Part 8

Surely Cotton Mather never uttered anything more inhuman. Mr. Noyes has already been noticed.

Mr. John Hale had testified against some of the Accused; but I do not find that when his own Wife was accused any Record was made of it.

The Case of Mr. English has been before referred to. See Note 17.

Ballard's Testimony against Samuel Wardwell may be seen in the Records of S. W., ii, 152. Ballard gave his Age as about 41 Years, and mentions his Brother John. See onward.

This was not the First of the Troubles by supposed Witchcraft at Andover, as appears by the following Record, the Original of which is in the Editor's Collection: "The Deposition of Job Tylar, aged about 40 Yeares, Mary his Wife and Moses Tylʳ his Son aged betwixt 17 and 18 Years, and Mary Tyler aboue 15 Yeares olde.--These Deponents witnesse that they saw a thing like a Bird to come in at the Dore of there House with John Godfery in the Night about the bignes of a Black Bird or rather bigger, to wit, as big as a Pigion, and did fly about; John Godfery labouring to catch it, and the Bird vanished, as they conceived, through the Chinck of a joynted Bord; and being asked by the Man of the House wherefore it came, he answered, It came to suck your Wife. This was (as they remember) about 5 or 6 Yeares since.--Taken vpon Oath of the 4 above menconed Pties, this 27. 4. 59. Before mee

"SIMON BRADSTREETE.

Ouned in Court Mʳh, 65, by Job Tylar and Moses Tylar.

E. R. Sec

Owned in Court 13 March, 65, by Mary Tyler on hir former Oath.

E. R. Sec"

The Above is in the Autograph of Gov. Bradstreet and Edward Rawson.

Son of Governor Simon Bradstreet. In 1698, when the Indians attacked Andover, Bradstreet and his Family were captured; but they were set at Liberty the same Day.

I am unable to ascertain the Name of the "worthy Gentleman." He was doubtless one of those, like Mr. Calef, not afraid "to take the Bull by the Horns."

Sarah, the Wife of Peter Cloyce and Mary Green were probably the two Persons. The Latter seems to have made her Escape by the Assistance of John Shepard of Rowley. See Felt, History of Ipswich and Hamilton, 207.

See the Evidence against Susanna Martin, i, Pages 177, et seq. See, also, Woodward's Rec. of Salem Witchcraft, i, 193-206, ii, 215.

Mr. John Barnard, who is duly commemorated by Dr. Allen in the Amer. Biog. Dictionary. He was Author of several Works.

Slight Notices of the Families to which these Persons belonged may be seen in Abbot's History of Andover.

It is a Wonder that Mr. Calef did not tell his Readers how shockingly Mr. Mather reported those Trials; and it is accounted for only by presuming that the Originals were not accessible to him, having been put into the Hands of Mr. Mather.

Their Names were not printed according to the original MS. in the Cases of Conscience. They are correctly printed from that MS., however, by the Editor, with some Remarks, in his Edition of Mather's Relation, xxii. The Order of Subscription is entirely changed.

BUT I shall no longer detain my Reader from his expected entertainment, in a brief account of the Tryals, which have passed upon some of the Malefactors, lately Executed at Salem, for the Witchcrafts whereof they stood convicted. For my own part I was not present at any of them; nor ever had I any personal prejudice at the persons thus brought upon the Stage; much less, at the surviving Relations of those persons, with and for whom, I would be as hearty a mourner, as any Man living in the World: The Lord comfort them! But having received a command so to do, I can do no other than shortly relate the chief Matters of Fact, which occurr'd in the Tryals of some that were Executed; in an Abridgment collected out of the Court-Papers, on this occasion put into my hands. You are to take the truth, just as it was; and the truth will hurt no good Man. There might have been more of these, if my Book would not thereby have been swelled too big; and if some other Worthy hands did not perhaps intend something further in these Collections; for which cause I have only singled out four or five, which may serve to Illustrate the way of dealing, wherein Witchcrafts use to be concerned; and I report matters not as an Advocate, but as an Historian.

They were some of the Gracious words inserted in the Advice, which many of the Neighbouring Ministers did this Summer humbly lay before our Honourable Judges, We cannot but with all thankfulness, acknowledge the success, which the merciful God has given unto the Sedulous and Assiduous Endeavours of our Honorable Rulers, to detect the Abominable Witchcrafts, which have been committed in the Country; Humbly praying that the discovery of those Mysterious, and Mischievous wickednesses, may be perfected. If in the midst of the many Dissatisfactions among us, the publication of these Tryals, may promote such a Pious thankfulness unto God, for Justice being so far executed among us, I shall rejoice that God is glorified; and pray that no wrong steps of ours may ever sully any of his glorious works.

The Indictment of George Burroughs.

THE Jurors for our Sovereign Lord and Lady the King and Queen present, That George Burroughs, late of Falmouth, in the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, in New-England, Clerk.

The 9th Day of May, in the fourth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord and Lady William and Mary, by the Grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King and Queen Defenders of the Faith, &c. And divers other days and times, as well before as after, certain detestable Arts, called Witchcrafts, and Sorceries, Wickedly and Feloniously hath used, practised, and exercised, at and within the Township of Salem, in the County of Essex aforesaid, in upon, and against one Mary Wolcott of Salem-Village, in the County of Essex, Single-woman, by which said wicked Arts the said Mary Wolcott, the Ninth Day of May, in the fourth Year abovesaid, and divers other days and times, as well before as after, was and is Tortured, Afflicted, Pined, Consumed, Wasted and Tormented, against the Peace of our Sovereign Lord and Lady, the King and Queen, and against the Form of the Statute in that Case made and provided.

Witnesses, Mary Wolcott, Sarah Vibber, Mercy Lewis, Ann Putnam, Eliz. Hubbard.

Endorsed by the Grand Jury, Billa Vera.

There was also a second Indictment for afflicting Elizabeth Hubbard, the Witnesses to the said Indictment were Elizabeth Hubbard, Mary Wolcott, and Ann Putnam.

The third Indictment was for afflicting Mercy Lewis: the Witnesses, the said Mercy Lewis, Mary Wolcott, Elizabeth Hubbard, and Ann Putnam.