George Gifford,A Dialogue Concerning Witches and Witchcraftes(London, 1593)

The Speakers:Samuell. Daniell….

Sam. You are well mette olde acquaintance, I am glad to see you looke so well, howe doe all our good friendes in your Countrey.

Dan. I trust they be all in good hearlth, they were when I came from home, I am sorry to see you looke so pale, what have you beene sicke lately?

Sam. Truely no, I thanke God I have had my health pretily well, but yet me thinke my meate doth me no good of late.

Dan. What is the matter man, doe you take thought and care for the world? take heed of that, for the Scripture saith, worldly sorrow worketh death. 2.Cor.7.10. It is a great sinne rising from unbeleefe, and distrust in Gods providence, when men be over pensive for the world.

Sam. In deede my minde is troubled, but not for that which you say, for I hope in God I shall not want so long as I live.

Dan. Is it any trouble of conscience for sinne? If it be, that may turne to good.

Sam. O, no, no. I know no cause why.

Dan. Why, what is it then, if I may be so bold, I pray [A4v] you tell me. I thinke you sake me for your friend.

Sam. In deede I have alwaies found you my very good friend, and I am sure you will give me the best counsell you can, truely we dwell here in a bad countrey, I think even one of the worst in England.

Dan. Is it so? I thinke you dwell in a fine countrey, in a sweete wholesome aire and fruitfull grounds.

Sam. Aire man? I finde no fault with the aire, there be naughty people.

Dan. Naughty people? where shall a man dwell, and not finde them? swearers, liars, raylers, slaunderers, drunkards, adulterers, riotous, unthriftes, dicers, and proude high minded persons, are every where to be founde in great plenty.

Sam. Nay, I doe not meane them. I care not for them. These witches, these evill favoured old witches doe trouble me.

Dan. What doe you take your selfe to be bewitched?

Sam. No, no, I trust no evill spirite can hurt me, but I heare of much harme done by them: they lame men and kill their cattle, yea they destroy both men and children. They say there is scarce any towne or village in all this shire, but there is one or two witches at the least in it. In good sooth, I may tell it to you as to my friend, whn I goe but into my closes, I am afraide, for I see nowe and then a hare; which my conscience giveth me is a witch, or some witches spirite, shee stareth so uppone men. And sometime I see an ugly weasell runne through my yard, and there is a foule great catte sometimes in my Barne, which I have no liking unto.

Dan. You never had no hurt done yet, had you by any witch?

Sam. Trust me I cannot tell, but I feare me I have, [B1v] for there be two or three in our towne which I like not, but especially an old woman, I have beene as careful to please her as ever I was to please mine own mother, and to give her ever anon one thing or other, and yet me thinkes shee frownes at me now and then. And I had a hogge which eate his meate with his fellowes and was very well to our thinking over night, and in the morning he was starke dead. My wife thath had five or sixe hennes even of lated dead. Some of my neighbours wishe me to burne some thing alive, as a henne or a hogge. Others will me in time to seeke helpe at the handes of some cunning man, before I have any further harme. I wold be glad to do for the best.

Death Warrant

To Goerge: Corwine Gent'n High Sheriff of the county of Essex

Whereas Sarah Good Wife of William Good of Salem Village Rebecka Nurse wife of Francis Nurse of Salem Village Susanna Martin of Amesbury Widow Elizabeth How wife of James How of Ipswich Sarah Wild wife of John Wild of Topsfield all of the County of Essex in thier Maj'ts Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Att A Court of Oyer & Terminer held by Adjournment for Our Severaign Lord & Lady Kind Wiliam & Queen Mary for the said County of Essex at Salem in the s'd County onf the 29th day of June [torn] were Severaly arrigned on Several Indictments for the horrible Crime of Witchcraft by them practised & Committed On Severall persons and pleading not guilty did for thier Tryall put themselves on God & Thier Countrey whereupon they were Each of them found & brought in Guilty by the Jury that passed On them according to their respective Indictments and Sentence of death did then pass upon them as the Law directs Execution whereof yet remains to be done: Those are Therefore in thier Maj'ties name William & Mary now King & Queen over England &ca: to will & Command you that upon Tuesday next being the 19th day for [torn] Instant July between the houres of Eight & [torn] in [torn] forenoon the same day you Safely conduct the s'd Sarah Good Rebecka Nurse Susann Martin Elizabeth Howe & Sarah Wild From thier Maj'ties goal in Salem afores'd to the place of Execution & there Cause them & Every of them to be hanged by the Neck untill they be dead and of the doings herein make return to the Clerke of the said Court & this precept and hereof you are not to fail at your perill and this Shall be your sufficient Warrant given under my hand & seale at Boston th 12't day of July in the fourth year of Reign of our Soveraigne Lord & Layd Wm & Mary King and Queen &ca:

*Wm Stoughton

Annoq Dom. 1692

(Reverse)

Salem July 19th 1692

I caused the within mentioned persons to be Executed according to the Tenour of the with[in] warrant

*George Corwin Sherif

Execution of Witches in EnglandIllustration from England's Grievance Discovered by Ralph Gardiner.

Pressing to Death. From Richard Verstegen, Theatrum Crudelitatum Haereticorum (1587).Pressing to death with weights or stones, also known as peine forte et dure, was the punishment inflicted on Giles Cory for refusing to plead guilty or innocent in 1692. This form of torture was actually illegal in Massachusetts after 1641 but used against Cory for "standing mute.

The Examination of Tituba, Salem Village, March 1, 1692. 

Tituba was a Native American sold into slavery as a child.

The Examination of Titibe

(H) Titibe what evil spirit have you familiarity with

(T) none

(H) why do you hurt these children

(T) I do not hurt them

(H) who is it then

(T) the devil for ought I know

(H) did you never see the devil.

(T) the devil came to me and bid me serve him

(H) who have you seen

(T) 4 women sometimes hurt the children

(H) who were they?

(T) 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 shee furder saith there was a tale man of Boston that shee did see

(H) when did you see them

(T) Last night at Boston

(H) what did they say to you they said hurt the children

(H) and did you hurt them

(T) no there is 4 women and one man they hurt the children and then lay all upon me and

they tell me if I will not hurt the children they will hurt me

(H) but did you not hurt them

(T) yes, but I will hurt them no more

(H) are you not sorry you did hurt them.

(T) yes.

(H) and why then doe you hurt them

(T) they say hurt children or wee will doe worse to you

(H) what have you seen a man come to me and say serve me

(H) what service

(T) hurt the children and last night there was an appearance that said Kill the children and if I would no go on hurting the children they would do worse to me

(H) what is this appearance you see

(T) sometimes it is like a hog and some times like a great dog this appearance shee saith shee did see 4 times

(H) what did it say to you

(T) the black dog said serve me but I said I am a fraid he said if I did not he would doe worse to me

(H) what did you say to it

(T) I will serve you no longer then he said he would hurt me and then he lookes like a man and threatens to hurt me shee said that this man had a yellow bird that keept with him and he told me he had more pretty things that he would give me if I would serve him

(H) what were these pretty things

(T) he did not show me them

Salem Village Meeting House: Used for meetings and Worship

From the Salem Covenant Extract

A Contract between residents or governing document

We give our selves to the Lord Jesus Christ, and the word of his grace for the teaching, ruling and sanctifying of us in matters of worship and conversion, resolving to cleave unto him alone for life and glory, and to reject all contrary ways, canons, and constitutions of men in his worship.

We promise to walk with our brethren, with all watchfulness and tenderness, avoiding jealousies and suspicions, back-bitings, censurings, provokings, secret risings of spirit against them; but in all offences to follow the rule of our Lord Jesus, and to bear and forbear, give and forgive, as he hath taught us.

In public or private, we will willingly do nothing to the offence of the church; but willing to take advice for our selves and ours, as occasion shall be presented.

We will not in the congregation be forward either to show our own gifts and parts in speaking or scrupling, or there discover the weakness or failings of our brethren; but attend an orderly call thereunto, knowing how much the Lord may be dishonoured, and his gospel, and the profession of it, slighted by our distempers and weaknesses in public.

We bind our selves to study the advancement of the gospel in all truth and peace; both in regard of those that are within or without; no way slighting our sister churches, but using their counsel, as need shall be; not laying a stumbling-block before any, no, not the Indians, whose good we desire to promote; and so to converse, as we may avoid the very appearance of evil.

Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, Vol. III Court held at Ipswich, May 5, 1664, by adjournment.

Court held at Ipswich, Apr. 27, 1665.Henry Spencer confessed in court that he ran away from his master, Edmond Mounforth, and stole from him a coat, a piece of serge, 2 Bibles, a rapier and belt, a pewter bottle and a piece of linen closth, and being at Andover at Goodman Chandlour’s, he broke into said Chandlour’s house twice and stole a horse and saddle. After being apprehended and brought to Ipswich prison, he broke prison. He was ordered to be severely whipped, branded on the forehead with the letter B, and pay a fine of five pounds to the county, and to his master, treble damages, amounting to thirteen pounds, and forty shillings to his master for loss of time. Further ordered that upon his master paying the fine, he should be sent to Boston prison, there to remain until his master can dispose of him. In the meantime, he was to be kept in Ipswich prison.John Palmer, for his high misdemeanor in attempting uncleanness with Elizabeth White in her master’s house, was ordered to be severly whipped and to pay costs to Mr. Epps.John Kent was ordered to be whipped or to pay a fine for fornication.John Cheny, presented for reviling speeches, was fined.Robert Morse and Susana Rogers, presented for reviling words, were fined.John Leigh, jr., was fined for threatening words against Sam Younglove

John Winthrop: Excerpts from His JournalApril 13, 1645

Mr. Hopkins, the governor of Hartford upon Connecticut, came to Boston, and brought his wife with him, (a godly young woman, and of special parts) who was fallen into a sad infirmity, the loss of her understanding and reason, which had been growing upon her divers years, by occasion of her giving herself wholly to reading and writing, and had written many books. Her husband, being very loving and tender of her, was loath to grieve her; but he saw his error when it was too late. For if she had attended her household affairs and such things as belong to women, and not gone out of her way and calling to meddle in such things as are proper for men, whose minds are stronger, etc., she had kept her wits and might have improved them usefully and honorably in the place God had set her.

August 15, 1648

The synod met at Cambridge.... Mr. Allen of Dedham preached out of Acts 15... It fell out, about the midst of his sermon, there came a snake into the seat, where many of the elders sat behind the preacher. It came in at the door where people stood thick upon the stairs. Divers of the elders shifted from it, but Mr. Thomson, one of the elders of Braintree (a man of much faith), trod upon the head of it, and so held it with his foot and staff with a small pair of grains, until it was killed. This being so remarkable, and nothing falling out but by divine providence, it is out of doubt [that] the Lord discovered somewhat of his mind in it. The serpent is the devil; the synod, the represenve of the churches of Christ in New England. The devil had formerly and lately attempted their disturbance and dissolution; but their faith in the seed of the womanovercame him and crushed his head

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