she also dabbled in poisoning: ‘And in a short time after, Mistress Rosewel sent her again to the Witch, to know of her when the day should be, that Mistris Goddard should be poysoned, and delivered her eight shillings to give the Witch; so the Maid went again to the Witch accordingly, and gave her the eight shillings, and the Witch replyed she could not tell her then, but gave the Maid one shilling, and bid her go to an Apothecary, and buy some white Arsenick, and bring it to her to prevent it, which the Maid did, and carried it to the Witch, who said to her she would take it and burn it, to prevent the poysoning, but she burnt it not, as the Maid could see, at all....
‘The next day following, the Maid was sent again to the Witch, to get some example shewen upon the Gentlewoman that should procure the poyson, upon which the Maid went again to the Witch, and told her for what she was sent. Then the Witch made a Circle, as formerly, and set her pan of Coles, as formerly, and burnt something that stank extremely, and took her book and Glass, as before is related, and said Beelzebub, Tormentor, Lucifer, and Satan, appear! And then appeared five Spirits as she conceived, in the shapes of little ragged Boyes, which the Witch commanded to appear, and go along with the Maid to a meadow at Wilton, which the Witch shewed in the Glass, and there to gather Vervine and Dill, and, forthwith, the ragged Boys ran away before the Maid, and she followed them to the said meadow; and, when they came thither the ragged Boys looked about for the Herbs, and removed the Snow in two or three places, before they could find any; and, at last, they found some, and brought it away with them, and then the Maid and the Boys returned back to the Witch, and found her in the Circle paring her Nayls, and then she took the said Herbs, and dryed the same, and made powder of some, and dried the leaves of other, and threw Bread to the Boys, and they eat and danced as formerly; and then the Witch, reading in a book, they vanished away. And the Witch gave the Maid in one paper the powder, in another the leaves, and in the third, the paring of the Nayls; all which the Maid was to give to her Mistress. The powder was to put in the young Gentlewomens Mistriss Sarah and Mistriss Ann Goddard’s drink or broth, to rot their Guts in their Bellies; the leaves to rub about the rims of the Pot, to make their Teeth fall out of their Heads; and the parings of the Nayls to make them mad and drunk. And the Witch likewise told the Maid, that she must tell her Mistriss, and the rest, that, when they did give it to them, they must cross their Breasts, and then say, In the name of our Lord Jesu Christ, grant that this may be, and that they must say the Creed backward and forward.’
The death of this wicked woman was worthy of her life: ‘Afterwards, she fell into a rage, and wished for a Knife: she said she would run it into her heart-blood. Being replyed unto by some, Oh Mris Boddenham, you would not offer to doe such wickednesse? would you? She swore by the Name of God, but she would, had she but a Knife. She then went forth to the place of her Execution, where a numerous company were spectators; and, as she went along towards the gallows, by every house she went by, she went with a small piece of silver in her hand, calling for Beer, and was very passionate when denyed. One of the men that guarded her on the way, told her that Mr. Sheriff would not let her be buryed under the gallows, upon which she railed at the man extremely that told her so, and said she would be buryed there. When she came to the place of execution, she went immediately to goe up the Ladder, but she was pulled back again and restrained: I then pressed her to confesse what she promised me she would, now before she dyed, but she refused to say anything. Being asked whether she desired the prayers of any of the people, she answered, she had as many prayers already, as she intended or desired to have, but cursed those that detained her from her death, and was importunate to goe up the Ladder, but was restrained for a while, to see whether she would confesse any thing, but she would not. They then let her goe up the Ladder, and when the rope was about her neck, she went to turn herself off, but the Executioner stayed her, and desired her to forgive him: she replyed. Forgive thee? a pox on thee, turn me off: which were the last words she spake. She was never heard, all the while she was at the place of Execution, to pray one word, or desire any others to pray for her, but the contrary.’
‘Julian Cox, aged 70 years, was indicted at Taunton in Somersetshire, about summer assizes, 1663, before Judge Archer, then judge of assize there, for witchcraft.51
‘For the proof of the first particular. The first witness was a huntsman, who swore that he went out with a pack of hounds to hunt a hare, and not far off from Julian Cox’s house, he, at last, started a hare. The Dogs hunted her very close, and the third ring hunted her in view, till, at last, the huntsman, perceiving the hare almost spent, and making towards a great bush, he ran on the other side of the bush to take her up, and preserve her from the dogs; but, as soon as he laid hands on her, it proved to be Julian Cox, who had her head grovelling on the ground. He, knowing her, was affrighted, so that the hair on his head stood on end, and he spake to her, and asked her what brought her there? But she was so far out of breath that she could not make him any answer: his dogs also came up, with full cry, to recover the game, and smelt at her, and so left off hunting any farther. And the huntsman, with the dogs, went home presently, sadly affrighted.
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‘Thirdly, Another swore that Julian passed by his yard while his beasts were in milking, and stooping down, scored upon the ground for some small time. During which time his cattle ran mad, and some ran their heads against trees, and some of them died speedily: Whereupon, concluding they were bewitched, he was, after, advised to this experiment, to find out the Witch, viz. to cut off the ears of the bewitched beasts, and burn them; and that the witch would be in misery, and could not rest till they were plucked out. Which he tried; and while they were burning, Julian Cox came into the house, raging and scolding, that they had abused her without a cause; but she went presently to the fire, and took the ears which were burning and then she was quiet.
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‘The prisoner was called for up to the next bar in the court, and demanded if she could say the Lord’s Prayer? She said, she could, and went over the prayer readily till she came to that petition. Then she said And lead us into temptation, or, And lead us not into no temptation, but could not say, And lead us not into temptation, though she was directed to say it after one that repeated it to her, distinctly, but she could not repeat it otherwise than is expressed already; though tried to do it near half a score times in the open Court. After all which the Jury found her guilty, and, judgement having been given, within three or four days, she was executed without any confession of the fact.’
‘Elizabeth Styles, her confession of her Witchcraft January 26 and 30 and Feb. 7, 1664. before Robert Hunt Esqre.52 She then confessed, That the Devil, about ten years since, appeared to her in the shape of a handsome man, and after, of a black dog. That he promised her money, and that she should live gallantly, and have the pleasure of the world for 12 Years, if she would with her own blood, sign his paper, which was to give her soul to him, and observe his laws, and that he might suck her blood. This, after four solicitations, the examinant promised him to do. Upon which, he pricked the fourth finger of her right Hand, between the middle and upper joint (where the sign, at the Examination, remained) with a drop or two of blood, she signed the paper with an O. Upon this, the Devil gave her Sixpence, and vanished with the paper.
‘That, since, he hath appeared to her in the shape of a man, and did so on Wednesday seven night past: but more usually, he appears in the likeness of a dog, or cat, or a Fly like a Miller; in which last (shape) he usually sucks her on the Poll, about four of the Clock in the morning; and did so Jan. 27, and that it usually is pain to her to be so sucked.
‘That when she hath a desire to do harm, she calls the Spirit by the name of Robin; to whom, when he appeareth, she useth these words, O Satan, give me my purpose. She then tells him that he should so appear to her, was part of her contract with him.
‘That about a Month ago, he appearing, she desired him to torment
