Further Account of the Trials of New England Witches, Letter – Title page
A Further Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches, ſent in a Letter from thence, to a Gentleman in London.
HEre were in Salem, June 10. 1692. about 40 perſons that were afflicted with horrible torments by Evil Spirits, and the afflicted have accuſed 60 or 70 as Witches, for that they have Spectral appearances of them, tho the Perſons are abſent when they are tormented. When theſe Witches were Tryed, ſeveral of them confeſſed a contract with the Devil, by ſigning his Book, and did expreſs much ſorrow for the ſame, delareing alſo thir Confederate Witches, and ſaid the Tempters of them deſired 'em to ſign the Devils Book, who tormented them till they did it. There were at the time of Examination, before many hundreds of Witneſſes▪ ſtrange Pranks play'd; ſuch as the taking Pins out of the Clothes of the afflicted, and thruſting them into their fleſh, many of which were taken out again by the Judges own hands. Thorns alſo in like kind were thruſt into their fleſh; the accuſers were ſometimes ſtruck dumb, deaf, blind, and ſometimes lay as if they were dead for a while, and all foreſeen and declared by the afflicted juſt before 'twas done. Of the afflicted there were two Girls, about 12 or 13 years of age, who ſaw all that was done, and were therefore called the Viſionary Girls; they would ſay, Now he, or ſhe, or they, are going to bite, or pinch the Indian; and all there preſent in Court ſaw the viſible marks on the Indians arms; they would alſo cry out, Now look, look, they are going to bind ſuch an ones Legs, and all preſent ſaw the ſame perſon ſpoken of, fall with her Legs twiſted in an extraordinary manner; Now ſay they, we ſhall all fall, and immediately 7 or 8 of the afflicted fell down, with terrible ſhrieks and Out-crys: at the time when one of the Witches was ſentenc'd, and pinnim'd with a Cord, at the ſame time was the afflicted Indian Servant going home, (being about 2 or 3 miles out of town,) and had both his Wriſts at the ſame inſtant bound about with a like Cord, in the ſame manner as ſhe was when ſhe was ſentenc'd, but with that violence, that the Cord entred into his fleſh, not to be untied, nor hardly cut—Many Murders are ſuppos'd to be in this way committed; for theſe Girls, and others of the afflicted, ſay, they ſee Coffins, and bodies in Shrowds, riſing up, and looking on the accuſed, crying, Vengeance. Vengeance on the Murderers—Many other ſtrange things were tranſacted before the Court in the time of their Examination; and eſpecially one thing which I had like to have forgot, which is this, One of the accus'd, whilſt the reſt were under Examination, was drawn up by a Rope to the Roof of the houſe where he was, and would have been choak'd in all probability, had not the Rope been preſently cut; the Rope hung at the Roof by ſome inviſibletye. for there was no hole where it went up; but after it was cut the remainder of it was found in the Chamber juſt above, lying by the very place where it hung down.
In December 1692, the Court ſate again at Salem in New-England, and cleared about 40 perſons ſuſpected for Witches, and Condemned three. The Evidence againſt theſe three was the ſame as formerly, ſo the Warrant for their Execution was ſent, and the Graves digged for the ſaid three, and for about five more that had been Condemned at Salem formerly, but were Repreived by the Governour.
In the beginning of February 1693. the Court ſate at Charles-Town, where the Judge expreſt himſelf to this effect.
That who it was that obſtructed the Execution of Juſtice, or hindred thoſe good proceedings they had made, he knew not, but thereby the Kingdom of Satan was advanc'd, &c and the Lord have mercy on this Country; and ſo declined coming any more into Court. In his abſence Mr. D—ſate as Chief Judge 3 ſeveral days, in which time 5 or 6 were clear'd by Proclamation, and almoſt as many by Trial; ſo that all are acquitted.
The moſt remarkable was an Old Woman named Dayton, of whom it was ſaid, If any in the World were a Witch, ſhe was one, and had been ſo accounted 30 years. I had the Curioſity to ſee her tried; ſhe was a decrepid Woman of about 80 years of age, and did not uſe many words in her own defence. She was accuſed by about 30 Witneſſes; but the matter alledged againſt her was ſuch as needed little apology, on her part not one paſſionate word, or immoral action, or evil, was then objected againſt her for 20 years paſt, only ſtrange accidents falling out, after ſome Chriſtian admonition given by her, as ſaying, God would not proſper them, if they wrong'd the Widow. Upon the whole, there was not prov'd againſt her any thing worthy of Reproof, or juſt admonition, much leſs ſo heinous a Charge.
So that by the Goodneſs of God we are once more out of preſent danger of this Hobgoblin Monster; the ſtanding Evidence uſed at Salem were called. but did not appear.
There were others alſo at Charles-town brought upon their Tryals, who had formerly confeſs'd themſelves to be Witches; but upon their tryals deny'd it, and were all clear'd; So that at preſent there is no further proſecution of any.
CASES of CONSCIENCE Concerning Evil Spirits Perſonating MEN; WITCHCRAFTS, Infallible Proofs of Guilt in ſuch as are Accuſed with that CRIME.
All Conſidered according to the Scriptures, Hiſtory, Experience, and the Judgment of many Learned MEN.
By Increaſe Mather, Preſident of Harvard Colledge at Cambridge, and Teacher of a Church at Boſton in New England
PROV. xxii. xxi. —That thou mightest Anſwer the Words of Truth, to them that ſend unto thee.
Efficiunt Daemones, ut quae non ſunt, ſic tamen, qua… ſint, conſpicienda hominibus exhibeant. Lactantlus Lib. 2. Inſtit. Cap. 15. Diabolus Conſulitur, cum iis mediis utimur aliquid Cognoſcendi, quae a Diabolo ſunt introducta. Ames Caſ. Conſ. L. 4. Cap. 23.
Printed at Boſton, and Re-printed at London, for Iohn Dunton, at the Raven in the Poultrey. 1693.