Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	lie_v	speak_v	word_n	3,929	5	4.2262	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01874	The wonderfull discouerie of Elizabeth Savvyer a witch late of Edmonton, her conuiction and condemnation and death. Together with the relation of the Diuels accesse to her, and their conference together. Written by Henry Goodcole minister of the Word of God, and her continuall visiter in the gaole of Newgate. Published by authority.	Goodcole, Henry, 1586-1641.	1621 (1621)	STC 12014; ESTC S117575	10,968	30

The wonderfull discouerie of ELIZABETH SAVVYER a Witch late of Edmonton her conuiction and condemnation and Death Together with the relation of the Diuels accesse to her and their conference together Written by HENRY GOODCOLE Minister of the Word of God and her continuall Visiter in the Gaole of Newgate Published by Authority London Printed for VVilliam Butler and are to be sold at his Shop in Saint Dunstons Church-yard Fleetstreet 1621. The Authors Apologie to the Christian Readers who wisheth to them all health and happinesse THe Publication of this subiect whereof now I write hath bin by importunitie extorted from me who would haue beene content to haue concealed it knowing the diuersitie of opinions concerning things of this nature and that not among the ignorant but among some of the learned For my part I meddle hearewith nothing but matter of fact and to that ende produce the Testimony of the liuing and the dead which I hope shall be Authenticall for the confirmation of this Narration and free mee from all censorious mindes and mouthes It is none of my intent here to discusse or dispute of Witches or Witchcraft but desire most therin to be dispensed with all knowing that in such a little Treatise as this is no matter that can be effectuall therein can pe comprised especially in so short a time of deliberation as three or foure dayes And the rather doe I now publish this to purchase my peace which without it being done I could scarse at any time be at quiet for many who would take no nay but still desired of me written Copies of this insuing Declaration Another reason was to defend the truth of the cause which in some measure hath receiued a wound already by most base and false Ballets which were sung at the time of our returning from the Witches execution In them I was ashamed to see and heare such ridiculous fictions of her bewitching Corne on the ground of a Ferret and an Owle dayly sporting before her of the bewitched woman brayning her selfe of the Spirits attending in the Prison all which I knew to be fitter for an Ale-bench then for a relation of proceeding in Court of Iustice. And thereupon I wonder that such lewde Balletmongers should be suffered to creepe into the Printers presses and peoples eares And so I rest at your opinions and iudgements Your well-wisher in the Lord Iesus HENRY GOODCOLE A true declaration of the manner of proceeding against ELIZABETH SAVVYER late of Edmonton Spinster and the euidence of her Conuiction A Great and long suspition was held of this person to be a witch and the eye of Mr. Arthur Robinson a worthy Iustice of Peace who dweleth at Totnam neere to her was watchfull ouer her and her wayes and that not without iust cause stil hauing his former long suspition of her by the information of her neighbours that dwelt about her from suspitiō to proceed to great presumptions seeing the death of Nurse-children and Cattell strangely and suddenly to happen And to finde out who should bee the author of this mischiefe an old ridiculous custome was vsed which was to plucke the Thatch of her house and to burne it and it being so burnd the author of such mischiefe should presently then come and it was obserued and affirmed to the Court that Elizabeth Sawyer would presently frequent the house of them that burnt the thatch which they pluckt of her house and come without any sending for This triall though it was slight and ridiculous yet it setled a resolution in those whom it concerned to finde out by all meanes they could endeauour her long and close carried Witchery to explaine it to the world and being descried to pay in the ende such a worker of Iniquity her wages and that which shee had deserued namely shame and Death from which the Diuell that had so long deluded her did not come as shee said to shew the least helpe of his vnto her to deliuer her but being descried in his waies and workes immediately he fled leauing her to shift and answere for her selfe with publike and priuate markes on her body as followeth 1 Her face was most pale ghoast-like without any bloud at all and her countenance was still deiected to the ground 2 Her body was crooked and deformed euen bending together which so happened but a little before her apprehension 3 That tongue which by cursing swearing blaspheming and imprecating as afterward she cōfessed was the occasioning cause of the Diuels accesse vnto her euen at that time and to claime her thereby as his owne by it discouered her lying swearing and blaspheming as also euident proofes produced against her to stop her mouth with Truths authority at which hearing she was not able to speake a sensible or ready word for her defense but sends out in the hearing of the Iudge Iury and all good people that stood by many most fearefull imprecations for destruction against her selfe then to happen as heretofore she had wished and indeauoured to happen on diuers of her neighbours the which the righteous Iudge of Heauen whom she thus inuocated to iudge then and discerne her cause did reueale Thus God did wonderfully ouertake her in her owne wickednesse to make her tongue to be the meanes of her owne destruction which had destroyed many before And in this manner namely that out of her false swearing the truth whereof shee little thought should be found but by her swearing and cursing blended it thus farre made against her that both Iudge and Iurie all of them grew more and more suspitious of her and not without great cause for none that had the feare of God or any the least motion of Gods grace left in them would or durst to persume so impudently with execrations and false oathes to affront Iustice. On Saturday being the fourteenth day of Aprill Anno Dom. 1621. this Elizabeth Sawyer late of Edmonton in the County of Middlesex Spinster was arraigned and indited three seuerall times at Iustice Hall in the Old Baily in London in the Parish of Saint Sepulchers in the Ward of Farrington without which Inditements were viz. That shee the said Elizabeth Sawyer not hauing the feare of God before her eyes but moued and seduced by the Diuell by Diabolicall helpe did out of her malicious heart because her neighbours where she dwelt would not buy Broomes of her would therefore thus reuenge her selfe on them in this manner namely witch to death their Nurse Children and Cattell But for breuities sake I here omit formes of Law and Informations She was also indited for that shee the said Elizabeth Sawyer by Diabolicall helpe and out of her malice afore-thought did witch vnto death Agnes Ratcleife a neighbour of hers dwelling in the towne of Edmonton where shee did likewise dwell and the cause that vrged her therevnto was because that Elizabeth Ratcliefe did strike a Sowe of hers in her sight for licking vp a little Soape where shee had laide

it and for that Elizabeth Sawyer would be reuenged of her and thus threatned Agnes Ratcleife that it should be a deare blow vnto her which accordingly fell out and suddenly for that euening Agnes Ratcleife fell very sicke and was extraordinarily vexed and in a most strange manner in her sicknesse was tormented Oath whereof was by this Agnes Ratcleifes Husband giuen to the Court the time when shee fell sicke and the time when shee died which was within foure dayes after she fell sicke and further then related that in the time of her sicknesse his wife Agnes Ratcleife lay foaming at the mouth and was extraordinarily distempered which many of his neighbors seeing as well as himselfe bred suspition in them that some mischiefe was done against her and by none else but alone by this Elizabeth Sawyer it was done concerning whom the said Agnes Ratcleife lying on her death-bed these wordes confidently spake namely that if shee did die at that time shee would verily take it on her death that Elizabeth Sawyer her neighbour whose Sowe with a washing-Beetle she had stricken and so for that cause her malice being great was the occasion of her death To proue her innocency she put her selfe to the triall of God and the Countrey and what care was taken both by the honourable Bench and Iury the iudicious standers by can witnesse and God knowes who will reward it The Iury hearing this Euidence giuen vpon oath by the husband of the aboue named Agnes Ratcliefe and his wiues speeches relating to them likewise an oath as she lay on her death-bed to be truth that shee had said vnto her husband Namely that if she dyed at that time shee the said Elizabeth Sawyer was the cause of her death and maliciously did by her Witchery procure the same This made some impression in their mindes and caused due and mature deliberation not trusting their owne iudgements what to doe in a matter of such great import as life they deemed might be conserued The Foreman of the Iury asked of Master Heneage Finch Recorder his direction and aduice to whom hee Christianlike thus replyed namely Doe in it as God shall put in your hearts Master Arthur Robinson a worshipfull Iustice of Peace dwelling at Totnam had often diuers times vpon the complaints of the neighbours against this Elizabeth Sawyer laboriously and carefully examined her and stil his suspition was strengthened against her that doutlesse shee was a Witch An Information was giuen vnto him by some of her Neighbours that this Elizabeth Sawyer had a priuate and strange marke on her body by which their suspition was confirmed against her and hee sitting in the Court at that time of her triall informed the Bench thereof desiring the Bench to send for women to search her presently before the Iury did goe forth to bring in the verdict concerning Elizabeth Sawyer whether that shee was guilty or no to which motion of his they most willingly condescended The Bench commanded officers appointed for those purposes to fetch in three women to search the body of Elizabeth Sawyer to see if they could finde any such vnwonted marke as they were informed of one of the womens names was Margaret Weauer that keepes the Sessions House for the City of London a widdow of an honest reputation and two other graue Matrons brought in by the Officer out of the streete passing by there by chance were ioyned with her in this search of the person named who fearing and perceiuing shee should by that search of theirs be then discouered behaued her selfe most sluttishly and loathsomely towards them intending thereby to preuent their search of her which my pen would forbeare to write these things for modesties sake but I would not vary in what was deliuered to the Bench expresly openly spoken yet neuerthelesse nicenesse they laid aside and according to the request of the Court and to that trust reposed in them by the Bench they all three seuerally searched her and made seuerally their answer vnto the Court being sworne thereunto to deliuer the truth And they all three said that they a little aboue the Fundiment of Elizabeth Sawyer the prisoner there indited before the Bench for a Witch found a thing like a Teate the bignesse of the little finger and the length of halfe a finger which was branched at the top like a teate and seemed as though one had suckt it and that the bottome thereof was blew and the top of it was redde This view of theirs and answere that she had such a thing about her which boldly shee denied gaue some insight to the Iury of her who vpon their consciences returned the said Elizabeth Sawyer to be guilty by dibolicall help of the death of Agnes Ratcliefe onely and acquitted her of the other two Inditements And thus much of the meanes that brought her to her deserued death and destruction I will addresse to informe you of her preparation to death which is alone pertinent to my function and declare vnto you her Confession verbatim out of her owne mouth deliuered to me the Tuseday after her conuiction though with great labour it was extorted from her and the same Confession I read vnto her at the place of her execution and there shee confessed to all people that were there the same to be most true which I shall here relate And because it should not bee thought that from me alone this proceeded I would haue other testimony thereof to stop all contradictions of so palpable a verity that heard her deliuer it from her owne mouth in the Cappel of Newgate the same time In testimony whereof the persons that were then present with mee at her Confession haue hereunto put to their hands and if it be required further to confirme this to be a truth will bee ready at all times to make oath thereof A true Relation of the confession of Elizabeth Sawyer spinster after her conuiction of Witchery taken on Tuesday the 17. day of Aprill Anno 1621. in the Gaole of Newgate where she was prisoner then in the presence and hearing of diuers persons whose names to verifie the same are here subscribed to this ensuyng confession made vnto me Henry Good-cole Minister of the word of God Ordinary and Visiter for the Gaole of Newgate In Dialogue manner are here expressed the persons that she murthered and the cattell that she destroyed by the helpe of the Diuell In this manner was I inforced to speake vnto her because she might vnderstand me and giue vnto me answere according to my demands for she was a very ignorant woman Question BY what meanes came you to haue acquaintance with the Diuell and when was the first time that you saw him and how did you know that it was the Diuell Answere The first time that the Diuell came vnto me was when I was cursing swearing and blaspheming he then rushed in vpon me and neuer before that time did I see him or he me and