A further account of the trials of the New-England witches with the observations of…A further account of the tryals of the New-England witches with the observations of…

A Further Account of the Trials of the New-England Witches, sent in a Letter from thence, to a Gentleman in London.

A Further Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches, sent in a Letter from thence, to a Gentleman in London.

Here were in Salem, June 10. 1692. about 40 persons that were afflicted with horrible torments by Evil Spirits, and the afflicted have accused 60 or 70 as Witches, for that they have Spectral appearances of them, tho the Persons are absent when they are tormented. When these Witches were Tried, several of them confessed a contract with the Devil, by signing his Book, and did express much sorrow for the same, declaring also their Confederate Witches, and said the Tempters of them desired 'em to sign the Devils Book, who tormented them till they did it. There were at the time of Examination, before many hundreds of Witnesses▪ strange Pranks played; such as the taking Pins out of the Clothes of the afflicted, and thrusting them into their flesh, many of which were taken out again by the Judges own hands. Thorns also in like kind were thrust into their flesh; the accusers were sometimes struck dumb, deaf, blind, and sometimes lay as if they were dead for a while, and all foreseen and declared ⟨p. 10⟩by the afflicted just before 'twas done. Of the afflicted there were two Girls, about 12 or 13 years of age, who saw all that was done, and were therefore called the Visionary Girls; they would say, Now he, or she, or they, are going to bite, or pinch the Indian; and all there present in Court saw the visible marks on the Indians arms; they would also cry out, Now look, look, they are going to bind such an ones Legs, and all present saw the same person spoken of, fall with her Legs twisted in an extraordinary manner; Now say they, we shall all fall, and immediately 7 or 8 of the afflicted fell down, with terrible shrieks and Out-cries: at the time when one of the Witches was sentenced, and pinioned with a Cord, at the same time was the afflicted Indian Servant going home, (being about 2 or 3 miles out of town,) and had both his Wrists at the same instant bound about with a like Cord, in the same manner as she was when she was sentenced, but with that violence, that the Cord entered into his flesh, not to be untied, nor hardly cut—Many Murders are supposed to be in this way committed; for these Girls, and others of the afflicted, say, they see Coffins, and bodies in Shrouds, rising up, and looking on the accused, crying, Vengeance. Vengeance on the Murderers—Many other strange things were transacted before the Court in the time of their Examination;