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 This settlement by Sir William Phips his being come Governour put an end to all disputes of these things 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 some time 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 them taken off almost as soon as put on yet the cry of these Accusers against such ceased after this Order May 24. Mrs. Cary of Charlestown was Examined and Committed Her Husband Mr. Nathaniel Cary has given account thereof as also of her Escape to this Effect I having heard some days that my Wife was accused of Witchcraft being much disturbed at it by advice we went to Salem Village to see if the afflicted did know her we arrived there 24. May it happened to be a day â—pâ—ointed for Examination accordingly soon after our arrival Mr. Hathorn and Mr. Curwin c. went to the Meeting-house which was the place apâ—ointed for that Wâ—rk the Mininister began with Prayer and having taken care to get a convenient place I observed that the afflicted were two Girls of about Ten Years old and about two or three other of about eighteen one of tâ—e Girls talked mâ—st and could discern more than the rest The Prisoners â—â—re called in one by one and as they came in were cried cut of c. The Prisoner was placed about 7 or 8 fcot from the Iustices and the Accusers between the Iâ—stices and them the Prisoner was ordered to stand right before â—tiâ—e Iustices with an Officer appointed to hold each band least they should treâ—â—itiâ— affâ—ict them and the Prisoners Eyes must be constantly on the Iustices for if they â—â—ok'd on the affâ—icted they would either fall into their Fits or cry out of being â—urt by them after Examination of the Prisoners who it was afflicted these Girls c. they were put upon saying the Lords Prayer as a 〈◊〉 of theiâ— gâ—â—ilâ— after the afflicted seem'd to be out of their Fits they would lâ—ok sâ—eadjâ—stâ—â— on some one person and frequently not speak and then the Iusâ—ices said they were struck dumb and after a little time would speak again then the Iusâ—ices said to the Accusers which of you will go and touch the Prisoner at the Bar then the most couragious would adventure but before they â—ad made three steps would ordinarily fall down as in a Fit the Iustices ordered that they should be taken up and carried to the Prisoner that she might touch them and as soon as they were touched by the accused the Iustices would say they are well before I could discern any alteration by which I observed tâ—at the Iustices understood the manner of it Thus far I was only as a Spectatâ—r my Wife also was there part of the time but no notice taken of her by the afflicted except once or twice they came to her and asked her name But I having an opportunity to Discourse Mr. Hale with whom I had formeâ—â—y acquaintance I took his advice what I had best to do and desired of him that I might have an opportunity to speak with her that accused my Wife which bâ— prâ—mised should be I acquainting him that I reposed my trust in him Accordingly be came to me after the Examination was over and told me I â—ad now an opportunity to speak with the said Accuser viz. Abigail Williams a Giâ—l of 11 or 12 Years old but that we could not be in private at Mr. Parris's House as he had promised me we went therefore into the Alehouse wheâ—e an Indian Man attended us who it seems was one of the afflicted to him we gave some Cyder be shewed several Scars that seemed as if they had â—â—en long there and shewed them as done by Witchcraft and acquainted us tâ—at his Wife who also was a Slave was imprison'd for Witchcraft And now instead of one Accuser they all came in who began to tumble down like Swine and then three Women were called in to attend them We in the Room were aâ—l at a sâ—â—nd to see who they would cry out of but in a short time they cried out Cary and immediately after a Warrant was sent from the Iuslices to bring my Wife before them who were sitting in a Chamber near by waiting for this Being brought before the Iustices her chief accusers were two Girls my Wife declared to the Iustices that she never had any knowledge of them before that day she was forced to stand with her Arms stretched out I did request that I might hold one of her hands but it was denied me then she desired me to wipe the Tears from her Eyes and the Sweat from her Face which I did then she desired she might lean her self on me saying she should faint Iustice Hathorn replied she had strength enough to torment those persons and she should have strength enough to stand I speaking something against their cruel proceedings they commanded me to be silent or else I should be turned out of the Room The Indian before mentioned was also brought in to be one of her Accusers being come in he now when before the Iustices fell down and tumbled about like a Hog but said nothing The Iustices asked the Girls who afflicted the Indian they answered she meaning my Wife and now lay upon him the Iustices ordered her to touch him in order to his cure but her head must be turned another way least instead of curing she should make him worse by her looking on him her hand being guided to take hold of his but the Indian took hold on her hand and pulled her down on the Floor in a barbarous manner then his hand was taken off and her hand put on his and the cure was quickly wrought I being extreamly troubled at their Inhumane dealings uttered a hasty Speech That God would take vengeance on them and desired that God would deliver us out of the hands of unmerciful men Then her Mittimus was writ I did with difficulty andcharge obtain the liberty of a Room but no Beds in it if
England being about to leave their Native soil and to seek as the Providence of God should direct them a settlement in remote Regions wherein they might best secure their Civil and Religious Interests before they enter'd upon this considering it might be needful on many accounts for their future well-being they obtain'd a Charter to be in the nature of a prime agreement setting forth the Soveraigns Prerogative and the Peoples Priviledges in the enjoyment whereof they long continued after having purchas'd the Title to their Lands of the Natives of the Country and settled themselves therein without any charge to the Crown That Clause in their Charter for this Country viz. Provided that no other Christian Prince be prepossest of it being a tacit acknowledgment that before settlement no one Christian Prince had any right thereto more than another During this time of New-Englands Prosperity the Government here were very sparing of Granting Freedoms except to such as were so and so qualified Whereby the number of Non-Freemen being much increas'd they were very uneasie by their being shut out from having any share in the Government or having any Votes for their Representatives c. it rendred many of them ready to join with such as were undermining the Government not duly considering that it had â—een far more safe to have endeavoured to prevail with the Legislators for an enlargement So that it will not be wonder'd at that in the latter end of the Reign of King Charles the II. and of King Iames when most of the Charters in England were vacated that this was quo warranto'd and finally Judgment entered up against it and the Country put into such a form of Government as was most agreeable to those times viz. A Legislative pow'r was lodg'd in the Governour or President and some few appointed to be of his Counsel without any regard therein either to the Laws of England or those formerly of this Colony Thus rendring the Circumstances of this Country beyond comparison worse than those of any Corporation in England The People of those Corporations being acknowledged still to have a right to Magna Charta when their particular Charters were made void But here when Magna Charta has been pleaded the People have been answered that they must not expect that Magna Charta would follow them to the end of the World not only their Estates but their Lives being thereby rendred wholly precarious And Judge Palmer has set forth in Print that the King has power to grant such a Commission over this People It is not hard to imagin that under such a Commission not only the People were liable to be opprest by Taxes but also by Confiscations and Siezing of Lands unless Patents were purchased at Excessive prizes with many other Exorbitant Innovations The first that accepted this Commission was Mr. Dudley a Gentleman born in this Country who did but prepare the way for Sir Edm. Andres In whose time things being grown to such Extremities not only here but in England as render'd the succeeding Revolution absolutely necessary the Revolution here being no other than an acting according to the Precedent given by England During the time of Sir Edmonds's Government Mr. Increase Mather Teacher of the Noâ—th Church in Boston having undergone some trouble by Fobb-Actions laid upon him c. tho with some difficulty he made his Escape and got passage for England being therein assisted by some particular Friends where being arrived he applied himself to King Iames for redress of those Evils the Country then groaned under and meeting with a seeming kind reception and some promises it was as much as might at that time be reasonably expected Upon the Day of the Revolution here tho for the greatest part of the People were for reassuming their Ancient Government pursuant to his Royal Highness's Proclamation yet matters were so clog'd that the People were dismist without it who did not in the least mistrust but that those who were put out of the Government by Mr. Dudley would reasume Mr. Broadstreet who had been then Governour being heard to say that Evening when returned home That had not he thought they would have reassum'd he would not have stirr'd out of his House that Day But after this some that were driving at other matters had opportunities by Threats and other ways not only to prevail with that good Old Gentleman but with the rest of the Government wholly to decline it which some few observing they took the opportunity to call themselves a Committee of Safety and so undertook to Govern such as would be govern'd by them It has been an Observation of long continuance that matters of State seldom prosper when managed by the Clergy Among the opposers of the reassuming few so strenuous as some of the Ministers and among the Ministers none more vehement than Mr. Cotton Mather Pastor of the North-Church in Boston who has charged them as they would answer it another day not to reassume Among his Arguments against it one was that it would be to put a â—light upon his Father who he said was in England labouring for a compleat Restoration of Charter Priviledges not doubting but they would be speedily obtain'd Any Man that knows New-England cannot but be sensible that such Discourses from such Men have always been very prevalent And hence it was that even those that would think themselves wronged if they were not numbred among the best Friends to New-England and to its Charter would not so much as stoop to take it up when there was really nothing to hinder them from the Enjoyment thereof After the Committee of Safety had continued about seven Weeks or rather after Anarchy had been so long Triumphant an Assembly having been call'd came to this resolve and laid it before those Gentlemen that had been of the Government that if they would not act upon the Foundation of the Charter that persuant to it the Assembly would appoint some others in that Station The Answer to which was that they would accept c. And when a Declaration signifying such a reassuming was prepared with the good liking of the Deputies in order to be published some that were opposers so terrified those Gentlemen that before publishing it was underwritten that they would not have it understood that they did reassume Charter Government to the no small amazement of the People and disappointment of the Deputies who if these had not promised so to act had taken other care and put in those that would The next principal thing done was they chose two of their Members viz. One of the upper House the other of the lower both of them Gentlemen of known Integrity as well as ability to go to England in order to obtain their Resettlement And in regard Mr. I. Mather was already there they joined him as also a certain Gentlemen in London with these other two Those from hence being arrived in London they all united for the common Interest
Neighbours Here it was that many accused themselves of Riding upon Poles through the Air Many Parents believing their Children to be Witches and many Husbands their Wives c. When these Accusers came to the House of any upon such account it was ordinary for other young People to be taken in Fits and to have the same Spectral sight Mr. Dudley Bradstreet a Justice of Peace in Andover having granted out Warrants against and Committed Thirty or Forty to Prisons for the supposed Witchcrafts at length saw cause to forbear granting out any more Warrants Soon after which he and his Wife were cried out of himself was by them said to have killed Nine persons by Witchcraft and found it his safest course to make his Escape A Dog being afflicted at Salem-Village those that had the Spectral sight being sent for they accused Mr. Iohn Bradstreet Brother to the Justice that he afflicted the said Dog and now rid upon him He made his Escape into Pescattequa-Government and the Dog was put to death and was all of the Afflicted that suffered death At Andover the Afflicted complained of a Dog as afflicting of them and would fall into their Fits at the Dogs looking upon them the Dog was put to death A worthy Gentleman of Boston being about this time accused by those at Andover he sent by some particular Friends a Writ to Arrest those Accusers in a Thousand Pound Action for Defamation with instructions to them to inform themselves of the certainty of the proof in doing which their business was perceived and from thence forward the Accusations at Andover generally ceased In October some of these Accusers were sent for to Glocester and occasioned four VVomen to be sent to Prison but Salem Prison being so full it could receive no more two were sent to Ipswich Prison In November they were sent for again by Lieutenant Stephens who was told that a Sister of his was bewitched in their way passing over Ipswich-Bridge they met with an old Woman and instantly fell into their Fits But by this time the validity of such Accusations being much questioned they found not that Encouragement they had done elsewhere and soon withdrew These Accusers swore that they saw three persons sitting upon Lieutenant Stephens's Sister till she died yet Bond was accepted for those Three And now Nineteen persons having been hang'd and one prest to death and Eight more condemned in all Twenty and Eight of which above a third part were Members of some of the Churches in N. England and more than half of them of a good Conversation in general and not one clear'd About Fifty having confest themselves to be Witches of which not one Executed above an Hundred and Fifty in Prison and above Two Hundred more accused The Special Commission of Oyer and Terminer comes to a period which had no other foundation than the Governours Commission and had proceeded in the manner of swearing Witnesses viz. By holding up the hand and by receiving Evidences in writing according to the Ancient Usage of this Countrey as also having their Indictments in English In the Tryals when any were Indicted for Afflicting Pining and wasting the Bodies of particular persons by Witchcraft it was usal to hear Evidence of matter foreign and of perhaps Twenty or Thirty Years standing about over-setting Carts the death of Cattle unkindness to Relations or unexpected Accidents befalling after some quarrel Whether this was admitted by the Law of England or by what other Law wants to be determined the Executions seemed mixt in pressing to death for not pleading which most agrees with the Laws of England and Sentencing Women to be hanged for Witchcraft according to the former practice of this Country and not by burning as is said to have been the Law of England And though the confessing Witches were many yet not one of them that confessed their own guilt and abode by their Confession were put to Death Here followeth what account some of those miserable Creatures give of their Confession under their own hands We whose Names are under written Inhabitants of Andover when as that horrible and tremendous Iudgment beginning at Salem Village in the Year 1692. by some call'd Witchcraft first breaking forth at Mr. Parris's House several Young persons being seemingly afflicted did accuse several persons for afflicting them and many there believing it so to be we being informed that if a person were sick that the afflicted persons could tell what or who was the cause of that sickness Joseph Ballard of Andover his Wife being sick at the same time he either from himself or by the advice of others fetch'd two of the persons call'd the afflicted persons from Salem Village to Andover Which was the beginning of that dreadful Calamity that befel us in Andover And the Authority in Andover believing the said Accusations to be true sent for the said persons to come together to the Meeting-house in Andover the afflicted persons being there After Mr. Bernard had been at Prayer we were blindfolded and our hands were laid upon the afflicted persons they being in their Fits and falling into their Fits at our coming into their presence as they said and some led us and laid our hands upon them and then they said they were well and that we were guilty of afflicting of them whereupon we were all seized as Prisoners by a Warrant from the Iustice of the Peace and forthwith carried to Salem And by reason of that suddain surprizal we knowing our selves altogether Innocent of that Crime we were all exceedingly astonished and amazed and consternated and affrighted even out of our Reason and our nearest and dearest Relations seeing us in that dreadful condition and knowing our great danger apprehending that there was no other way to save our lives as the case was then circumstantiated but by our confessing our selves to be such and such persons as the afflicted represented us to be they out of tender love and pitty perswaded us to confess what we did confess And indeed that Confession that is said we made was no other than what was suggested to us by some Gentlemen they telling us that we were Witches and they knew it and we knew it and they knew that we knew it which made us think that it was so and our understanding our reason and our faculties almost gone we were not capable of judging our condition as also the hard measures they used with us rendred us uncapable of making our Defence but said any thing and every thing which they desired and most of what we said was but in effect a consenting to what they said Sometime after when we were better composed they telling of us what we had confessed we did profess that we were Innocent and Ignorant of such things And we hearing that Samuel Wardwell had renounced his Confession and quickly after Condemned and Executed some of us were told that we were going after Wardwell Mary Osgood Mary Tiler Deliv Dane Abigail
discover her self to be such an one Yet when she was asked what she had to say for her self her chief plea was that she had led a most vertuous and holy life The Indictment of Elizabeth How Essex ff Anno Regni Regis Regine Willielmi Mariae nunc Angliae c. quarto THE Jurors for our Soveraign Lord and Lady the King and Queen present That Elizabeth How Wife of Iames How of Ipswich the Thirty first Day of May in the Fourth Year of the Reign of our Soveraign Lord and Lady William and Mary by the Grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King and Queen Defenders of the Faith c. and divers other days and times as well before as after certain detestable Arts called Witchcrafts and Sorceries wickedly and Felloniously hath used practiced and exercised at and within the Tounship of Salem in the County of Essex aforesaid in upon and agaâ—nst one Mary Wolcott of Salem-Village in the County aforesaid single Woman by which said wicked Arts the said Mary Wolcott the said Thirty first Day of May in the Fourth Year as abovesaid and divers other days and times as well before as after was and is Tortured Afflicted Pined Consumed Wasted and Tormented and also for sundry other Acts of Witchcrafts by said Elizabeth How committed and done before and since that time against the Peace of our Soveraign Lord and Lady the King and Queen and against the form of the Statute in that case made and provided Witnesses Mary Wolcott Ann Putnam Abigail Williams Samuel Pearly and his Wife Ruth Ioseph Andrews and Wife Sarah Iohn Sherrin Ioseph Safford Francis Lane Lydia Fosier Isaac Cummins Junior There was also a second Indictment for afflicting of Mercy Lewis Witnesses Mercy Lewis Mary Wolcott Abigail Williams Ann Putnam Samuel Pearly and Wife Ioseph Andrews and Wife Iohn Sherrin Ioseph Safford Franis Lane Lydia Foster The Tryal of Elizabeth How Iune 30. 1692. As is Printed In Wonders of the Invisible World from P. 126. to P. 132 inclusively 1. Elizabeth How pleading not Guilty to the Indictment of Witchcrafts then charged upon her the Court according to the usual proceeding of the Courts in England in such Cases began with hearing the Deposition of several Afflicted People who were grievously tormentâ—d by sensible and evident Witchcrafts and all complained of the Prisoner as the cause of their trouble It was also found that the Suffers were not able to bear her look as likewise that in their greaâ—est â—woons they distinguished her touch from other Peoples being thereby raised out of them And there was other Testimony of People to whom the shape of this How gave trouble Nine or Ten Years ago 2. It has been a most usual thing for the bewitched persons at the same time that the Spectres representing the Witches Troubled them to be visited with Apparitions of Ghosts pretending to have been murdered by the Witches then represented And sometimes the confessions of the Witches afterwards acknowledged those very Murders which these Apparitions charged upon them altho they had never heard what Information had been given by the Sufferers There were such Apparitions of Ghosts testified by some of the present Sufferers and the Ghosts affirmed that this How had murdered them which things were fear'd but not proved 3. This How had made some attempts of Joining to the Church at Ipswich several Years ago but she was denied an Admission into that holy Society partly thro a suspicion of Witchcraft then urged against her And there now came in Testimony of preternatural Mischiefs presently befalling some that had been Instrumental to debar her from the Communion whereupon she was intruding 4. There was a particular Deposition of Ioseph Safford that his Wife had conceived an extream Aversion to this How on the reports of her Witchcrafts but How one day taking her by the hand and saying I believe you are not Ignorant of the great scandal that I lye under by an Evil report raised upon me She immediately unreasonably and unperswadeably even like one Inchanted began to take this Womans part How being soon after propounded as desiring an Admission to the Table of the Lord some of the Pious Brethren were unsatisfied about her The Elders appointed a meeting to hear matters objected against her and no arguments in the World could hinder this Goodwife Safford from going to the Lecture She did indeed promise with much ado that she would not go to the Church-meeting yet she could not refrain going thither also How 's affairs there were so canvased that she came off rather Guilty than cleared nevertheless Goodwife Safford could not forbear taking her by the Hand and saying Tho you are condemned before Men you are justified before God She was quickly taken in a very strange manner Franrick Raving Raging and crying out Goody How must come into the Church she is a precious Saint and tho she be condemned before Men she is justified before God So she continued for the space of two or three hours and then fell into a Trance But coming to her self she cried out Ha! I was mistaken and afterwards again repeated Ha! I was mistaken being asked by a slander by Wherein she replied I thought Goody How had been a precious Saint of God but now I see is a Witch she has bewitched me and my Child and we shall never be well till there be Testimony for her that she may be taken into the Church And How said afterwards That she was very sorry to see Safford at the Church-meeting mentioned Safford after this declared her self to be Afflicted by the shape of How and from that shape she endured many miseries 5. Iohn How Brother to the Husband of the Prisoner testified that he refusing to accompany the Prisoner unto her Examination as was by her desired immediately some of his Cattle were bewitched to Death leaping Three or four Foot high turning about squeaking falling and dying at once and going to cut off an Ear for an use that might as well perhaps have been omitted the Hand wherein he held his Knife was taken very Numb and so it remained and full of pain for several Days being not well at this very time And he suspected this Prisoner for the Author of it 6. Nehemiah Abbot testified that unusual and mischievous accidents would befall his Cattle whenever he had any difference with this Prisoner Once particularly she wished his Ox choaked and within a little while that Ox was choaked with a Turnip in his Throat At another time refusing to lend his Horse at the request of her Daughter the Horse was in a preternatural manner abused And several other odd things of that kind were testified 7. There came in Testimony that one Goodwife Sherwin upon some difference with How was bewitched and that she died charging this How of having an hand in her Death And that other People had their Barrels of Drink unaccountably mischiev'd spoiled and spilt upon their displeasing
telling his Wife P. 6. that he should be a Commander should have a Brick-House in Green Lane c. might be in confidence of some such Prediction and that he could foretel to him P. 90. that he should be Governour of New-England was probably such an one the Scriptures not having revealed it Such Predictions would have been counted at Sâ—lem pregnant proofs of Witchcraft and much better than what were against several that suffered there But Sir William when the Witchcrafts at Salem began in his Esteem to look formidable that he might Act safely in this Affair he asked the Advice of the Ministers in and near Boston the whole of their Advice and Answer is Printed in Cases of Conscience the last Pages But lest the World should be Ignorant who it was that drew the said Advice in this Book of the Life of Sir William Phips P. 77. are these words the Ministers made unto his Excellency and the Counsel a return drawn up at their desire by Mr. Mather the Younger as I have been informed Mr. C. M. therein intending to beguile the World and make them think that another and not himself had taken that notice of his supposed good Service done therein which otherwise would have been ascribed to those Ministers in General tho indeed the Advice then given looks most like a thing of his Composing as carrying both Fire to increase and Water to quench the Conflagration Particularly after the Devils testimony by the supposed Afflicted had so prevailed as to take away the Life of one and the Liberty of an Hundred and the whole Country set into a most dreadful consternation then this Advice is given ushered in with thanks for what was already done and in conclusion putting the Government upon a speedy and vigorous prosecution according to the Laws of God and the wholsome Statutes of the English Nation so adding Oyl rather than Water to the Flame for who so little acquainted with proceedings of England as not to know that they have taken some methods with those here used to discover who were Witches The rest of the Advice consisting of cautions and directions are inserted in this of the Life of Sir William So that if Sir William looking upon the thanks for what was past and Exhortation to proceed went on to take away the Lives of Nineteen more this is according to the Advice said to be given him by the Ministers and if the Devil after those Executions be affronted by disbelieving his testimony and by clearing and Pardoning all the rest of the Accused yet this also is according to that Advice but to cast the Scale the same that drew this Advice saith in Wonders of the Invisible World Enchantments Encountred that to have a hand in any thing that may stifle or obstruct a regular direction of that Witchcraft is what we may well with a Holy fear avoid Their Majesties good Subjects must not every day be torn to pieces by horrid Witchcraft and those bloody Felons be wholly left unprosecuted The Witchcraft is a business that will not be shamm'd The Pastor of that Church of which Sir William was a Member being of this Principle and thus declaring it after the former advice no wonder tho it cast the Scale against those Cautions It is rather a Wonder that no more Blood was shed for if that Advice of his Pastors could still have prevail'd with the Governour Witchcraft had not been so shammed off as it was Yet now in this Book of the Life of Sir William the pardoning the Prisoners when Condemn'd and clearing the Goals is call'd P. 82. a Vanquishing the Devil adding this Conquest to the rest of the Noble Atchievements of Sir William tho Performed not only without but directly against his Pastors Advice But this is not all tho this Book pretends to raise a Statue in Honour of Sir Wiliiam yet it apears it was the least part of the design of the Author to Honour him but it was rather to Honour himself and the Ministers It being so unjust to Sir William as to give a full Account of the cautions given him but designedly hiding from the Reader the Incouragements and Exhortations to proceed that were laid before him under the name of the Ministers Advice in effect telling the World that those Executions at Salem were without and against the Advice of the Ministers exprest in those Cautions purposely hiding their giving thanks for what was already done and exhorting to proceed thereby rendring Sir William of so sanguin a Complexion that the Ministers had such cause to fear his going on with the Tragedy tho against their Advice that they desired the President to write his Cases of Conscience c. To plead msinformation will not salve here however it may seem to pallitate other things but is a manifest designed traversty or misrepresentation of the Ministers Advice to Sir William a hiding the truth and a wronging the dead whom the Author so much pretends to honour for which the Acknowledgments ought to be as Universal as the Offence But tho the Ministers Advice or rather Mr. C. Mathers was perfectly Ambidexter giving as great or greater Encouragement to proceed in those dark methods then cautions against them yet many Eminent persons being accused there was a necessity of a stop tâ— be put to it If it be true what was said at the Counsel-board in answer to the commendations of Sir William for his stopping the proceedings about Witchcraft viz. That it was high time for him to stop it his own Lady being accused if thaâ— Assertion were a truth then New-England may seem to be more beholden to thâ— accusers for accusing of her and thereby necessitating a stop than to Sir William or to the Advice that was given him by his Pastor Mr. C. M. having been very forward to write Books of Witchcraft has not been so forward either to explain or defend the Doctrinal part thereof and his belieâ— which he had a Years time to Compose he durst not venture so as to be copied Yet in this of the Life of Sir William he sufficiently testifies his retaining thaâ— Hereâ—â—â—â—ox belief seeking by frightfull stories of the sufferings of some and the râ—sined light of others â—â— P. 69 to obtrude upon the World and confirm it iâ— such a belief as hitherto he either cannot or will not defend as if the Blood already shed thereby were not sufficient Mr. I. Mather in his Cases of Conscience P. 25. tells of a Bewitched Eye and that such can see more than others They were certainly bewitched Eyes that could see as well shut as open and that could see what never was that could see the Prisoners upon the Assisted harming of them when those whose Eyes were not bewitched could have sworn that theâ— did not stir from the Bar. The Accusers are said to have suffered much by biting P. 73. And the prints of just such a set of Teeth as those they Accused had but