A True Account of the Tryals and Con­feſſions of ſeveral WITCHES, in New-England, &c.In a Letter to a Friend.

SInce in Scripture, and divers Hiſtories, we find that by the Deluſion and Temptation of the Devil, ſilly Creatures are drawn aſide to com­ply with a Diabolick Power, out of Revenge, to miſchief their Fellow-Creatures; and other ſiniſter Deſigns; it may not prove ungrateful to the Age, among other Matters of this kind, to give an Impar­tial Account of divers Perſons who have been lately Try'd, Convicted and Executed in New-England, for their Bewitching, Torturing and Deſtroying People and Cattle; with many ſtrange and amazing Circum­ſtances that attended the Effecting of their helliſh Per­formances. And, Firſt,

At a Seſſions of Oyer and Terminer, Bridget Biſhop was Try'd, for Bewitching and Hurting divers Perſons, and Deſtroying their Cattle. Againſt whom, upon Evidence, it appear'd in Court, That ſhe, or ſome­thing in her ſhape, often came and pinched and bit ſeveral Perſons, grievouſly tormenting and affrighting them, urging them to write their Names in a Book which was then produc'd; and one refuſing it, was carry'd by force from her Wheel, and threatned to be drown'd in a River, if ſhe did not Sign it; but ſhe3 overcame the Temptation: And that Biſhop boaſted ſhe had been the death of divers People. And thoſe ſhe had bewitch'd, when at any time ſhe look'd upon them, were extremely tortur'd; and when they were in a Swoon, if ſhe touch'd them, they would imme­diately revive, and many the like Geſtures, work'd ſtrange Effects. Once ſhe tempted one Deliverance Hobbs to Sign the Book ſhe brought; and becauſe ſhe refuſed, a Spectre, in the Shape of Biſhop, whip'd her with Iron Rods; and that ſhe knew this Woman to be at a General Meeting of Witches, in a Field near a Village call'd Salem; and that there ſhe took Bread and Wine in a Diabolical way, as a Sacrament. John Cook ſaid, upon Oath, That he was aſſaulted by her Shape in his Chamber; which hit him a blow on the Head, and made an Apple fly out of his Hand into his Mother's Lap, at a great diſtance.

Her ſhape was often ſeen in a great Light, which appear'd with her, ſo that ſhe might eaſily be diſcern'd. John Blys's Wife Teſtified, That having bought a Sow of Biſhop's Husband, and the Money be­ing pay'd to another Perſon, the Sow was ſoon after taken with ſtrange Fits, Leaping and Jumping, and beating her Head againſt the places where ſhe came, refuſing her meat, &c.

She was held to bewitch a Child of one Samuel Shattock's, and when ſhe payed the ſaid Shattock mo­ney, it was unaccountably conveyed away, though Locked never ſo ſafely up, ſhe oppreſſed one John Lou­der in the night, and had like to have deſtroy'd him; and after that, he being at home, and the doors ſhut, a black Pig, or rather the Devil in ſuch a ſhape, ap­pear'd to him, which he going to kick, it vaniſhed, as he thought, out of the Window: then a black thing Jumped in again, with a Body like a Monkey, the2〈1 page duplicate〉3〈1 page duplicate〉4Face ſomething like a Man, and the feet like a Cocks, which in the midſt of his affrighment, told him, That underſtanding he was in trouble, he come as a Meſſen­ger to tell him, that if he would be ruled by him, he ſhould want nothing in the World; whereupon endea­vouring to ſeize it, he could feel no ſubſtance it ſeem­ing to Jump out of the Window again, and then com­ing to the Porch, ſaid, You had better take my Coun­ſel. He then ſtruck at it with a Stick, but the Stick broke, and it Vaniſhing, his Arm was diſabled, and afterward throwing dirt upon his Breaſt, it ſtruck him Dumb for three Days.

Many other things of the like nature were teſtifyed againſt her. As that ſhe appeared ſeveral times with a ſtrange Light, and upon her with-drawing, it was Dark. That one Stacy being threatned by her, was one dark Night thrown againſt a Stone-Wall, and down a Bank, &c. His Horſe-traces breaking in pieces, and he not being able to lift up two Buſhels of Corn, though otherwiſe a Strong Man. It was ſuſpected ſhe killed this Party's Daughter by Witchcraft, and it was pro­ved that in taking down an old Cellar-Wall of hers, Poppets made of Clouts and Hogs-Hair, were found ſtuck with headleſs-pins. To theſe Accuſations and Proofs againſt her, ſhe made little Defence.

Suſanna Martin was Tryed upon the ſame account, and the People that were to appear againſt her, found themſelves upon their looking at her, in a ſtrange diſ­order, falling down when they came to approach her, and being asked the reaſon, ſhe gave a very ſlight An­ſwer.

Againſt her it was proved, that one John Allen, re­fuſing to carry her ſome Staves, by reaſon of the weak­neſs of his Oxen that drove his Wain, ſhe told him he had better he had; and ſoon after one of his Oxen tired:5 but this was not all, putting his Oxen to paſture among others, they firſt took a River, and then being reco­vered, they ran into the Sea, where they were all drowned but one, which for a time run Mad.

John Atkinſon, having bought a Cow of this Wo­man's Son, and ſhe being diſpleaſed at the Bargain, though this Cow was Ham-ſtring'd and halter'd, ſhe grew ſo Mad, that ſhe broke all the Ropes, and though tyed to a Tree, ſhe got away. Bernard Peche, teſtifi­ed, That ſhe came in at his Window one Night, and lay upon him for two hours, when recovering himſelf, he got hold of her Hand, and bit her by the Finger, ſo that ſhe going down Stairs, drops of Blood were found, and the prints of her feet in the Snow at the threſhold, but no farther. Once ſhe and another aſſaulted him in his Barn, where he knocked them down with a Quarter-Staff, but they roſe up and got away, and having threat­ned one time, to ſend a ſhe-Devil to fetch him away, a Cat ſoon after came in at the Window, and took hold on his Throat, when calling upon the Name of God, it flew out of the Window. Alſo falling out with one Kembal, for his refuſing to buy a Puppy of her, ſhe ſaid he ſhould have Puppies enough, and one day coming home, he was by an inviſible Power, driven out of the Road upon ſtumps of Trees, and immedi­ately a Puppy ſhot too and fro between his Legs, and ſometimes over his Shoulder, which he could not hit, though often with his Ax he ſtruck, at it: ſoon after a­nother, bigger appeared, and flew at him with great fierceneſs, when calling upon the Name of Chriſt, it vaniſhed; and though Kembal told it to no body, yet Martin, the Priſoner, declared how he had been ſerved.

One Preſſy, gave Evidence againſt this Woman, that coming home one Night, he ſaw a little out of his way a great Light, to which going and ſtriking at it, he4〈1 page duplicate〉5〈1 page duplicate〉6found it a ſolid Body, and giving it many blows, he had not gone far from it, but Martin appeared, and the next day he heard ſhe was Ill of blows and hurts received. One Ring Teſtified that ſhe came to him one Night, and bit him by the fingers, the mark of which was produced in Court.

Elizabeth How, was likewiſe Tryed at the ſame Court for a Witch, and it appeared againſt her that her evil looks caſt People into ſwooning fits, and many great diſorders. That ſhe bewitched one Stafford's Wife, and Child bewitched her Brother's Cattle to Death and the Cattle of divers other Peo­ple Miſcarried by her Curſes, and bad Wiſhes, and if any diſpleaſed, her one miſchief or other befel them, and one Sherwin's Wife dying, charged her to have a hand in her Death by Witchcraft.

She bewitched and killed a Mare of one Cumings, and a Daughter of Tymothy Pearly's, the Girl affirming to her Death, that this Woman had bewitched her, and would be in a ſtrange taking, when even ſhe was named, ſaying at the laſt, Though ſhe could torment her Body, ſhe could not hurt her Soul. Divers recanting Witches came in againſt her, and declared, that ſhe had been Baptized with them by the Devil, whereup­on they kneeled down and Worſhipped him.

Martha Carrier, was another who was Tryed at this Court upon the like account, and againſt her it was proved by ſeveral Perſons, whom ſhe had bewitched, that they had been by her, or ſomething in her ſhape, bit, pinched, and almoſt choaked, and even upon her Examination and Tryal, her looks and geſtures ſtruck them into ſtrange Conſternations and Diſorders their Necks turning wildly about, at which ſhe ſcoffingly declared, it were no matter if their Necks were twi­ſted off. Her own Children had declared that ſhe had brought them up to the ſame miſchievous ends, decla­ring7 how and where they had been upon theſe wicked deſigns, and what miſchief they had done.

She falling out with one Abbot, about meaſuring of Ground, he after her threatning of him, had a ſwelling in his Foot, then a pain in his Side, and many other grievous ſores fell upon him, which brought him al­moſt to his Grave, till ſuch times as this Woman was apprehended, and then he recovered. His Cattle many of them were taken away, by ſtrange and unuſual Deaths. One Toothmaker likewiſe loſt many Cattle upon falling out with her, and having a Wound, ſhe told him it ſhould never be Cured, which indeed could not be effected, till the time of her being ſeized, and then it immediately grew well. Likewiſe the Cattle of John Rogers were bewitched upon his falling out with her, and divers other People ſuffered the like: She ta­king one Phoebe Chandler by the Shoulder, ſoon after ſhe heard a Voice over her Head, ſaying, In a few Days ſhe ſhould be poyſon'd; and thereupon her Hand ſwel­led, and ſhe was in many great pains and torments. Divers Women that had been of her Converſation, ac­cus'd her being at Witch-Meetings, and of Eating and Drinking with the Devil; and, that ſhe drew ſome of them into the Snare.

One thing ſtrangely happen'd, during her Tryal, viz. One Suſanna Sheldon had her Hands tied together with a Whale-Bone by an Inviſible Hand, that it could not be undone without cutting; and for this Service of Carrier, the Devil promis'd to make her Queen of Hell.

Among theſe Women, a Man was Try'd, as a Dealer in the Black-Art, and Witchcraft. It appear'd againſt him, That he had intic'd a great many to ſign the Devil's Book with Blood, or ſome Necromantick Matter. He was ſuſpected to make away Two Wives by Witchcraft; whoſe Ghoſts appear'd, and declar'd6〈1 page duplicate〉7〈1 page duplicate〉8as much to divers People, charging them to reveal it; and tho' he was but a weak Man to appearance, yet he would lift more than the ſtrongeſt Man could do. So that it was conjectur'd, that the Devil muſt of neceſſity aſſiſt him by a ſecret power. It appear'd againſt him, that he had intic'd many into Witchery; and One re­fuſing to ſign his Book, was afflicted with cruel Pains for a long time. Some he bit, and the print of his Teeth remained in their Fleſh. And it further ap­pear'd, that he was the chief Summoner to the Witch-Meetings, and perſuaded People to communicate with the Devil; and many other horrible things, as de­ſtroying of Cattle, and the like.

So that upon full Evidence againſt them all, they were Convicted, and receiv'd Sentence of Death, and were accordingly executed: But ſeveral Children, and others, that had been ſeduc'd by them to theſe hel­liſh Practices, met with lighter Puniſhments, and have Time allowed them to repent.