had an hundred Spirits at command, the worst and the most hurtfull had been called to this counsell, and imployed about this businesse. Howbeit upon advise (if such a sinne may take or give aduise) they staied three or foure daies before they practised anything, to aduoid suspition, whether the mother aduised the daughter, or the daughter the mother, I know not, but I am sure the deuill neuer giues advise to any man or any woman in any act to be wary.
‘The matter thus sleeping (but rage and reuenge doe neuer rest) within a while was awaked, which Mistris Belcher, to her intollerable paine too soone felt: For being alone in her house, she was sodainely taken with such a griping and gnawing in her body, that shee cried out, and could scarce bee held by such as came unto her. And being carried to her bed, her face was many times so disfigured by beeing drawn awrie, that it both bred feare, and astonishment to all the beholders; and euer as shee had breath she cried, Here comes Ioane Vaughan, away with Ioane Vaughan.
‘This Gentlewoman being a long time thus strangely handled, to the great griefe of her friends, it happened that her brother, one Master Auery, hearing of his Sisters sicknesse and extremity, came to see her, and, being a sorrowfull beholder of that which before hee had heard, was much moued in his minde at his Sisters pitifull condition, and the rather, for that as hee knew not the nature of her disease, so hee was utterly ignorant of any direct way to minister cure or helpe to the same. Hee often heard her cry out against Ioane Vaughan alias Varnham, and her mother, and heard by report of the neighbours that which before had happened betwixt his Sister and the said Ioane. In so much as having confirmed his suspition that it was nothing else but Witch-craft, that tormented his Sister, following Rage rather than Reason, ran sodainly towards the house of the said Agnes Browne with purpose to draw both the mother and the daughter to his Sister for her to draw blood on; But, still as he came neere the house, hee was sodainely stopped, and could not enter, whether it was an astonishment thorough his feare, or that the Spirits had that power to stay him, I cannot iudge, but he reported at his comming backe that hee was forcibly stayed, and could not, for his life, goe any further forward; and they report, in the Country, that hee is a Gentleman of a stoute courage. Hee tried twice or thrice afterwards to goe to the house, but in the same place where he was staied at first, he was still staied: Belike, the Deuill stood there Centinell, kept his station well.
‘Upon this Master Auery beeing sory and much agrieued, that he could not helpe his Sister in this tormenting distresse; and, finding also that no physicke could doe her any good or easement, tooke a sorrowfull leaue and heauily departed home to his owne house.
‘The Impe of this Damme, and both Impes of the Deuill, being glad that they were both out of his reach, shewed presently that they had longer armes than he, for he felt, within a short time after his comming home, that hee was not out of their reach, beeing, by the deuilish practises of these two hel-houndes sodenly and grieuously tormented in the like kinde and with the like fits of his sister, which continued untill these two witches either by the procurement of Maister Auery and his friends (or for some other Deuilish practise they had committed in the Countrey) were apprehended and brought to Northampton Gaole by Sir William Saunders of Codesbrooke, Knight.
‘To which place the Brother and the Sister were brought, still desirous to scratch the Witches. Which Act, whether it be but superstitiously obserued by some; or, that experience hath found any power for helpe in this kind of Action by others, I list not to enquire, onely this I understand that many haue attempted the practising thereof, how successfully, I know not. But this Gentleman and his Sister beeing brought to the gaole where these Witches were detained, hauing once gotten sight of them, in their fits the Witches being held, by scratching, they drew blood of them, and were sodainely deliuered of their paine. Howbeit, they were no sooner out of sight, but they felle againe into their old traunces, and were more violently tormented than before: for when Mischiefe is once a foote, she growes in short time so headstrong, that she is hardly curbed.
‘Not long after, Maister Auery and his Sister hauing beene both in Northampton, and hauing drawne blood of the Witches, ryding both homewards in one Coach, there appeared to their view a man and a woman ryding both upon a blacke horse. M. Auery hauing spyed them a farre off, and noting many strange gestures from them, sodainely spake to them that were by, and (as it were Prophetically) cryed out in these words, That either they, or their Horses should presently miscarry. And, immediately, the horses fell downe dead. Whereupon Maister Auery rose up praysing ye grace and mercies of God, that he had so powerfully deliuered them, and had not suffered the foule spirits to worke the uttermost of their mischiefe upon men made after his image, but had turned their fury against Beasts. Upon this, they both hyed them home, still praysing God for their escape, and were neuer troubled after.
‘I had almost forgotten to tell you before, that M. Auery was by the Judges themselves in ye Castle Yard of Northampton, seene in the middest of his fits, and that he strangely continued in them untill this Ioane Vaughan was brought to him.
‘But now to draw neere unto their ends, this Agnes Browne and her daughter Ioane Vaughan, being brought to their Arraignment, were there indicted for that they had bewitched the bodies of Maister Auery and his sister Mistris Belcher in manner and forme aforesayd. Together with the body of a young Child to the death; (the true relation whereof came not to my hands). To all which they pleaded not guilty, and, putting themselues uppon the countrey, were found guilty. And when they were asked what they could say for themselves, why ye sentence of death should not be pronounced against them, they stood stiffely upon their Innocence. Whereupon, Judgement beeing giuen, they were carried backe unto the Gaole, where they were neuer heard to pray, or to call uppon God, but with bitter Curses and execrations, spent that little time they had to liue, untill the day of their Execution, when neuer asking pardon for their offences, either of God, or the world, in this their daungerous and desperate resolution, dyed.
‘It was credibly reported that some fortnight before their apprehension, this Agnes Browne, one Katherine Gardiner, and one Ioane Lucas, all birdes of a winge, and all abyding in the Towne of Gilsborough did ride one night to a place (not aboue a mile off) called Rauenstrop all upon a Sowes back, to see one mother Rhoades, an old Witch that dwelt there; but, before they came to the house the old Witch died; and, in her last cast cried out, that there were three of her old friends comming to see her, but they came too late. Howbeit, shee would meete with them in another place within a month after.’
Chapter XVI.
The Lancashire Witches—Janet Preston—Margaret and Philip Flower—Anne Baker, Joane Willimot, and Ellen Greene—Elizabeth Sawyer—Mary Smith—Joan Williford, Joan Cariden, and Jane Hott.
The foregoing sample must serve for the witches of Northamptonshire, nor will I touch on the Lancashire witches, whose story appears in nearly every modern work on witchcraft, and has been vulgarized by Harrison Ainsworth, except to give a portion of the evidence of one James Device, of the forest of Pendle, labourer, in the case of Janet or Jennet Preston, who was condemned as a witch, and executed at York in 1612.
‘And he also further saith, That the said Prestons wife had a Spirit with her like unto a white Foale, with a blacke spot in the forehead. And further this Examinate saith, That since the said meeting, as aforesaid, that he hath been brought to the house of one Preston in Gisburne Parish aforesaid, by Henry Hargreiues of Goldshey, to see whether shee was the woman that came amongst the said Witches, on the said last Good Friday, to crave their aide and assistance for the killing of the said Master Lister; and hauing had full view of her, hee, this Examinate confesseth, That she was the selfe-same woman which came amongst the said Witches on the said last Good Friday
