Device, of the forest of Pendle, labourer, in the case of Janet or Jennet Preston, who was condemned as a witch, and executed at York in 1612.
‘And he also further saith, That the said Prestons wife had a Spirit with her like unto a white Foale, with a blacke spot in the forehead. And further this Examinate saith, That since the said meeting, as aforesaid, that he hath been brought to the house of one Preston in Gisburne Parish aforesaid, by Henry Hargreiues of Goldshey, to see whether shee was the woman that came amongst the said Witches, on the said last Good Friday, to crave their aide and assistance for the killing of the said Master Lister; and hauing had full view of her, hee, this Examinate confesseth, That she was the selfe-same woman which came amongst the said Witches on the said last Good Friday for their aide for the killing of the said Master Lister; and that brought the Spirit with her, in the shape of a White Foale, as aforesaid.
‘And this Examinate further saith, that all the said Witches went out of the said house in their owne shapes and likenesses, and they all, by that they were forth of the doores, were gotten on horse-backe like unto Foales, some of one colour, some of another, and Preston’s wife was the last; and when she got on horse-backe, they all presently vanished out of this Examinate’s sight; and before their said parting away, they all appointed to meete at the said Preston’s wife’s house that day twelve month; at which time the said Preston’s wife promised to make them a great feast; and, if they had occasion to meet in the meane time, then should warning be giuen that they should all meet upon Romles Moore. And this Examinate further saith, That at the said feast at Malkin Tower, this Examinate heard them all giue their consents to put the said Master Thomas Lister of Westby to death; and after Master Lister should haue been made away by Witchcraft, then al the said Witches gaue their consents to ioyne altogether to hancke Master Leonard Lister, when he should come to liue at the Sowgill, and so put him to death.’
Then we have ‘The Wonderful Discouerie of the Witchcrafts of Margaret and Philip Flower daughters of Ioan Flower, neere Beuer Castle: Executed at Lincoln March 11, 1618. Who were specially arraigned and condemned before Sir Henry Hobart, and Sir Edward Bromley, Iudges of Assise, for confessing themselues actors in the destruction of Henry, Lord Rosse, with their damnable practices against others the Children of the Right Honourable Francis Earle of Rutland. Together with the seuerall Examinations and Confessions of Anne Baker, Ioan Willimot, and Ellen Greene, Witches in Leicestershire.’ London, 1611.
The first case is a very ordinary one. The Flowers were discharged servants, and the children, after their leaving, sickened and died. The only remarkable part about it is, that ‘Ioane Flower, the Mother, before conviction (as they say) called for Bread and Butter, and wished it might neuer goe through her, if she were guilty of that, whereupon she was examined; so, mumbling it in her mouth, neuer spake more wordes after, but fell downe and died as she was carried to Lincolne Gaole, with a horrible excruciation of soule and body, and was buried at Ancaster.’
The portraits of the three witches do not prepossess us in their favour, and their confessions, on examination, fully bear out the feeling. Of the first: ‘Further, she saith that shee saw a hand appeare unto her, and that shee heard a voyce in the ayre say unto her: Anne Baker, saue thyselfe, for to-morrow, thou and thy maister must be slaine; and the next day her maister and shee were in a Cart together; and suddainely shee saw a flash of fire, and said her prayers, and the fire went away; and shortly after, a Crow came and picked upon her cloathes, and she said her prayers againe, and bad the Crow go to whom he was sent, and the Crow went unto her Maister, and did beat him to death, and shee, with her prayers recouered him to life; but hee was sicke for a fortnight after, and saith, that if shee had not had more knowledge than her maister, both he and shee, and all the Cattell had been slaine.’
Joan Willimot tells the following extraordinary story: ‘That shee hath a Spirit which shee calleth Pretty, which was given unto her by William Berry of Langholme, in Rutlandshire, whom she serued three yeares: and that her Master, when hee gaue it unto her, willed her to open her mouth, and hee would blow into her a Fairy which should do her good; and that shee opened her mouth, and hee did blow into her mouth; and that, presently, after his blowing, there came out of her mouth a Spirit, which stood upon the ground in the shape and forme of a Woman, which Spirit did aske of her her Soule, which shee then promised unto it, being willed thereunto by her Master.’
The third, Ellen Green, said ‘that one Ioan Willimot of Goadby came about sixe yeares since to her in the Wowlds, and purswaded this Examinate to forsake God, and betake her to the diuel, and she would give her two spirits; to which she gave her consent, and thereupon, the said Ioan Willimot called two spirits, one in the likenesse of a Kitlin, and the other of a Moldiwarp:44 the first the said Willimot called pusse, the other hisse, hisse, and they presently came to her, and she, departing, left them with this Examinate, and they leapt on her shoulder, and the Kitlin suckt under her right eare on her neck, and the Moldiwarp on the left side, in the like place. After they had suckt her, shee sent the Kitlin to a Baker of that Towne, whose name shee remembers not, who had called her Witch and stricken her; and bad her said spirit goe and bewitch him to death: The Moldiwarpe shee then bad go to Anne Dawse, of the same towne, and bewitch her to death, because she had called this examinate witch, jade, &c., and within one fortnight after, they both dyed.’
The case of Elizabeth Sawyer, known as the Witch of Edmonton, executed at Tyburn, April 19, 1621, is so extraordinary that I give a large portion of the tract in extenso:45
‘A true relation of the confession of Elizabeth Sawyer, spinster, after her conviction of Witchery, taken on Tuesday the 17 day of Aprill, Anno 1621, in the Gaole of Newgate, where she was prisoner, then in the presence and hearing of diuers persons whose names to verifie the same are here subscribed to this ensuyng confession, made unto me, Henry Goodcole, Minister of the word of God, Ordinary and Visiter for the Gaole of Newgate. In dialogue manner are here expressed the persons that she murthered, and the Cattell that she destroyed by the helpe of the Diuell.
‘In this manner was I inforced to speake unto her, because she might understand me, and giue unto me answere, according to my demands, for she was a very ignorant woman.
‘Question. By what meanes came you to have acquaintance with the Diuell, and when was the first time that you saw him, and how did you know that it was the Diuell?
‘Answere. The first time that the Diuell came unto me was when I was cursing, swearing, and blaspheming: he then rushed in upon me, and never before that time did I see him, or he me: and when he, namely the Diuell, came to me, the first words that he spake unto me were these: Oh! have I now found you cursing, swearing, and blaspheming? now you are mine.
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‘Question. What sayd you to the Diuell, when he came unto you and spake unto you, were you not afraide of him? If you did feare him, what sayd the Diuell then unto you?
‘Answere. I was in a very greate feare when I saw the Diuell, but hee did bid me not to feare him at all, for hee would do me no hurt at all, but would do for mee whatsoeuer I would require of him; and as he promised unto me, he alwayes did such mischiefes as I did bid him to do, both on the bodies of Christians and beastes: if I did bid him vexe them to death, as oftentimes I did so bid him, it was presently by him done.
‘Question. Whether would the Diuell bring unto you word or no, what he had done for you, at your command; and if he did bring you word, how long would it bee, before he would come unto you againe, to tell you?
‘Answere. He would alwayes bring unto me word what he had done for me within the space of a weeke; he neuer failed me at that time; and would likewise do it to Creatures and beastes two manners of wayes, which was by scratching or pinching of them.
‘Question. Of what Christians and Beastes, and how many were the number that you were the cause of their death, and what moued you to prosecute