A Faithful Narrative of Thomas Spatchet Under Witchcraft, Chapter 2
Chap. II. Of his Fits, their beginning and continuance for some time; Benumming, Shaking, Skipping.
IT pleased the Lord after walking towards him in such a variety of merciful Providences, at last by his Spirit to bring him into a saving acquaintance with himself in his Son Jesus Christ, through the exceeding great and precious Promises of the Gospel; with what brightness the Grace of Christ hath shined forth in his conversation, to the refreshing the bowels of other Christians, is well known to those who have had the advantage to converse with him. For many years such a Gospel-conversation hath been found with him, as (tho' he hath infirmities common to all men and Christians, yet) men who have made the strictest observation thereof, and have pryed into it with the most curious Eye, could not descry any Apostacy or Backsliding; his steps have not visibly declined from the ways of God to this day; yet the Lord (whose ways are in the deep, which doth great things and unsearchable, marvellous things without number Iob 5.9.) hath in those latter years shewed him great and sore troubles, led him in unwonted paths, which few have known, tryed him with a variety of strange▪ if not unpresidented violent Fits, the rise, progress, & end whereof so far as can be remembred) will be rehearsed in these following lines.
About the m…nth of March 1660. as he was speaking to some, he found a mutation or alteration in his head, causing such a failure either in the use of his understanding, memory or senses (call it what you will) as put him to a stand; he was at a loss, knew not how to go on in speaking what he intended to his friends, but quickly recover'd again; and not long after (the same day) was at the same loss again, finding a grinding pain round about the crown of his head, near half way downward (as he hath done ever since upon such occasions) it was not violent, but moderate and easie to be born; this to his head hath been answerable to the jarring of the elbow by a blow; much differing always from the ordinary pain of the head, without belching.
Here was the ri…e of all the insuing Tribulations; from so small a beginning, hath sprung all those subsequent troubles which have been asto…ishing to the beholders.
I might have noted (once for all) that since, the aforesaid pain ha…h sometimes lasted two or three hours after he hath been well recovered out of those Fits.
But to proceed, the next day after he was first taken (& since) he was subject to the same distemper, to be at a loss upon speaking; yet went up and down that week, and when he did set about Religious duties, as Prayer, he could go but a little way without faultring and failing therein.
The same spring, he seemed to have inward nippings and smitings in his head, which caused a great amazement and astonishment in him, and hath continued in some degree long since, at times; and hath hindred a free and uninterrupted exercise of his understanding, or rather the use of speech; for it was not so much a failing in perception or apprehension of things, as inability for expression, he knew what he would say, and what others said or did, but could not utter it: he was disabled for proceeding at present in what he would say; so that it seemeth to be rather a failing of speech than of understanding.
Afterward it brake forth into Fits of two sorts or kinds.
1. Benumming him, that he could neither stir hand nor foot, nor rise from the seat he sate on, and by and by did flie up; his hands would hang down, he not being able to lift them u…; his eyes shut, not able to open them; no breath sometimes perceiv'd to be moving a great while together, yet then knew what others said; his teeth fast set, that it was difficult (if any thing were put into his mouth) to get the spoon either in or out; his nether chap sometimes would fall, as when a man is in a swound, and then immediately it would come outward: Sometimes these benumming Fits would continue two or three hours; Then,
2. A moderate shaking followed (when it came outward) like a Palsy; and then it would proceed to a shaking with violence, first his head, his Body then standing still; then from the Neck to the Middle, hi… Head that time standing still, after this fr…m the Middle downward shaking in gre…t Violence, and in that …ime his head and other upper parts would stand still; after this one Leg would shake and no other part, and then his whole Body, Chair and all in Violent Motion.
Before the shaking fits came, his hands would be lifted up, and cast down upon his knees, beating them for some time.
Afterwards his leggs and feet would move with much agility and harmony, in fits striking upon the ground as if in ringing of Bells, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. without Changes, a great while together; sometimes as if in playing in Musick, diverse Musical Tunes, and keeping orderly stops, a…though he never was acquainted with the …rt of Musick, cannot dis…inguish the Tunes if they be played on Musick Instruments; yet such as were with him in his Fitts, and knew the Tunes, were able by their hearing the beating of his Feet to discerne his acting the part of a Musician therein: His Feet would strike 7 or 8 times or oftener, one Foot first and than the other answering imediately after, except where the Tune required to have it otherwise, and in ringing, his Feet every st…oak had a several place of the ground, in its setting down.
Also he hath by the beating of his Feet in his Fits, acted the part of a Drummer, Sounding a Call, a March, a Retreat, &c. Yet he never did Drum, nor doth he know (if he heareth a Drum beat) how to distinguish those each from other.
After this, his whole Body hath been of ten in impetuous motion, his Hands and Feet flying about with great swif…ess, with such a variety of Motion as is unexpressible, till he hath sometimes fallen out of his Chair, and if he hath so fallen, although in the height of the Fit, yet it hath presently left him.
At first he had but two or three of these fits in a day▪ then they came to Four in a day constantly, and so continued week by week, and month by month, and when Four in a day, than each of them were two Hours in a day, and sometimes he had half an hours respite between, at other times a quarter of an hour, and it m…y be one day in a Month or Five weeks without a Fit.
Then they altered from 4 to 5 in a day, and than to 6 or 7 or 8, and so on to 20 or more in a day, but then came to be shorter when more in number, yet in the same manner for actions as aforesaid. After he comming to be tyred out with being in the Chair, he did lie down on a Bed, and rising to come off his Bed, both leggs would go sidewise or not at all, and then his whole Body raised up two Foot, Capering about in the Chamber, till he fell down, and then the fit left him.
Also he had Skipping or Iumping Fits, wherein sometimes his Feet being close together his whole Body hath been lifted up, and his Feet from the ground (as hath been said) two Foot or more, sometimes right up & down often at other times hath been lifted up and both his legs carried sidewise at a great distance as if he had jumped, and then back again as far sidewise, thus a great while together till his strength hath failed, and Spirits have been spent, all this time bearing himself upon a strong staff; If he hath been beaten against a Wall, or after his strength hath failed, if a Chair hath been set behind him and he helped into it, then he hath rested there untill he hath been a little revived.
Some Fits did begin first benumming him, than shaking, than skiping, and some of these have lasted 4 some 5, 6 or 7 hours from the beginning to the end, and as some part hath been playing or stamping, so the end hath been with great Violence.
Thus his Fits continued many Months.
In all these things there was occasion to Sing of Mercy and Judgment.
Here is Judgment, not only upon the account of the Terribleness of the Fits themselves which rendered him an Object of Pity and Compassion, to all who were Spectators of him therein, whose hearts were not harder than Flint, but also by an aggravation of this dispensation through a disablement for Religious exercises which did attend it. For the first year he had some liberty to wait upon God in Prayer at some times, and could hear the word Preached, afterward could hear but one part of the day, then could hear the Prayer and part of the Sermon, and so by degrees could not hear at all.
Within a year and half or thereabout (after his being first taken with the Fits) he lost his liberty for any such act of Worship; he could not attend upon God in any Religious Service…, so much as a quarter of an hour without falling into Benumming, Shaking, and other violent Fits; He could not… Pray or joyn with others in Prayer, not exercise himself about the word of God, or hear others Preach the word, not crave a Blessing himself before eating his Meat or give thanks after it, nor be present when others acted therein …unless they were very Brief) but presently he was cast into those aforementioned Torturing Fits thereby.
This was such a dark dispensation, as put the Wisest men and those of greatest experience, and understanding in the ways of God to a stand, they were at a loss how to interpret these dealings of God with him; that a man whose heart was so deeply ingaged for God and his Services, should now be uncapable of rising up thereunto, or be hindred, not by a decree of Man, but by the Providence of God. That he who had been so many years under a new Birth yet should now be thus disabled for crying unto God, that he who had so much of the Spirit of adoption as a Spiri… of Prayer, should now be disabled for crying Abba, to his Heavenly Father; this was such a Mysterious Providence, so cross to his ordinary proceeding, as it was am…zing to the beholders of it.
But here was Mercy still, in that when no such Spiritual breathings might be discerned by slanders by, yet his Pulse was beating Heaven-ward, in inward workings and groanings of Spirit after God, and in that sedate quiet and chearful frame of Spirit, that was found with him under this stupendious dispensation, which manifested it self, when he had any intermission, that it may be said of him as of Iob of old, Iob, 1. v. 22. So in all this he sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. I might here give some account of his Experience, but I shall defer that a little longer.
There was Mercy not only in sustaining his Soul, but his body also; for so soon as the Fits were off, he could now eat his meat whether the fits were long or short.
Also he had a partial …not a total) freedom from his Fits in the latter end of the year 1662 For the space of near ten weeks and this was a great Mercy.