us; for we ſhould not be Ignorant of his Devices.
As in complaints upon Witchcrafts, there may be Matters of Enquiry, which do not amount unto Matters of Preſumption; and there may be Matters of Preſumption, which yet may not be reckoned Matters of Conviction, ſo 'tis neceſſary, that all Proceedings thereabout, be managed with an excee…g Tenderneſs towards thoſe that may be complained of; eſpecially if they have been Perſons formerly of an unblemiſhed Reputation.
When the firſt Enquiry is made into the Circumſtances of ſuch as may ly under any juſt Suſpicion of Witchcrafts, we could wiſh, that there may be admitted as little as is poſſible of ſuch Noiſe, Company, and Openneſs, as may too haſtily expoſe them that are Examined; and that there may nothing be uſed as a Teſt for the Trial of the Suſpected, the lawfulneſs whereof may be doubted among the People of God: But that the Directions given by ſuch judicious Writers as Perkins and Bernard, be conſulted in ſuch a Caſe.
Preſumptions, whereupon Perſons may be committed, and much more Convictions, whereupon Perſons may be condemned, as guilty of Witcherafts, ought certainly to be more conſiderable, than barely the Accuſed Perſons being repreſented by a Spectre to the Afflicted: Inaſmuch as it is an undoubted, and a notorious Thing, that a Daemon may be God's Permiſſion, appear, even to ill Purpoſes, in the ſhape of an Innocent, yea, and a Virtuous Man: Nor can we eſteem Alterations made in the Sufferers, by a look or touch of the Accuſed, to be an infallible Evidence of Guilt; but frequently liable to be abuſed by the Devil's Legerdemaines.
We know not whether ſome remarkable Affronts given to the Devils, by our diſbelieving of thoſe Teſtimonies whoſe whole Force and Strength, is from them alone, may not put a Period unto the Progreſs of a direful Calamity begun upon us, in the Accuſation of ſo many Perſons, whereof, we hope, ſome are yet clear from the great Tranſgreſſion, laid unto their Charge.
The Miniſters of the Province alſo being Jealous, left this Counſel ſhould not be duly followed, requeſted the Preſident of Harvard-Colledge to Compoſe and Publiſh, (which he did) ſome Caſes of Conſcience referring to theſe Difficulties: In which Treatiſe he did, with Demonſtrations of incomparable Reaſon and Reading evince it, That Satan may appear in the Shape of an Innocent and a Virtuous Perſon, to afflict thoſe that ſuffer by the Diabolical Moleſtations: And that the Ordeal of the Sight, and the Touch, is not a Conviction of a Covenant with the Devil, but liable to great Exceptions againſt the lawfulneſs, as well as the Evidence of it: And that either a Free and Fair Confeſſion of the Criminals, or the Oath of two Credible Perſons proving ſuch Things againſt the Perſon Accuſed, as none but ſuch as have a Familiarity with the Devil can know, or do, is neceſſary to the Proof of the Crime. Thus,
Cum miſit Natura Feras, & Monſtra per Orbem,
Miſit & Alciden qui Fera Monſtra domet.
The Dutch and French Miniſters in the Province of New-York, having likewiſe about the ſame Time, their Judgment aſked by the Chief Judge of that Province, who was then a Gentleman of New-England, They gave it in under their Hands, That if we Believe no Venefick Witchcraft, we muſt Renounce the Scripture of God, and the Conſent of almoſt all the World; but that yet the Apparition of a Perſon Afflicting another, is a very Inſufficient Proof of a Witch; nor is it Inconſiſtent with the Holy and Righteous Government of God over men, to permit the Affliction of the Neighbours, by Devils in the ſhape of Good men; and that a Good Name obtained by a Good Life, ſhould not be Loſt by Meer Spectral Accuſations.
Now upon a Deliberate Review of theſe Things, His Excellency firſt Reprieved, and then Pardoned many of them that had been Condemned; and there fell out ſeveral ſtrange Things, that cauſed the Spirit of the Country to run, as vehemently upon the acquitting of all the Accuſed, as it by miſtake ran at firſt upon the Condem…ing of them. Some that had been zealouſly of the Mind, that the Devil's could not in the Shapes of good Men, afflict other Men, were terribly Confuted, by having their own Shapes and the Shapes of their moſt intimate and valued Friends thus Abuſed. And though more than twice Twenty, had made ſuch voluntary, and harmonious, and uncontrolable Confeſſions, that if they were all Sham, there was therein the greateſt Violation made by the Efficacy of the Inviſible World, upon the Rules of Ʋnderſtanding Humane Affairs, that was ever ſeen ſince God made Man upon the Earth, yet they did ſo recede from their Confeſſions, that it was every clear, ſome of them had been hitherto, in a ſort of a Praeternatural Dream, wherein, they had ſaid of themſelves, they knew not what themſelves.
In fine, The laſt Courts that ſate upon this Thorny Buſineſs, finding that it was impoſſible to Penetrate into the whole Meaning of the Things that had happened, and that ſo many unſearchable Cheats were enterwoven into the Concluſion of a Myſterious Buſineſs, which perhaps had not crept thereinto at the Beginning of it, they cleared the Accuſed as faſt as they Tried them; and within a little while the Afflicted were moſt of them delivered out of their Troubles alſo: And the Land had Peace reſtored unto it, by the God of Peace, treading Satan under foot. Eraſmus, among other Hiſtorians, does tell us, that at a Town in Germany, a Daemon appearing on the Top of a Chimney, threatned that he would ſet the Town on Fire, and at length ſcattering ſome Aſhes abroad, the whole Town was preſently and horribly Burnt unto the Ground.
Sir William Phips now beheld ſuch Daemons hideouſly ſcattering Fire about the Country, in the Exaſperations, which the Minds of Men were on theſe Things riſing unto; and therefore when he had well Canvaſed a Cauſe, which perhaps might have puzzled the Wiſdom of the Wiſeſt Men on Earth to have managed, without any Error in their Adminiſtrations, he thought, if it would be any Error at all, it would certainly be the ſafeſt, for him, to put a ſtop unto all future Proſecutions as far as it lay in him to do it.
He did ſo; and for it, he had not only the Printed Acknowledgments of the New-Englanders, who publickly thanked him, As one of the Tribe of Zebulun, raiſed up from among themſelves, and Spirited as well as Commiſſioned to be the Steers-man of a Veſſel befogg'd in the Mare Mortuum of Witchcraft, who now ſo happily ſteered her Courſe, that ſhe eſcaped Shipwrack, and was ſafely again Moored under the Cape of Good Hope; and cut aſunder the Circaean Knot of Enchantment, more difficult to be Diſſolved than the famous Gordian one of Old.
But the QƲEEN alſo did him the Honour, to write unto him, thoſe Gracious Letters, wherein Her Majeſty commended his Conduct in theſe Inexplicable Matters. And I did right in calling theſe Matters Inexplicable. For if, after the Kingdom of Sweden (in the Year, 1669. and 1670.) had ſome Hundreds of their Children by Night often carried away by Spectres, to an Helliſh Rendezvous, where the Monſters that ſo Spirited them, did every way Tempt them to Aſſociate with them; and the Judges of the Kingdom after extraordinary Supplications to Heaven, upon a ſtrict Enquiry, were ſo ſatisfied with the Confeſſions of more than Twenty of the Accuſed, agreeing exactly unto the Depoſitions of the Afflicted, that they put ſeveral ſcores of Witches to Death, whereupon the Confuſions came unto a Period; yet after all the chiefeſt Perſons in the Kingdom would Queſtion whether there were any Witchcrafts at all, in the whole Affair; it muſt not be wondred at, if the People of New-England are, to this Hour, full of Doubts, about the ſteps which were taken, while a War from the Inviſible World was Terrifying of them, and whether they did not kill ſome of their own ſide in the Smoke and Noiſe of this Dreadful War. And it will be yet leſs wondred at, if we conſider, that we have ſeen the whole Engliſh Nation alarumed with a Plot, and both Houſes of Parliament upon good Grounds, Voting their Senſe of it, and many Perſons moſt juſtly Hang'd, Drawn and Quarter'd, for their ſhare in it: When yet there are enough, who to this Day, will pretend that they cannot comprehend how much of it, is to be accounted Credible. However having related theſe wonderful Paſſages, whereof, if the Veracity of the Relator in any one Point be conteſted, there are whole Clouds of Witneſſes to vindicate it, I will take my leave of the Matter with an wholeſome Caution of Lactantius, which, it may be, ſome other Parts of the World beſides New-England may have occaſion to think upon; Efficiunt Daemones, ut quae non ſunt, ſic tamen, quaſi ſint, conſpicienda Hominibus exhibeant.
But the Devils being thus vanquiſhed, we ſhall next hear, that ſome of his moſt devoted and reſembling Children, are ſo too.