The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination (Vol 3 of 3). Calef RobertЧитать онлайн книгу.

28

Their Names may, probably, nearly all be collected from the Records. Interest should prompt some one to make the Attempt.

29

Their Names have already appeared. Capt. Sewall was the well known Judge Sewall.

30

See the long and tedious Testimonies against her in Vol. I, Pages 163-174, and of the same ridiculous Character as others; yet not so ridiculous there as in the original Records, which see. Ezekiel Cheever took down the Examination.

31

Of this Abstract Dr. Mather says: "His first and main Design is to render me odious unto the Countrey, as being one chief Abettor of that Opinion, That the Devils cannot afflict in the Shape of an Innocent Person; and as being an Inciter of the Judges, to the Conviction of Witchcrafts upon that Opinion. It is very certain that his Conscience must needs tell him, this is a most Lying Accusation. For in my Book of Memorable Providences, which I writ before the Troubles at Salem, and even before I was so fully acquainted with the Wiles of Satan, (for my saying of which, on a certain Occasion, he flouts at me) I have a whole Paragraph to caution against accounting a bewitched Persons pretending to see an Apparition of such or such an one, an Argument of their being Naughty People. And some of the Chief Ministers in this Land favoured that Book with their Attestation, however my Friend Calef now Derides it." This was the Work recommended by Mr. Baxter.

32

The Trial of Susanna Martin is given in the Wonders (Vol. i.) Pages 175-187; that of Elizabeth How, Pages 188-194; that of Rebecca Nurse in Records of S. W. i. 76-99; Vol. ii. 215; of Sarah Wilds of Topsfield, Ibid, ii, 180-182, 215; Sarah Good; Ibid, 11-24; ii, 214-15. The Partiality in the Wonders is elsewhere noticed.

33

The Trial of Sarah Good was one of a singularly revolting Character. Her own Daughter, named Dorothy, was one of the Witnesses against her. Said her Mother "had three Birds, one black, one yellow, and that these Birds hurt the Children and afflicted Persons." —Records S. W. i, 23. Her own Husband gave her a very bad Character, but said he knew nothing of her being a Witch. The Story of the broken Knife, I do not remember seeing in the Records. It was probably suppressed. Samuel Abbey and Mary his Wife, aged about 45 and 38, respectively, testified that William Good and his Wife Sarah, being destitute of a House to dwell in, they took them in out of Charity; but about two years and a half before, were obliged to turn them out "for quietness sake, the said Sarah was of so turbulant a Sperritt, spitefull and mallitiously bent." Whereupon the said Abbey in about two years lost 17 head of Cattle, besides Sheep and "Hoggs." —Records, ib. 24-5. See also Mr. Upham's Lectures on Witchcraft.

34

The Names of the Jurors are not recorded. John Ruck was the Foreman, Brother-in-law, I suppose of Mr. Burroughs.

35

It is much to be regretted that the Author found it necessary to exclude such Documents. The Paper referred is of special regret.

36

What has been preserved of the Trials of these Persons, will be found in Vol. i, and in the Records before cited.

37

"I was present when these things were testified against him, and observed that he could not make any Plea for himself (in these Things) that had any Weight: He had the Liberty of Challenging his Jurors, before empannelling, according to the Statue in that Case, and used his Liberty in Challenging many; yet the Jury that were Sworn brought him in Guilty." – Lawson, Second Edition, 115.

Mr. Burroughs' Trial is fully given in Vol. i, 152-63. It is not among the Records, for the Reason, probably, that it had been given to Mr. Mather to use, and was never returned. His Examination was before Stoughton, Hathorne, Sewall and Corwin. The following are the Names of the Men appointed to search him for Teats: Edward Welch, William Gill, Zeb. Hill, Thomas Flint, Thomas West, Samuel Morgan and John Bare, as Printed in the Records, ii, 112. They reported no "Tetts" upon Mr. Burroughs.

Ann Putnam's Testimony was ingenious, and as damning as any Infernal Spirit could have desired. See Records, ib. 113-116. Mather does not give it, but says such things were evidenced; as that he had murdered sundry People. See Remarks of Mr. Upham, Lectures, 55.

38

A misprint, probably, for Nashaway.

39

Dr. Increase Mather, Mr. James Allen of the Old South, Mr. Joshua Moody, Mr. Samuel Willard of the Old South, and Mr. John Bailey of the First Church, Boston.

40

My friend Savage calls this an "Infernal Business." I hope he will never get further out of the Way. It would seem that the Officials of that Day must have taken lessons of Roman Inquisitors.

41

Daniel Andrew of Salem, as I conjecture.

42

Nineteen Years after these Executions, the General Court of the Province passed an Act declaring null and void all the Attainders and Judgments against those who had suffered for Witchcraft. This Act was passed "upon the Humble Petition of the said Persons and of the Children of others of them whose Parents were Executed." The General Assembly also appointed a Committee "to consider of ye Damages sustained by sundry Persons prosecuted for Witchcraft in ye Year 1692." The Committee computed the Damage to those above named as follows: Mr. and Mrs. Cory £21; Mary Easty £20; Alice Parker got nothing, but Mary Parker got £8; Nothing appears for Ann Pudeater; Dorcas Hoar £21; Mary Bradberry £20; some that suffered had no Representative to receive the Award.

43

Allowances were made to the most of those or their Children, as may be seen in the Records before cited.

44

"The Hill" has ever since been pointed out as Witch Hill, or more generally Gallows Hill; whence is had a fine view of the City of Salem. Some Account of this noted Hill might reasonably be expected in a History of Salem. The Institute should look to the Matter.

45

Surely Cotton Mather never uttered anything more inhuman. Mr. Noyes has already been noticed.

46

Mr. John Hale had testified against some of the Accused; but I do not find that when his own Wife was accused any Record was made of it.

47

The Case of Mr. English has been before referred to. See Note 17.

48

Ballard's Testimony against Samuel Wardwell may be seen in the Records of S. W., ii, 152. Ballard gave his Age as about 41 Years, and mentions his Brother John. See onward.

49

This was not the First of the Troubles by supposed Witchcraft at Andover, as appears by the following Record, the Original of which is in the Editor's Collection: "The Deposition of Job Tylar, aged about 40 Yeares, Mary his Wife and Moses Tylr his Son aged betwixt 17 and 18 Years, and Mary Tyler aboue 15 Yeares olde. – These Deponents witnesse that they saw a thing like a Bird to come in at the Dore of there House with John Godfery in the Night about the bignes of a Black Bird or rather bigger, to wit, as big as a Pigion, and did fly about; John Godfery labouring to catch it, and the Bird vanished, as they conceived, through the Chinck of a joynted Bord; and being asked by the Man of the House wherefore it came, he answered, It came to suck your Wife. This was (as they remember) about 5 or 6 Yeares since. – Taken vpon Oath of the 4 above menconed Pties, this 27. 4. 59. Before mee

Ouned in Court Mrh, 65, by Job Tylar and Moses Tylar.

E. R. Sec

Owned in Court 13 March, 65, by Mary Tyler on hir former Oath.

E. R. Sec"

The Above is in the Autograph of Gov. Bradstreet and Edward Rawson.

50

Son of Governor Simon Bradstreet. In 1698, when the Indians attacked Andover, Bradstreet and his Family were captured; but they were set at