immediately accosted by the Monster he had seen before; which Goblin was now going to fly at him; whereat he cry'd out, The whole Armour of God be between me and you! So it sprang back, and flew over the Apple-tree; shaking many Apples off the Tree, in its flying over. At its leap, it flung Dirt with its Feet against the Stomack of the Man; whereon he was then struck Dumb, and so continued for three Days together. Upon the producing of this Testimony, Bishop deny'd that she knew this Deponent: Yet their two Orchards joined; and they had often had their little Quarrels for some years together.
XI. William Stacy testify'd, That receiving Mony of this Bishop, for work done by him; he was gone but a matter of three Rods from her, and looking for his Mony, found it unaccountably gone from him. Some time after, Bishop asked him, whether her Father would grind her Grist for her? He demanded why? She reply'd, Because Folks count me a Witch. He answered, No question but he will grind it for you. Being then gone about six Rods from her, with a small Load in his Cart, suddenly the Off-wheel stump'd, and sunk down into an hole, upon plain Ground; so that the Deponent was forced to get help for the recovering of the Wheel: But stepping back to look for the hole, which might give him this Disaster, there was none at all to be found. Some time after, he was waked in the Night; but it seem'd as light as day; and he perfectly saw the shape of this Bishop in the Room, troubling of him; but upon her going out, all was dark again. He charg'd Bishop afterwards with it, and she deny'd it not; but was very angry. Quickly after, this Deponent having been threatned by Bishop, as he was in a dark Night going to the Barn, he was very suddenly taken or lifted from the Ground, and thrown against a Stone-wall: After that, he was again hoisted up and thrown down a Bank, at the end of his House. After this again, passing by this Bishop, his Horse with a small Load, striving to draw, all his Gears flew to pieces, and the Cart fell down; and this Deponent going then to lift a Bag of Corn, of about two Bushels, could not budge it with all his Might.
Many other Pranks of this Bishop's this Deponent was ready to testify. He also testify'd, That he verily believ'd, the said Bishop was the Instrument of his Daughter Priscilla's Death; of which suspicion, pregnant Reasons were assigned.
XII. To crown all, John Bly and William Bly testify'd, That being employ'd by Bridget Bishop, to help to take down the Cellar-wall of the old House wherein she formerly lived, they did in holes of the said old Wall, find several Poppets, made up of Rags and Hogs-bristles, with headless Pins in them, the Points being outward; whereof she could give no Account unto the Court, that was reasonable or tolerable.
XIII. One thing that made against the Prisoner was, her being evidently convicted of gross Lying in the Court, several times, while she was making her Plea; but besides this, a Jury of Women found a preternatural Teat upon her Body: But upon a second search, within 3 or 4 hours, there was no such thing to be seen. There was also an Account of other People whom this Woman had Afflicted; and there might have been many more, if they had been enquired for; but there was no need of them.
XIV. There was one very strange thing more, with which the Court was newly entertained. As this Woman was under a Guard, passing by the great and spacious Meeting-house of Salem, she gave a look towards the House: And immediately a Dæmon invisibly entring the Meeting-house, tore down a part of it; so that tho' there was no Person to be seen there, yet the People, at the noise, running in, found a Board, which was strongly fastned with several Nails, transported unto another quarter of the House.
III.
The Tryal of Susanna Martin, at the Court of Oyer and Terminer,
Held by Adjournment at Salem, June 29. 1692
I.
Susanna Martin, pleading Not Guilty to the Indictment of Witchcraft, brought in against her, there were produced the Evidences of many Persons very sensibly and grievously Bewitched; who all complained of the Prisoner at the Bar, as the Person whom they believed the cause of their Miseries. And now, as well as in the other Trials, there was an extraordinary Endeavour by Witchcrafts, with Cruel and frequent Fits, to hinder the poor Sufferers from giving in their Complaints, which the Court was forced with much Patience to obtain, by much waiting and watching for it.
II. There was now also an account given of what passed at her first Examination before the Magistrates. The Cast of her Eye, then striking the afflicted People to the Ground, whether they saw that Cast or no; there were these among other Passages between the Magistrates and the Examinate.
Magistrate. Pray, what ails these People?
Martin. I don't know.
Magistrate. But what do you think ails them?
Martin. I don't desire to spend my Judgment upon it.
Magistrate. Don't you think they are bewitch'd?
Martin. No, I do not think they are.
Magistrate. Tell us your Thoughts about them then.
Martin. No, my thoughts are my own, when they are in, but when they are out they are anothers. Their Master.——
Magistrate. Their Master? who do you think is their Master?
Martin. If they be dealing in the Black Art, you may know as well as I.
Magistrate. Well, what have you done towards this?
Martin. Nothing at all.
Magistrate. Why, 'tis you or your Appearance.
Martin. I cannot help it.
Magistrate. Is it not your Master? How comes your Appearance to hurt these?
Martin. How do I know? He that appeared in the Shape of Samuel, a glorified Saint, may appear in any ones Shape.
It was then also noted in her, as in others like her, that if the Afflicted went to approach her, they were flung down to the Ground. And, when she was asked the reason of it, she said, I cannot tell; it may be, the Devil bears me more Malice than another.
III. The Court accounted themselves, alarum'd by these Things, to enquire further into the Conversation of the Prisoner; and see what there might occur, to render these Accusations further credible. Whereupon, John Allen of Salisbury, testify'd, That he refusing, because of the weakness of his Oxen, to Cart some Staves at the request of this Martin, she was displeased at it; and said, It had been as good that he had; for his Oxen should never do him much more Service. Whereupon, this Deponent said, Dost thou threaten me, thou old Witch? I'l throw thee into the Brook: Which to avoid, she flew over the Bridge, and escaped. But, as he was going home, one of his Oxen tired, so that he was forced to Unyoke him, that he might get him home. He then put his Oxen, with many more, upon Salisbury Beach, where Cattle did use to get Flesh. In a few days, all the Oxen upon the Beach were found by their Tracks, to have run unto the Mouth of Merrimack-River, and not returned; but the next day they were found come ashore upon Plum-Island. They that sought them, used all imaginable gentleness, but they would still run away with a violence, that seemed wholly Diabolical, till they came near the mouth of Merrimack-River; when they ran right
