The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination (Vol 3 of 3). Calef Robert
the Afflicted to relieve them thereby (for hitherto they had not used the Experiment of bringing the Accused to touch the Afflicted, in order to their Cure) and could foretell one anothers Fits to be coming, and would say, look to such a one, she will have a Fit presently and so it happened, and that at the same time when the Accused person was present, the Afflicted said they saw her Spectre or likeness in other places of the Meeting House Sucking [suckling] their Familiars.
The said Mr. Lawson being to Preach at the Village, after the Psalm was Sung, Abigail Williams said, Now Stand up and name your Text; after it was read, she said, It is a long Text. Mrs. Pope in the beginning of Sermon said to him, Now there is enough of that. In Sermon, he referring to his Doctrine, Abigail Williams said to him, I know no Doctrine you had, if you did name one I have forgot it. Ann Putman an afflicted Girl, said, There was a Yellow Bird sate on his Hat as it hung on the Pin in the Pulpit.12
March 31, 1692. Was set apart as a day of Solem Humiliation at Salem, upon the Account of this Business, on which day Abigail Williams said, That she saw a great number of Persons in the Village at the Administration of a Mock Sacrament, where they had Bread as read as raw Flesh, and red Drink.13
April 1. Mercy Lewis affirmed, That she saw a man in White, with whom she went into a Glorious Place, viz. in her fits, where was no Light of the Sun, much less of Candles, yet was full of Light and Brightness, with a great Multitude in White Glittering Robes, who Sang the Song in Rev. v. 9. and the cx. and cxlix. Psalms; And was given that she mighty tarry no longer in this place. This White Man is said to have appeared several times to others of them, and to have given them notice how long it should be before they should have another Fit.14
April the 3d. Being Sacrament Day at the Village, Sarah Cloys, Sister to Goodwife Nurse, a Member of one of the Churches, was (tho' it seems with difficulty prevailed with to be) present; but being entred the place, and Mr. Parris naming his Text, John vi. 70. Have not I chosen you Twelve, and one of you is a Devil (for what cause may rest as a doubt whether upon the account of her Sisters being committed, or because of the choice of that Text) she rose up and went out, the wind shutting the Door forcibly, gave occasion to some to suppose she went out in Anger, and might occasion a suspicion of her; However she was soon after complain'd of, examin'd and committed.15
April the 11th. By this time the number of the Accused and Accusers being much increased, was a Public Examination at Salem, Six of the Magistrates with several Ministers being present, there appeared several who complain'd against others with hidious clamors and Screechings. Goodwife Proctor16 was brought thither, being Accused or cryed out against; her Husband coming to attend and assist her, as there might be need, the Accusers cryed out of him also, and that with so much earnestness, that he was Committed with his Wife. About this time besides the Experiment of the Afflicted falling at the sight, &c. they put the Accused upon saying the Lord's Prayer, which one among them performed, except in that petition [Deliver us from Evil] she exprest it thus (Deliver us from all Evil) this was lookt upon as if she Prayed against what she was now justly under, and being put upon it again, and repeating those words [Hallowed be thy name] she exprest it [Hollowed be thy Name] this was counted a depraving the words, as signifying to make void, and so a Curse rather than a Prayer, upon the whole it was concluded that she also could not say it, &c. Proceeding in this work of examination and Commitment many were sent to Prison. As an Instance, see the following Mittimus:
YOU are in Their Majesties Names hereby required to take into your care, and safe custody, the Bodies of William Hobs and Deborah his Wife, Mary Easty, the Wife of Isaac Easty, and Sarah Wild, the Wife of John Wild, all of Topsfield; and Edward Bishop, of Salem-Village; Husbandman, and Sarah his Wife, and Mary Black, a negro of Lieutenant Nathaniel Putmans, of Salem-Village; also Mary English the Wife of Philip English,17 Merchant in Salem; who stand charged with High Suspicion of Sundry Acts of Witchcraft, done or committed by them lately upon the Bodies of Ann Putman, Mary Lewis and Abigail Williams, of Salem-Village; whereby great Hurt and Damage hath been done to the Bodies of the said Persons, according to the complaint of Thomas Putnam and John Buxton of Salem-Village, Exhibited. Salem, Apr 21, 1692, appears, whom you are to secure in order to their further Examination. Fail not.
YOU are in their Majesties Names hereby required to convey the above-named to the Goal at Salem. Fail not.
The occasion of Bishops being cry'd out of, was he being at an Examination in Salem, when at the Inn an afflicted Indian was very unruly, whom he undertook, and so managed him, that he was very orderly, after which in riding home, in company of him and other Accusers, the Indian fell into a fit, and clapping hold with his Teeth on the back of the Man that rode before him, thereby held himself upon the Horse, but said, Bishop striking him with his stick, the Indian soon recovered, and promised he would do so no more; to which Bishop replied, that he doubted not, but he could cure them all, with more to the same effect; immediately after he was parted from them, he was cried out of, &c.
May 14, 1692. Sir William Phips arrived with Commission from their Majesties to be Governor, pursuant to the New Charter; which he now brought with him; the Ancient Charter having been vacated by King Charles, and King James (by which they had a power not only to make their own Laws; but also to chuse their own Governor and Officers;) and the Countrey for some years was put under an absolute Commission-Government, till the Revolution, at which time, tho more than two thirds of the People were for reassuming their ancient Government, (to which they had encouragement by his then Royal Highness's Proclamation) yet some that might have been better imployed18 (in another Station) made it their business (by printing, as well as speaking) to their utmost to divert them from such a settlement; and so far prevailed, that for about seven Weeks after the Revolution, here was not so much as a face of any Government; but some few Men upon their own Nomination would be called a Committee of Safety; but at length the Assembly prevailed with those that had been of the Government, to promise that they would reassume; and accordingly a Proclamation was drawn, but before publishing it, it was underwritten, that they would not have it understood that they did reassume Charter-Government; so that between Government and no Government, this Countrey remained till Sir William arrived: Agents being in this time impowered in England, which no doubt did not all of them act according to the Minds or Interests of those that impowered them, which is manifest by their not acting jointly in what was done; so that this place is perhaps a single Instance (even in the best of Reigns) of a Charter not restored after so happy a Revolution.19
This settlement by Sir William Phips his being come Governour put an end to all disputes of these things,20 and being arrived, and having read his Commission, the first thing he exerted his Power in, was said to be his giving Orders that Irons should be put upon those in Prison; for tho for sometime after these were Committed, the Accusers ceased to cry out of them; yet now the cry against them was renewed, which occasioned such Order; and tho there was partiality in the executing it (some having taken them off almost as soon as put on) yet the cry of these Accusers against such ceased after this Order.21
May 24. Mrs. Cary
Lawson,
Lawson, Page 8. The Words "
This Affair of the 1st of April, is an Abridgement of Lawson, Page 8, but nothing important to the present Purpose is omitted.
The following is the Relation by Lawson, given in his own Words, that the Reader may judge of his accuracy: "The 3d of
"On the 11th of April, 1692, a Council was convened at Salem; at which there were present Dep. Gov. Thomas Danforth, James Russell, John Hathorne, Isaac Addington, Maj. Samuel Appleton, Capt. Samuel Sewall and Jonathan Corwin. To them Complaint was exhibited by Capt. Jonathan Wallcott and Lieut. Nathaniell Ingersall, both of Salem Village, on the behalf of several Neighbors, as well as on their own; against Sarah Cloyce, wife of Peter Cloyce of Salem Village, and Elizabeth Proctor, wife of John Proctor of Salem Farms [on the Road towards Boston] for high suspition of sundry Acts of Witchcraft, committed on the Bodies of Abigail Williams and John Indian, both of Mr. Samuel Parris his Famyly, Mary Walcot, Ann Putnam and Mercy Lewis, &c." When the Accused were brought before the Council, Mr. Parris "was desired and appointed to wright ye Examination," which he accepted, and the Record is still extant in his Hand-writing. Accordingly Elizabeth Proctor, and her Husband, John Proctor, and Sarah Cloyce were all committed to Prison, "per advise of ye Councill." —
The Testimony and Indictment against Philip English may be seen in the
Dr. Mather affirms that "the
Our Author is not the only one who thought Dr. I. Mather had some selfish Ends to answer in his Management of Affairs in England. See Quincy,
That is the Disputes respecting the Form of Government.
It appears that some Irons had been prepared before the Arrival of Gov. Phips, though he may have ordered a further Supply, as Prisoners greatly increased about that Time. Mr. Felt, the Annalist of Salem, furnished Mr. J. W. Hanson with a Copy of an Account of the Prison-keeper (John Arnold), of Boston, for various Items used in the Prison. Said Account begins about the 7th of March, 1691-2. On "May 9th, To Chains for Sarah Good and Sarah Osborn, 14