The True Story vs. Myth of Witchcraft. William Godwin
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vii milch beasts, which gaue blood insteede of milke, and seuerall of his Swine dyed.
‘Elizabeth Eustace had iii Impes or Spirits, of coulour white, grey and black.
‘9. Annys Herde bewitched to death Richard Harrison’s wife and two wives of William Dowsing, as it is supposed. And bewitched Cartwright two beasts. Wade, sheep and lambs, &c. West, swine and pigs. Osborne, a brewing of beere, and seuerall other losses of milke and creame.
‘10. Annis Herd had vi Impes or spirites like auises and black byrdes, And vi other like Kine, of the bygnes of Rats, with short hornes: the Auises shee fed with wheat, barly, Otes and bread, the Kine with straw and hey.
‘11. Margery Sammon had two spirits like Toads, their names Tom and Robyn.
‘12. Annis Glascoke bewitched to death Mychell Steuens Childe, The base Childe at Pages, William Pages Childe.
‘13. Annis Glascocke, Joan Pechey, Joan Robinson. These haue not confessed any thing touching the hauing of spirits.’
So we see that eleven out of fourteen women confessed not only all that was alleged against them; but many of them went out of their way to oblige Queen Elizabeth’s judges, by confessing more. It seems incredible, nevertheless it is true.
Not half so interesting is ‘The most strange and admirable discouerie of the three Witches of Worboys,’ etc., London, 1593. And, besides, it is such a hackneyed case that it is not worth mentioning, save for the fact that three people were done to death for it, and that money was left for a sermon to be preached in Huntingdon, annually, in commemoration of the fact—a bequest that has now lapsed, the money, of course, disappearing into someone’s pocket.
Far rarer is the story of ‘The Witches of Northamptonshire, Agnes Browne, Joane Vaughan, Arthur Bill, Hellen Ienkenson, and Mary Barber, Witches, who were all executed at Northampton, the 22 of Iuly last, 1612.’ Unfortunately, it is too long for reproduction here in its entirety, which is a pity, as the story is told by one who would have shone as a police-court reporter to a certain section of modern journals; but a portion of it I may give:
‘This Agnes Browne led her life at Gilsborough in the county of Northampton, of poore parentage, and poorer education, one that, as shee was borne to no good, was, for want of grace neuer in the way to receiue any; euer noted to bee of an ill nature and wicked disposition, spightful and malitious, and many yeares before she died, both hated and feared among her neighbours: Being long suspected in the Towne where she dwelt, of that crime, which afterwards proved true. This Agnes Browne had a daughter whose name was Ioane Vaughan or Varnham, a maide (or at least unmarried) as gratious as the mother, and both of them as farre from grace as Heauen from Hell.
‘This Ioane was so well brought up under her mother’s elbow, that shee hangd with her for company under her mother’s nose. But to the purpose. This Ioane one day happening into the company of one Mistris Belcher, a vertuous and godly Gentlewoman of the same towne of Gilsborough, this Ioane Vaughan, whether of purpose to giue occasion of anger to the said Mistris Belcher, or but continue her vile and ordinary custome of behauiour, committed something either in speech or gesture, so unfitting and unseeming the nature of womanhood, that it displeased the most that were there present: But especially it touched the modesty of this Gentlewoman, who was much mooued with her bold and impudent demeanor, that she could not contain herselfe, but sodainely rose up and strooke her; howbeit hurt her not, but forced her to auoid the Company: which this Chicken of the Damme’s hatching, taking disdainfully, and beeing also enraged (as they that in this kind having power to harme, have neuer patience to beare) at her going out, told the Gentlewoman that shee would remember this iniury, and revenge it: To whom Mistris Belcher answered, that shee neither feared her, nor her mother; but bad her doe her worst.
‘This trull holding herselfe much disgraced, hies home in all hast to her mother; and telles her the wrong which shee suggested Mistris Belcher had done unto her: Now was the fire and the tow all enflamed: Nothing but rage and destruction: Had they 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