Modest Inquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft, Chapter 2
CHAPTER II.
I. IN the latter end of the year 1691. Mr. Samuel Paris, Paſtor of the Church in Salem-Village, had a Daughter of Nine, and a Neice of about Eleven years of Age, ſadly Afflicted of they knew not what Diſtempers; and he made his application to Phyſitians, yet ſtill they grew worſe: And at length one Phyſitian gave his opinion, that they were under an Evil Hand. This the Neighbours quickly took up, and concluded they were bewitched. He had alſo an Indian Man ſervant, and his Wife who afterwards confeſſed, that without the knowledge of their Maſter or Miſtreſs, they had taken ſome of the Afflicted perſons Urine, and mixing it with meal had made a Cake, & baked it, to find out the Witch, as they ſaid. After this, the Afflicted perſons cryed out of the Indian Woman, named Tituba, that ſhe did pinch, prick, and grievouſly torment them, and that they ſaw her here and there, where no body elſe could. Yea they could tell where ſhe was, and what ſhe did, when out of their humane ſight. Theſe Children were biuen and pinched by inviſible agents; their arms, necks, and backs turned this way and that way, and returned back again, ſo as it was impoſſible for them to do of themſelves, and beyond the power of any Epileptick Fits, or natural Diſeaſe to effect. Sometimes they were taken dumb, their mouths ſtopped, their throats choaked, their limbs wracked and, tormented ſo as might move an heart of ſtone, to ſympathize with them, with bowels of compaſſion for them. I will not enlarge in the deſcription of their cruel Sufferings, becauſe they were in all things afflicted as bad as John Goodwins Children at Boſton, in the year 1689. So that he that will read Mr. Mathers Book of Memorable Providences, page 3. &c. may Read part of what theſe Children, and afterwards ſundry grown perſons ſuffered by the hand of Satan, at Salem Village, and parts adjacent, Anno 1691, 2. Yet there was more in theſe Sufferings, than in thoſe at Boſton, by pins inviſibly ſt…ck into their fleſh, pricking with I…ons. (As in part publiſhed in a Book Printed 1693. viz. The Wonders of the Inviſible World.) Mr. Paris ſeeing the diſtreſſed condition of his Family, deſired the preſence of ſome Worthy Gentlemen of Salem, and ſome Neighbour Miniſters to conſult together at his Houſe; who when they came, and had enquired diligently into the Sufferings of the Afflicted, concluded they were preternatural, and feared the hand of Satan was in them.
II. The advice given to Mr. Paris by them was, that he ſhould ſit ſtill and wait upon the Providence of God to ſee what time might diſcover; and to be much in prayer for the diſcovery of what was yet ſecret. They alſo Examined Tituba, who confeſſed the making a Cake, as is above mentioned, and ſaid her Miſtreſs in her own Country was a Witch, and had taught her ſome means to be uſed for the diſcovery of a Witch and for the prevention of being bewitched, &c. But ſaid that ſhe her ſelf was not a Witch.
III. Soon after this, there were two or three private Faſts at the Miniſters Houſe, one of which was kept by ſundry Neighbour Miniſters, and after this, another in Publick at the Village, and ſeveral days afterwards of publick Humiliation, during theſe moleſtations, not only there, but in other Congregations for them. And one General Faſt by Order of the General Court, obſerved throughout the Colony to ſeek the Lord that he would rebuke Satan, and be a light unto his people in this day of darkneſs.
But I return to the Hiſtory of theſe troubles. In a ſhort time after other perſons who were of age to be witneſſes, were moleſted by Satan, and in their …its cryed out upon Tituba and Goody O. & S. G. that they or Specters in their Shapes did grievouſly torment them; hereupon ſome of their Village Neighbours complained to the Magiſtrates at Salem, deſiring they would come and examine the afflicted & accuſed together; the which they did: the effect of which examination was, that Tituba confeſſed ſhe was a Witch, and that ſhe with the two others accuſed did torment & bewitch the complainers, and that theſe with two others whoſe names ſhe knew not, had their Witchmeeting together; relating the times when & places where they met, with many other circumſtances to be ſeen at large. Upon this the ſaid Tituba and O. & S. G. were committed to Priſon upon ſuſpicion of acting Witchcraft. After this the ſaid Tituba was again examined in Priſon, and owned her firſt confeſſion in all points, and then was her ſelf afflicted and complained of her fellow Witches tormenting of her, for her confeſſion, and accuſing them, and being ſearched by a Woman, ſhe was found to have upon her body the marks of the Devils wounding of her.
IV. Here were theſe things rendred her confeſſion credible. (1.) That at this examination ſhe anſwered every queſtion juſt as ſhe did at the firſt. And it was thought that if ſhe had feigned her confeſſion, ſhe could not have remembred her anſwers ſo exactly. A lyar we ſay, had need of a good memory, but truth being always conſiſtent with it ſelf is the ſame to day as it was yeſterday. (2.) She ſeemed very penitent for her Sin in covenanting with the Devil. (3.) She became a ſufferer her ſelf, & as ſhe ſaid for her confeſſion. (4.) Her confeſſion agreed exactly (which was afterwards verified in the other confeſſors) with the accuſations of the afflicted. Soon after theſe afflicted perſons complained of other perſons afflicting of them in their fits, and the number of the afflicted and accuſed began to increaſe. And the ſucceſs of Tituba's confeſſion encouraged thoſe in Authority to examine others that were ſuſpected, and the event was, that more confeſſed themſelves guilty of the Crimes they were ſuſpected for. And thus was this matter driven on.
V. I obſerved in the proſecution of theſe affairs, that there was in the Juſtices, Judges & others concerned, a conſcientious endeavour to do the thing that was right. And to that end they conſulted the Preſidents of former times & precepts laid down by Learned Writers about Witchcraft. As Keeble on the Common Law, Chapt. Conjuration, (an Author approved by the Twelve Judges of our Nat…on.) Alſo Sir, Mathew Hales tryal of Witches, Printed Anno 1682. Glanvils Collection of ſundry tryals in England & Ireland, in the years 1658, 61, 63, 64, & 81. Bernards guide to Jurymen, Baxter & R. Burton, their Hiſtories about Witches and their diſcoveries. Cotton Mather's Memorable Providences relating to Witchcrafts, Printed Anno 1689.
VI. But that which chiefly carried on this matter to ſuch an height, was the increaſing of confeſſors till they amounted to near about Fifty: and four or ſix of them upon their tryals owned their guilt of this crime, and were condemned for the ſame, but not Executed. And many of the confeſſors confirmed their confeſſions with very ſtrong circumſtances: As their exact agreement with the accuſations of the afflicted; their punctual agreement with their fellow confeſſors; their relating the times when they covenanted with Satan, and the reaſons that moved them thereunto; their Witch meetings, and that they had their mock Sacraments of Baptiſm and the Supper, in ſome of them; their ſigning the Devils book: and ſome ſhewed the Scars of the wounds which they ſaid were made to fetch blood with, to ſign the Devils book; and ſome ſaid they had Imps to ſuck them, and ſhewed Sores raw where they ſaid they were ſucked by them.
VII. I ſhall give the Reader a taſt of theſe things in a few Inſtances. The Afflicted complained that the Spectres which vexed them, urged them to ſet their Hands to a Book repreſented to them (as to them it ſeemed) with threatnings of great torments, if they ſigned not, and promiſes of eaſe if they obeyed.
Among theſe D. H. did as ſhe ſaid (which ſundry others confeſſed afterwards) being overcome by the extremity of her pains, ſign the Book preſented, and had the promiſed eaſe; and immediately upon it a Spectre in her Shape afflicted another perſon, and ſaid, I have ſigned the Book and have eaſe, now do you ſign, and ſo ſhall you have eaſe. And one day this afflicted perſon pointed at a certain place in the room, and ſaid, there is D. H. upon which a man with his Rapier ſtruck at the place, though he ſaw no Shape; and the Afflicted called out, ſaying, you have wounded her ſide, and ſoon after the afflicted perſon pointed at another place, ſaying, there ſhe is; whereupon a man ſtruck at the place, and the afflicted ſaid, you have given her a ſmall prick about the eye. Soon after this, the ſaid D. H. confeſſed her ſelf to be made a Witch by ſigning the Devils Book as above ſaid; and declared that ſhe had afflicted the Maid that complained of her, and in doing of it had received two wounds by a Sword or Rapier, a ſmall one about the eye, which ſhe ſhewed to …he Magiſtrates, and a bigger on the ſide of which ſhe was ſearched by a diſcreet woman, who reported, that D. H had on her ſide the ſign of a wound newly healed.
This D. H. confeſſed that ſhe was at a Witch Meeting at Salem Village, where were many perſons that ſhe named, ſome of whom were in Priſon then or ſoon after upon ſuſpicion of Witchcraft: And the ſaid G. B preached to them, and ſuch a Woman was their Deacon, and there they had a Sacrament.
VIII. Several others after this confeſſed the ſame things with D. H. In particular Goody F ſaid (Inter alia) that ſhe with two others (one of whom acknowledged the ſame) Rode from Andover to the ſame Village Witch meeting upon a ſtick above ground, and that in the way the ſtick brake, and gave the ſaid F. a fall: whereupon, ſaid ſhe, I got a fall & hurt of which I am ſtill ſore. I happened to be preſent in Priſon when this F. owned again her former confeſſion to the Magiſtrates. And then I moved ſhe might be further queſtioned about ſome particulars: It was anſwered, the Magiſtrates had not time to ſtay longer; but I ſhould have liberty to Exami… her farther by my ſelf; The which thing I did; and I asked her if ſhe rode to the Meeting on a Stick; ſhe ſaid, yea. I enquired what ſhe did for Victuals; ſhe anſwered, that ſhe carried Bread and Cheeſe in her pocket, and that ſhe and the Andover Company came to the Village before the Meeting began, and ſat down together under a tree and eat their food, and that ſhe drank water out of a Brook to quench her thirſt. And that the Meeting was upon a plain graſſy place, by which was a Cart path, and ſandy ground in the path, in which were the tracks of Horſes feet. And ſhe alſo told me how long they were going and returning. And ſome time after told me, ſhe had ſome trouble upon her ſpirit, and when I enquired what? ſhe ſaid, ſhe was in fear that G. B. and M. C. would kill her; for they appeared unto her (in Spectre, for their perſons were kept In other Rooms in the Priſon) and brought a ſharp pointed iron like a ſpindle, but four ſquare, and threatned to ſtab her to death with it; becauſe ſhe had confeſſed her Witchcraft, and told of them, that they were with her, and that M. C. above named was the perſon that made her a Witch. About a month after the ſaid F. took occaſion to tell me the ſame Story of her fears that G. B. and E. C. would kill her, and that the thing was much upon her Spirits.
IX. It was not long before M. L. Daughter of ſaid F. confeſſed that ſhe rode with her Mother to the ſaid Witch Meeting, and confirmed the ſubſtance of her Mothers Confeſſion. At another time, M. L. junior the Grand Daughter, aged about ſeventeen years, confeſſeth the ſubſtance of what her Grand mother and Mother had related, and declareth, that when they, with E. C. rode on a ſtick or pole in the Air, She the ſaid Grand-Daughter with R C. Rode upon another; (and ſhe ſaid R. C. acknowledged the ſame) and that they ſat their hands to the Devils Book. And (inter alia) ſaid, O Mother, why did you give me to the Devil? twice or thrice over. The Mother ſaid, ſhe was ſorry at the heart for it, it was through that wicked one. Her Daughter bid her repent and c…ll upon God: And ſaid, Oh Mother, your wiſhes are now come to paſs! for how often have you wiſhed that the Devil would fetch me away alive? And then ſaid, Oh! my heart will break within me; Then ſhe wept bitterly, crying out, O Lord comfort me, and bring out all the Witches. And ſhe ſaid to her Grandmother, O Grandmother, why did you give me to the Devil? Why did you perſwade me, O Grandmother do not deny it. Then the Grandmother gave account of ſeveral things about their confederates and acts of Witchcrafts too long to rehearſe.