The True Story vs. Myth of Witchcraft. William Godwin
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Swine, which ran away with a terrible noise.’
He gives two more instances of possession by the Devil; but they are mild cases which yielded to prayer. There are other minor cases of witchcraft which I have omitted, because I would fain have space to tell of the works of the Devil at Salem in 1692.
Salem was then a small village, about sixteen miles north-east of Boston, and its minister was the Rev. Samuel Parris, born in London in 1653. He entered Harvard College, but could not take a degree, went to Barbados, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits, and finally turned religious, and was ordained minister of Salem congregation in 1689, naturally taking a leading part in the little community.
At his house, during the winter of 1691-92, a society of girls met, curiously enough, for the purpose of practising palmistry, fortune-telling, necromancy, magic, and spiritualism; and they soon became so far advanced in these arts as to be seized with unnatural spasms, falling insensible on the floor, writhing in agony, and uttering piercing cries. As this conduct was decidedly abnormal, as was their amusement, it was settled that they were bewitched, and they were sympathized with as being ‘afflicted Children.’ Fasting and prayer were tried, but with no good result. On being questioned as to who had bewitched them, they answered ‘Good,’ ‘Osborn,’ and ‘Tituba.’ Sarah Good was a woman generally disliked, Sarah Osborn was a bed-ridden woman who did not bear a very good character, and Tituba was an Indian woman in Mr. Parris’ service.
On March 1, 1692, they were brought before the court charged with bewitching the children. One indictment must serve as a specimen for all:
‘The Jurors for our Sovereigne Lord & Lady King William & Queen Mary Doe present: That Sarah Good, ye wife of William Good of Salem Village, In the County of Essex, husbandman, upon ye first day of March in ye fourth year of ye Reigne of our Sovereigne Lord & Lady Wm & Mary, by ye Grace of God, of England, Scotland, ffrance & Ireland King & Queen, defendrs of ye faith etc & Divers other days & times as well before as after, Certaine Detestable Arts, Called Witchcrafts & Sorceries, wickedly & ffeloniously hath used, practised & Exercised at & within ye Township of Salem aforesaid, In, upon & against An Puttman, Single woman of Salem Village, by which said Wicked arts, the said An Puttman ye said first day of March, in ye fourth year abovesaid & divers other other days & times, as well before as after, was & is hurt, Tortured, afflicted, Pined, Consumed, wasted & Tormented, & also for Sundry acts of Witchcraft by said Good Committed & done before & since that time against ye peace of our Soveraigne Lord & Lady ye King & Queen Their Crowne & dignity & against ye forme of Statues In that Case made & provided.
‘Witness. Ann Putman. Jurat. Eliz. Hubbard. Abigail Williams. Jurat.’
On examination, Good and Osborn denied the accusation in toto, but Tituba, the Indian woman, gave damning evidence against them, and it is worthy of being given in extenso:
‘THE EXAMINATION OF TITIBE.
‘Titibe what evil Spirit have you familiarity with?—None.
‘Why do you hurt these children?—I do not hurt them.
‘Who is it then?—The Devil for ought I know.
‘Did you never see the Devil?—The Devil came to me and bid me serve him.
‘Who have you seen?—Four women sometimes hurt the children.
‘Who were they?—Goode Osburn and Sarah Good, and I doe not know who the other were. Sarah Good and Osburne would have me hurt the children, but I would not. She further saith there was a tall man of Boston that she did see.
‘When did you see them?—Last night at Boston.
‘What did they say to you?—They said, hurt the children.
‘And did you hurt them?—No, there is 4 women and one man. They hurt the children, and they lay all upon me, and they tell me if I will not hurt the children, they will hurt me.
‘But you did not hurt them?—Yes, but I will hurt them no more.
‘Are you not sorry you did hurt them?—Yes.
‘And why then doe you hurt them?—They say hurt children or wee will doe worse to you.
‘What have you seen?—An man come to me and say serve me.
‘What service?—Hurt the children; and, last night, there was an appearance that said kill the children; and if I would not go on hurting the children, they would do worse to me.
‘What is this appearance you see?—Sometimes it is like a hog, and sometimes like a great dog; this appearance shee saith shee did see 4 times.
‘What did it say to you?—It, the black dog said, serve me, but I said, I am afraid. He said, if I did not, he would doe worse to me.
‘What did you say to it?—I will serve you no longer; then he said he would hurt me; and then he looked like a man, and threatened to hurt me. Shee said that this man had a yellow bird that kept with him, and he told me he had more pretty things that he would give me if I would serve him.
‘What were those pretty things?—He did not show me them.
‘What, also, have you seen?—Two rats—a red rat and a black rat.
‘What did they say to you?—They said, serve me.
‘When did you see them?—Last night, and they said, serve me, but I would not.
‘What service?—Shee said, hurt the children.
‘Why did you goe to Thomas Putnams last night, and hurt his child?—They pull and hall me, and make me goe.
‘And what would they have you doe?—Kill her with a knife.
‘Left. Fuller and others said at this time when the child saw these persons, and was tormented by them, that she did complayn of a knife, that they would have her cut her head off with a knife.
‘How did you go?—We ride upon stickes, and are there presently.
‘Do you goe through the trees, or over them?—We see nothing, but are there presently.
‘Why did you not tell your Master?—I was afraid they would cut off my head if I told.
‘Would you have hurt others if you could?—They said they would hurt others, but they could not.
‘What attendants hath Sarah Good?—A yellow bird, and she would have given me one.
‘What meate did she give it?—It did suck between her fingers.
‘Did you not hurt Mr. Currin’s child?—Goode Good and Goode Osborn told [me] that they did hurt Mr. Curren’s child, and would have me hurt him too, but I did not.
‘What hath Sarah Osburn?—Yellow dog. Shee had a thing with a head like a woman, with 2 legges, and wings. Abigail Williams that lives with her Uncle Parris said that she did see the same creature, and it turned into the shape of Goode Osburn.
‘What else have you seen with Osburn?—Another thing, hairy; it goes upright like a man; it hath only 2 legges.
‘Did you not see Sarah Good upon Elizabeth Hubbard, last Satterday?—I did see her set a wolfe upon her to afflict her. The persons with this maid did say that she did complain of a wolfe. Shee further saith that she saw a cat with Good, at another time.
‘What cloathes doth the man go in?—He goes in black cloathes, a tal man with white hair, I think.
‘How doth the woman go?—In a white whood, and a black whood with a top knot.
‘Doe you see who it is that torments these children now?—Yes, it is Goode Good, shee hurts them in her own shape.
‘And who is it that hurts them now?—I am blind now, I cannot see.’
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