The wonders of the invisible world. Observations as well historical as theological, upon the…
The wonders of the invisible world. Observations as well historical as theological, upon the nature, the number, and the operations of the devils. : Accompanied with, I. Some accounts of the grievous molestations, by daemons and witchcrafts, which have lately annoyed the country; and the trials of some eminent malefactors executed upon occasion thereof: with several remarkable curiosities therein occurring. II. Some councils, directing a due improvement of the terrible things, lately done, by the unusual & amazing range of evil spirits, in our neighbourhood: & the methods to prevent the wrongs which those evil angels may intend against all sorts of people among us; especially in accusations of the innocent. III. Some conjectures upon the great events, likely to befall, the world in general, and New-England in particular; as also upon the advances of the time, when we shall see better days. IV. A short narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of witches in Swedeland, very much resembling, and so far explaining, that under which our parts of America have laboured! V. The Devil discovered: in a brief discourse upon those temptations, which are the more ordinary devices of the Wicked One. / By Cotton Mather.
The wonders of the invisible world. Observations as well historical as theological, upon the nature, the number, and the operations of the devils. : Accompany'd with, I. Some accounts of the grievous molestations, by daemons and witchcrafts, which have lately annoy'd the countrey; and the trials of some eminent malefactors executed upon occasion thereof: with several remarkable curiosities therein occurring. II. Some councils, directing a due improvement of the terrible things, lately done, by the unusual & amazing range of evil spirits, in our neighbourhood: & the methods to prevent the wrongs which those evil angels may intend against all sorts of people among us; especially in accusations of the innocent. III. Some conjectures upon the great events, likely to befall, the world in general, and New-England in particular; as also upon the advances of the time, when we shall see better dayes. IV. A short narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of witches in Swedeland, very much resembling, and so far explaining, that under which our parts of America have laboured! V. The Devil discovered: in a brief discourse upon those temptations, which are the more ordinary devices of the Wicked One. / By Cotton Mather.
Cotton Mather 1663–1728Boston : printed, and sold by Benjamin Harris, 1693 i.e., 1692
[32], 151, [1], 32 [i.e., 24] p. ; 16 cm. (8vo) · 56k words · Evans 657 · Wing M1173
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
XIV. The Judge, told the Jury, they were to inquire now, first, whether these Children were Bewitched; and secondly, Whether the Prisoners at the Bar were guilty of it. He made no doubt, there were such Creatures as Witches; for the Scriptures affirmed it; and the Wisdom of all Nations had provided Laws against such persons. He prayed the God of Heaven, to direct their Hearts in the weighty thing they had in hand; for, To Condemn the Innocent, and let the Guilty go free, were both an Abomination to the Lord.
XIV. The Judge, told the Jury, they were to inquire now, first, whether these Children were Bewitched; and secondly, Whether the Prisoners at the Bar were guilty of it. He made no doubt, there were such Creatures as Witches; for the Scriptures affirmed it; and the Wisdom of all Nations had provided Laws against such persons. He pray'd the God of Heaven, to direct their Hearts in the weighty thing they had in hand; for, To Condemn the Innocent, and let the Guilty go free, were both an Abomination to the Lord.
The next morning, the Children with their Parents, came to the Lodgings of the Lord Chief Justice, and were in as good Health, as ever in their Lives; being Restored within half an Hour after the Witches were Convicted.
The Witches were Executed; and Confessed no••ing; which indeed will not be wondered by them, who Consider and Entertain the Judgment […] a Judicious Writer, That the Unpardonable Sin▪ most usually Committed by Professors of the Christian Religion▪ falling into Witchcraft.
The Witches were Executed; and Confessed no••ing; which indeed will not be wondred by them, who Consider and Entertain the Judgment 〈…〉 a Judicious Writer, That the Unpardonable Sin▪ most usually Committed by Professors of the Christian Religion▪ falling into Witchcraft.
Glad should I have been, if I had never known the Name of this man; or never had this occasion to mention so much as the first Letters of his Name. But the Government requiring some Account, of his Trial, to be Inserted in this Book, it becomes me with all Obedience, to submit unto the Order.
GLad should I have been, if I had never known the Name of this man; or never had this occasion to mention so much as the first Letters of his Name. But the Government requiring some Account, of his Trial, to be Inserted in this Book, it becomes me with all Obedience, to submit unto the Order.
I▪ This G. B. was Indicted for Witchcrafts; and in the Prosecution of the Charge against him, […] was Accused by five or six of the Bewitched, […] the Author of their Miseries; he was Accused […] eight of the Confessing Witches, as being an Hea••• Actor of some of their Hellish Rendezvouses, an•⟨p. 95⟩one who had the promise of being a King in Satan's Kingdom, now going to be Erected; he was Accused by nine persons, for extraordinary Lifting, and such Feats of Strength, could not be done without a Diabolical Assistance. And for other such Things he was Accused, until about Thirty Testimonies were brought in against him; nor were these, judged the half of what might have been considered, for his Conviction: however they were enough to fix the Character of a Witch upon him, according to the Rules of Reasoning, by the Judicious Gaule, in that Case directed.
I▪ This G. B. was Indicted for Witchcrafts; and in the Prosecution of the Charge against him, 〈…〉 was Accused by five or six of the Bewitched, 〈…〉 the Author of their Miseries; he was Accused 〈…〉 eight of the Confessing Witches, as being an Hea••• Actor of some of their Hellish Randezvouses, an•⟨p. 95⟩one who had the promise of being a King in Satans Kingdom, now going to be Erected; he was Accused by nine persons, for extraordinary Lifting, and such Feats of Strength, could not be done without a Diabolical Assistance. And for other such Things he was Accused, until about Thirty Testimonies were brought in against him; nor were these, judg'd the half of what might have been considered, for his Conviction: however they were enough to fix the Character of a Witch upon him, according to the Rules of Reasoning, by the Judicious Gaule, in that Case directed.
II. The Court being sensible, that the Testimonies of the Parties Bewitched, use to have a Room among the Suspicions, or Presumptions, brought in against one Indicted for Witchcraft, there were now heard the Testimonies of several Persons, who were most notoriously Bewitched, and every day Tortured by Invisible Hands, and these now all charged the Spectres of G. B. to have a share in their Torments. At the Examination of this G. B. the Bewitched People were grievously harassed, with Preternatural Mischiefs, which could not possibly be Dissembled; and they still ascribed it unto the Endeavours of G. B. to kill them. And •ow upon his Trial, one of the Bewitched Persons testified, That in her Agonies, a little Black […] man came to her, saying his Name was […] bidding her set her hand unto a Book which▪ […] showed unto her; and bragging that he was a ⟨p. 96⟩Conjurer above the ordinary Rank of Witches; That he often persecuted her, with the offer of that Book, saying, She should be well, and need fear no body, if she would but Sign it: but he inflicted cruel Pains and Hurts upon her, because of her Denying so to do. The Testimonies of the other Sufferers concurred with these; and it was I markable, that whereas Biting, was one of the ways which the Witches used, for the vexing of the Sufferers, when they cried out of G. B. biting them, the print of the Teeth, would be seen on the Flesh of the Complainers; and just such a set of Teeth, as G. B.'s would then appear upon them, which could be distinguished from those of some other mens. Others of them testified, That in their Torments, G. B. tempted them, to go unto a Sacrament, unto which they perceived him with a sound of Trumpet Summoning of other Witches▪ who quickly after the Sound would come from all Quarters unto the Rendezvous. One of them falling into a kind of Trance, afterwards affirmed, That G. B. had carried her into a very high Mountain, where he showed her mighty and glorious Kingdoms, and said, He would give them all to her, if she would write in his Book; but she told him, They were none of his to give; and refused the motions; enduring of much misery for that Refusal.
II. The Court being sensible, that the Testimo•ies of the Parties Bewitched, use to have a Room among the Suspicions, or Presumptions, brought in against one Indicted for Witchcraft, there were now heard the Testimonies of several Persons, who were most notoriously Bewitched, and every day Tortured by Invisible Hands, and these now all charged the Spectres of G. B. to have a share in their Torments. At the Examination of this G. B. the Bewitched People were grievously harassed, with Preternatural Mischiefs, which could not possibly be Dissembled; and they still ascribed it unto the Endeavours of G. B. to kill them. And ow upon his Trial, one of the Bewitched Persons testify'd, That in her Agonies, a little Black man came to her, saying his Name was bidding her set her hand unto a Book which show'd unto her; and brgging that he was a
It cost the Court a wonderful deal of Trouble, to hear the Testimonies of the Sufferers; for whe• they were going to give in their Depositions, the•⟨p. 97⟩would for a long while be taken with fits, that made them uncapable of saying any thing. The Chief Judge asked the prisoner, who he thought hindered these witnesses from giving their testimonies? and he answered, He supposed, it was the Divel• That Honourable person, then replied, How comes the Devil so loathe to have any Testimony born against you? Which cast him into very great confusion.
It cost the Court a wonderful deal of Trouble, to hear the Testimonies of the Sufferers; for whe• they were going to give in their Depositions, the•⟨p. 97⟩would for a long while be taken with fitts, that made them uncapable of saying any thing. The Chief Judge asked the prisoner, who he thought hindred these witnesses from giving their testimonies? and he answered, He supposed, it was the Divel• That Honourable person, then reply'd, How comes the Divel so loathe to have any Testimony born against you? Which cast him into very great confusion.
III. It has been a frequent thing for the Bewitched people, to be entertained with Apparitions of Ghosts of murdered people, at the same time, that the Spectres of the witches trouble them. These Ghosts do always affright the Beholders, more than ••ll the other spectral Representations; and when they exhibit themselves, they cry out, of being Murdered by the witchcrafts or other violences of the persons who are then in spectre present. It is further considerable, that once or twice, these Apparitions have been seen by others at the very same time that they have shown them selves to the Bewitched; & seldom have there been these Apparition but when something unusual & suspected had attended the Death of the party thus Appearing. Some that have bin accused by these Apparitions, accosting of the Bewitched People, who had never heard a word of any such persons, ever being in the world, have upon a fair examination freely, and fully, confessed •he murders of those very persons, altho' these also […] not know how the Apparitions had complained […] them▪ Accordingly several of the Bewitched, ⟨p. 98⟩had given in their Testimony, that they had been troubled with the Apparitions of two women, who said, that they were G. Bs. two wives; and that he had been the Death of them; and that the Magistrates must be told of it, before whom if B. upon his trial denied it, they did not know but that they should appear again in the Court. Now, G. B. had been infamous for the Barbarous usage of his two successive wives, all the Country over. Moreover; It was testi••'d, the spectre of G. B. threatening of the sufferers told them, he had killed (besides others) Mrs Lawson and her Daughter Ann. And it was noted, That these were the virtuous wife and Daughter, of one at whom this G. B. might have a prejudice for his being serviceable at Salem-•illage, from whence himself had in •ll Terms re••••ved some years before: & that when they died, which was long since, there were some odd circumstances about them, which made some of the Attendants there suspect something of witchcraft, tho' none Imagined from what Quarter it should come.
We•• G. B. being now upon his Trial, one of the Bewitched persons was cast into Horror at the Ghosts of B's. two deceased wives, then appearing before him, and crying for, Vengeance, against him. Hereupon several of the Bewitched persons were successively called in, who all not knowing what the former had seen and said, concurred in their Horror, of the Apparition, which the• affirmed, that he had before him. But he, tho' much appalled, utterly denied that he discerned any thing of it; nor was it any part of his Conviction.
We•• G. B. being now upon his Triall, one of the Bewitched persons was cast into Horror at the Ghosts of B's. two deceased wives, then appearing before him, and crying for, Vengeance, against him. Hereupon several of the Bewitched persons were successively called in, who all not knowing what the former had seen and said, concurred in their Horror, of the Apparition, which the• affirmed, that he had before him. But he, tho' much appalled, utterly deny'd that he discerned any thing of it; nor was it any part of his Conviction.
IV Judicious Writers, have assigned it a great place, in the Conviction of witches, when persons are Impeached by other Notorious witches, to be as Ill as themselves; especially, if the persons have been much noted for neglecting the Worship of God. Now, as there might have been Testimonies Enough of G. B's. Antipathy to Prayer and the other Ordinances of God, tho' by his profession singularly obliged thereunto; so, there now came in against the prisoner, the Testimonies of several persons, who confessed their own having been Horrible Witches, and ever since their confessions had been themselves terribly Tortured by the Devils and other Witches, even like the other Sufferers; and therein undergone the pains of many Deaths for their Confessions.
These now Testified, that G. B. had been at Witch-Meetings with them; and that he was the Person who had Seduced, and Compelled them into the snares of Witchcraft: That he promised them Fine Clothes, for doing it; that he brought Poppets to them, and thorns to stick into those Poppets, for the afflicting of other People: And that he exhorted them, with the rest of the Crew, to bewitch all Salem-Village, but before to do it Gradually, if they would prevail in what they did.
These now Testify'd, that G. B. had been at Witch-Meetings with them; and that he was the Person who had Seduced, and Compelled them into the snares of Witchcraft: That he promised them Fine Cloaths, for doing it; that he brought Poppets to them, and thorns to stick into those Poppets, for the afflicting of other People: And that he exhorted them, with the rest of the Crue, to bewitch all Salem-Village, but before to do it Gradually, if they would prevail in what they did.
When the Lancashire Witches were condemned, I don't Remember that there was any considerable further Evidence, than that of the Bewitched, and then that of some that confessed. We see so much already against G. B. But this being indeed not Enough. there ⟨p. 100⟩were, other things to render what had been already produced credible.
When the Lancashire Witches were condemn'd, I don't Remember that there was any considerable further Evidence, than that of the Bewitched, and then that of some that confessed. We see so much already against G. B. But this being indeed not Enough. there ⟨p. 100⟩were, other things to render what had been already produced credible.
V. A famous Divine, recites this among the Convictions of a Witch; The Testimony of the Party Bewitched, whether Pining or Dying; together with the Joint Oaths of Sufficient Persons, that have seen certain Prodigious Pranks or Feats, wrought by the […] Accused. Now God had […] pleased so to leave this G. B. that he had ensnared himself, by several Instances which he had formerly given of a Preternatural strength, and which were now produced against him. He was a very Puny man; yet •e had often done things beyond the strength of a Giant. A Gun of about seven foot barrel, […] heavy that strong men could not steadily […] it out, with both hands; there were several Testimonies, given in by Persons of Credit and Honour, that he made nothing of taking up such a Gun behind the Lock, with but one hand, and holding it out like a Pistol, at Arms-end. G. B. •n his Vindication was so foolish as •o say, That an Indian was there, and held it out at the same time: Whereas, none of the Spectators ever saw any such Indian; but they supposed the Black man (as the Witches call the Devil; and they generally say he resembles an Indian) might give him that Assistance. There was Evidence, likewise, brought in, that he made nothing of Taking up whole Barrels filled with Molasses, or Cider, in very Disadvantageous Postures, and Carrying of ⟨p. 101⟩•hem through the Difficultest Places, out of a Canoe to the Shore.
V. A famous Divine, recites this among the Convictions of a Witch; The Testimony of the Party Bewitched, whether Pining or Dying; together with the Joint Oathes of Sufficient Persons, that have seen certain Prodigious Pranks or Feats, wrought by the 〈…〉 Accused. Now God had 〈…〉 pleased so to leave this G. B. that he had ensnared himself, by several Instances which he had formerly given of a Prete•natural strength, and which were now produced against him. He was a very Puny man; yet •e had often done things beyond the strength of a Giant. A Gun of about seven foot barrel, 〈…〉 heavy that strong men could not steadily it out, with both hands; there were several Testimonies, given in by Persons of Credit and Honour, that he made nothing of taking up such a Gun behind the Lock, with but one hand, and holding it out like a Pistol, at Arms-end. G. B. n his Vindication was so foolish as o say, That an Indian was there, and held it out at the same time: Whereas, none of the Spectators ever saw any such Indian; but they suppos'd the Black man (as the Witches call the Devil; and they generally say he resembles an Indian) might give him that Assistence. There was Evidence, likewise, brought in, that he made nothing of Taking up whole Barrels fill'd with Malasses, or Cider, in very Disadvantagious Postures, and Carrying of
Conjurer above the ordinary Rank of Witches; That he often persecuted her, with the offer of that Book, saying, She should be well, and need fear no body, if she would but Sign it: but he inflicted cruel Pains and Hurts upon her, because of her Denying so to do. The Testimonies of the other Sufferers concurred with these; and it was I markable, that whereas Biting, was one of the ways which the Witches used, for the vexing of the Sufferers, when they cry'd out of G. B. biting them, the print of the Teeth, would be seen on the Flesh of the Complainers; and just such a sett of Teeth, as G. B.'s would then appear upon them, which could be distinguished from those of some other mens. Others of them testify'd, That in their Torments, G. B. tempted them, to go unto a Sacrament, unto which they perceived him with a sound of Trumpet Summoning of other Witches▪ who quickly after the Sound would come from all Quarters unto the Rendezvouz. One of them falling into a kind of Trance, afterwards affirmed, That G. B. had carried her into a very high Mountain, where he show'd her mighty and glorious Kingdoms, and said, He would give them all to her, if she would write in his Book; but she told him, They were none of his to give; and refused the motions; enduring of much misery for that Refusal.
III. It has been a frequent thing for the Bewitched people, to be entertained with Apparitions of Ghosts of murdered people, at the same time, that the Spectres of the witches trouble them. These Ghosts do always affright the Beholders, more than ••ll the other spectral Representations; and when they exhibit themselves, they cry out, of being Murdered by the witchcrafts or other violences of the persons who are then in spectre present. It is further considerable, that once or twice, these Apparitions have been seen by others at the very same time that they have shown them selves to the Bewitched; & seldom have there been these Apparition but when somthing unusual & suspected had attended the Death of the party thus Appearing. Some that have bin accused by these Apparitions, accosting of the Bewitched People, who had never heard a word of any such persons, ever being in the world, have upon a fair examination freely, and fully, confessed •he murders of those very persons, altho' these also 〈…〉 not know how the Apparitions had complained 〈…〉 them▪ Accordingly several of the Bewitched, ⟨p. 98⟩had given in their Testimony, that they had been troubled with the Apparitions of two women, who said, that they were G. Bs. two wives; and that he had been the Death of them; and that the Magistrates must be told of it, before whom if B. upon his trial deny'd it, they did not know but that they should appear again in the Court. Now, G. B. had been infamous for the Barbarous usage of his two successive wives, all the Country over. Moreover; It was testi••'d, the spectre of G. B. threatning of the sufferers told them, he had killed (besides others) Mrs Lawson and her Daughter Ann. And it was noted, That these were the vertuous wife and Daughter, of one at whom this G. B. might have a prejudice for his being serviceable at Salem-•illage, from whence himself had in •ll Terms re••••ved some years before: & that when they dy'd, which was long since, there were some odd circumstances about them, which made some of the Attendents there suspect something of witchcraft, tho' none Imagined from what Quarter it should come.
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⟨p. 101⟩
•hem through the Difficultest Places, out of a Ca•oo to the Shore.
