The Witchcraft Delusion in New England: Its Rise, Progress, and Termination (Vol 3 of 3)
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170
See Volume I, Page 34.
171
Dr. Douglass goes further in this Matter. He says that "some of the Confessing Witches, by overacting their Parts in accusing some of Gov. Phips's, and the Rev. Mr. Mather's Relations; as also some of the Accused good Christians, and of good Estates, those arrested the Accusers in high Actions for Defamation; this put a stop to Accusations." —Summary, i, 450.
172
Referring to certain Answers in writing put into Mr. Calef's Hands, with an Injunction against his printing them. See ante, Vol. II, Page 86.
173
This Statement is fully borne out, as will be seen on referring to the Life of Phips, as directed above, or to the same in the Magnalia, B. ii, 60, et seq.; one Extract here must suffice: "But of all the Preternatural things which befel these People, there were none more unaccountable than those, wherein the prestigious Dæmons would ever now and then cover the most Corporeal Things in the World with a Fascinating Mist of Invisibility. As now; a Person was cruelly assaulted by a Spectre, that, she said, run at her with a Spindle, though no Body else in the Room could see either the Spectre or the Spindle: At last, in her Agonies, giving a Snatch at the Spectre, she pulled the Spindle away; and it was no sooner got into her Hand, but the other Folks then present beheld that it was indeed a Real, Proper, Iron Spindle; which, when they locked up very safe, it was nevertheless by the Dæmons taken away to do farther Mischief." In the Wonders of the Invisible World (Vol. I, 205), this Story of the Spindle will be seen among the Curiosities and is given, as the Author there tells the Reader, as "a Bone to pick" for the Dogmatical. See also Lawson, 102.
174
It is highly interesting to hear the Doctor's Account of this: "It was also found, that the Flesh of the Afflicted was often Bitten at such a Rate, that not only the Print of Teeth would be left on their Flesh, but the very Slaver of Spittle too: As there would appear just such a set of Teeth as was in the Accused, even such as might be clearly distinguished from other People's. And usually the Afflicted went through a terrible Deal of seeming Difficulties from the tormenting Spectres, and must be long waited on before they could get a Breathing Space from their Tormentors to give in their Testimonies." —Life of Phips, in Magnalia, B. ii, 61-2.
175
The Doctor must once again be heard, otherwise the Reader can have but a faint Idea of what our Author is exposing: "The Miserable exclaimed extreamly of Branding Irons heating at the Fire on the Hearth to mark them; now, though the Standers by could see no Irons, yet they could see distinctly the Print of them in the Ashes, and smell them too as they were carried by the not-seen Furies, unto the poor Creatures for whom they were intended; and those poor Creatures were thereupon Stigmatized with them, that they will bear the Marks of them to their Dying Day. Nor are these the Tenth Part of the Prodigies that fell out among the Inhabitants of New England." —Ibid., Page 61. If any one, after reading these strongly expressed Opinions of the learned Doctor, will entertain Doubts, as to his extreme Credulity and Faith in Witchcraft, it is not likely to be in human Power to remove them.
176
The Cry of "Blasphemer, Sadducee, Infidel, Liar, Slanderer," &c., &c., could not then, nor at any other Time, alter the Facts so truly and so succinctly stated here. Against the above is found: "He insinuates, that our Reverend Ministers make the Devil an Independent Being, and (as he says) consequently a God. An abominable Charge!" —Some Few Remarks, 8, 9. See, also, Vol. I, Page 72-3.
177
And yet, as inconsistent with Reason as this absurd Stuff is, it was the generally prevailing Belief, and is thus defended in the Some Few Remarks, P. 8: "The whole Body of the Ministers in the Country are charged, as Guilty of Sacriledge in the highest Degree, if not direct Blasphemy, and Diabolical Wickedness." It will at once be seen that this is as unjust a Charge as Malignity in its Blindness could invent. Well did our Quaker Poet write, some 17 Years ago:
"When the Thought of Man is free,Error fears its lightest Tones;So the Priest cried 'Sadducee!'And the People took up Stones."178
These Notes may fittingly be closed by another Extract from our amiable Quaker Poet, who seems attentively to have examined the Characters of both the Wonders and the More Wonders:
"In the solemn Days of Old,Two Men met in Boston Town —One a Merchant Frank and bold,One a Preacher of renown.Cried the last, in bitter Tone —'Prisoner of the Wells of Truth,Satan's Hireling thou hast sownWith his Tares the Heart of Youth!'Spake the honest Merchant then —God be Judge 'twixt Thee and I;All thou knowst of Truth hath beenUnto Men like thee a lie."179
As will be seen, Mr. Pulsifer modernized the Orthography, while we have corrected the Punctuation, in a few Instances, and capitalized it agreeable to our previous uniform Old Style.
180
It does not appear that these Minutes of Examination were read to the Accused; or that any Opportunity was afforded him to correct any Misstatements which the biassed Scribe might have made, carelessly or purposely; while, viewing the Case as it stands, it seems incredible that the Accused could have been thought deserving of even a lenient Reprimand. Too humiliating for Contemplation!
181
Satan.
182
This Opinion of the Doctor may be questioned, so long as we do not know by what Standard he measured Wealth at that Time.
183
Mr. English was arrested by Jacob Manning, the Deputy Marshal, 31 May, 1692. Mrs. English was committed on April 22d, preceding. The Time of their Transfer to Boston, I do not find; but Mr. English was in Prison about nine Weeks. Hence it is inferred that their Escape was about the first of August following. See Felt, Annals of Salem, ii, 479.
184
Of this Person, I have not attempted to add anything to what is contained in Lewis's Lynn and Savage's Dictionary. Perhaps he was wise enough to keep out of the Way of Philip English after his Return.
185
Mr. Savage says that Mr. Hollingworth's Name was Richard. Beale, though apparently much wanting in Sense, may be supposed to have known the given Name of a prominent Man like Hollingworth, with whom he was probably well acquainted. It seems however, that Beale confounded the Name of the Son with that of the Father. The Hollingworth Family came to Salem in 1635. The Name is often since spelt Hollingsworth. See Founders of N. Eng. P. 40.
186
For some Account of him, consult the History of the Reed Family, by J. W. Reed, Esq. published 1861, Page 42.
187
In the N. Eng. Hist. and Gen. Reg. Vol. VI, Page 316, some Account of this Individual will be found.
188
A brief and garbled Extract is among the Records, not dated, but placed after the "29th of March, 169½"!
189
The Papers inserted in the Records previous to this are, of course, out of place, as they are of a later Date. A Rearrangement, or Recompilation of the Witchcraft Papers must at sometime be made.
190
There was a large Family of Clarks early at Haverhill. To what Family this injured Woman belonged, my Materials do not disclose.
191
In 1687, Joseph Peasely was chosen Constable, but there is no certainty that he exercised the Office in 1692. John Ayer, Jr., shared the Duties. See Chase, Hist. Haverhill, 145.
192
Like the Clarks, the Swan Family was extensive at Haverhill; but Mr. Chase did not find a Timothy.
193
Perhaps Mr. Hezekiah, of Boston. It may be he to whom Mr. Calef refers in his Postscript. See Page 154, original paging.
194
I do not find the Name of Post in Mr. Chase's Haverhill. There was a Family at Woburn; and, according to Mr. Savage, John Post, of that Town, had by Wife Mary Tyler, a Daughter Mary, born 1664, who may have been this Witness.
195
The same who has been so often mentioned as Elizabeth Hubbard. In the next Article of this Appendix she is particularly noticed.
196
Mr. Fowler has very kindly placed this highly valuable Article at the Editor's Disposal. It was originally read before the Essex Inst't.
197
Being the Same contained in Mr. Calef's Part Third, are omitted here. See Vol. II, P. 140-3; or Pages 55-7, original Edition.
198
See Vol. II, P. 143-8, where this Paper is given entire.