,,an ,,essay ,,on ,,demonology1 ,,ghosts ,,and ,,apparitions1 ,,and ,,popular ,,superstitions1 ,,also1 ,,an ,,account ,,of ,,the ,,witchcraft ,,delusion ,,at ,,salem1 ,,in #afhb4 ,by ,,james ,,thacher1 ,m4 ,d41 ,a4 ,a4 ,s4 ',with spells and charms ,i break the viper's jaw1 ,cleave solid rocks1 oaks from their fissures draw1 ,whole woods remove1 the airy mountains shake1 ,earth forced to groan1 and ghosts from graves awake4' ,ovid's ,metamor4 ,there are mysteries even in nature1 which we cannot investigate1 paradoxes which we can never resolve4 ,,boston3 ,,carter ,,and ,,hendee4 ,m ,,dccc ,,xxxi4 ,,entered1 according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahca1 by ,,carter ,,hendee1 in the ,clerk's ,office of the ,district ,court of ,massachusetts4 ,,boston ,,classic ,,press4 ,i4 ,r4 ,,butts4 ,,advertisement4 ,the following pages were in substance composed to be read before the ,plymouth ,lyceum1 in #ahbi4 ,when it was understood that ,rev4 ,,charles ,w4 ,,upham was about to favor the public with a work on the same subject1 it was determined that this little performance should be suppressed4 ,the ,rev4 ,author observed in a letter1 'that although we may traverse the same field1 it is highly probable that we pursue different tracks4 ,the subject is so various1 ample and abundant in instruction1 that good rather than evil would result from the application of more than one mind to its discussion4' ,since therefore1 in the deeply interesting work referred to1 the learned author has not particularly discussed the subjects of ,ghosts1 ,apparitions1 ,mental ,illusions1 c1 there may be no impropriety in submitting the following imperfect production to the public1 with the hope that it will not be considered as altogether superfluous4 ,j4 ,t4 ,plymouth1 ,nov4 #ahca4 ,,contents4 ,page4 ,ghosts and ,apparitions1 #a ,power of ,imagination1 #ba ,illusions1 #bf ,imagination and ,fear1 #dg ,superstition1 #fc ,witchcraft and ,sorcery1 #gd ,salem ,witchcraft1 #aac ,omens and ,auguries1 #bjd ,medical ,quackery1 #bbe ,,essay4 ,,ghosts ,,and ,,apparitions4 ,such is the constitution of the human mind1 that it never attains to perfection2 it is constantly susceptible of erroneous impressions and perverse propensities4 ,the faculties of the soul are bound in thraldom by superstition1 and the intellect1 under its influence1 is scarcely capable of reflecting on its divine origin1 its nobleness and dignity4 ,the mind that is imbued with a superstitious temperament1 is liable to incessant torment1 and is prepared to inflict the most atrocious evils on mankind2 even murder1 suicide1 and merciless persecution1 have proceeded from1 and been sanctioned by a superstitious spirit4 ,it is this1 in its most appalling aspect1 which impels the heathen to a life of mutilation and perpetual pain and torment of body1 which degrades the understanding below that of a brute4 ,the superstitions practised by the devotees to the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 if less horrible1 are equally preposterous and pernicious4 ,the popular belief in supernatural visitations in the form of apparitions and spectres1 is fostered and encouraged by the baneful influence of superstition and prejudice4 ,so universal has been the prevalence of the belief that those conversant with history can resort to the era when every village had its ghost or witch1 as1 in more ancient times1 every family had its household gods4 ,superstition1 is a word of very extensive signification1 but for the purpose of this work1 the word applies to those who believe in witchcraft1 magic1 and apparitions1 or that the divine will is decided by omens or auguries2 that the fortune of individuals can be affected by things indifferent1 by things deemed lucky or unlucky1 or that disease can be cured by words1 charms1 and incantations4 ,it means1 in short1 the belief of what is false and contrary to reason4 ,superstition arises from1 and is sustained by ignorance and credulity in the understanding4 ,the subject of supernatural agency and the reality of witchcraft1 has been the occasion of unbounded speculation1 and of much philosophical disquisition1 in almost all nations and ages4 ,while some of the wisest of men have assented to their actual existence and visible appearance1 others equally eminent have maintained the opinion that the supposed apparitions are to be accounted for on the principle of feverish dreams and disturbed imaginations4 ,that our ,creator has power to employ celestial spirits as instruments and messengers1 and to create supernatural visions on the human mind1 it would be impious to deny4 ,but we can conceive of no necessity1 at the present day1 for the employment of disembodied spirits in our world2 we can hold no intercourse with them1 nor realize the slightest advantage by their agency4 ,to believe in apparitions is to believe that ,god suspends the law of nature for the most trivial purposes1 and that he would communicate the power of doing mischief1 and of controling his laws to beings1 merely to gratify their own passions1 which is inconsistent with the goodness of ,god4 ,we are sufficiently aware that the sacred spirits of our fathers have ascended to regions prepared for their reception1 and there may they remain undisturbed till the mighty secrets now concealed shall be revealed for our good4 ,the soul or spirit of man is immaterial1 of course intangible and invisible4 ,if it is not recognisable by our senses1 how can the dead appear to the living8 ,that disembodied spirits should communicate with surviving objects on earth1 that the ghosts of the murdered should appear to disclose the murderer1 or that the spirit of the wise and good should return to proffer instructions to the vile and ignorant1 must be deemed unphilosophical4 ,it will now be attempted to demonstrate1 that the generality of the supposed apparitions1 in modern times1 will admit of explanation from causes purely natural4 ,for this purpose1 it will be requisite first1 to describe the system of nerves1 and their functions1 which constitute a part of our complicated frames4 ,nerves are to be considered as a tissue of strings or cords1 which have their origin in the brain and spinal marrow1 and are distributed in branches to all parts of the body4 ,they are the immediate organs of sensation and of muscular action4 ,upon the integrity of the nerves1 all the senses1 both external and internal1 entirely depend4 ,the nerves are the medium of illusions2 their influence pervades the whole body1 and their various impressions are transmitted to the brain4 ,when the entire brain is affected1 delirium is the consequence2 if the optic nerve only1 visions disturb the imagination2 if the acoustic nerves receive the impression1 unreal sounds or voices are heard4 ,if the optic nerves are cut or rendered paralytic1 the sense of vision is irrecoverably destroyed4 ,the nervous system is liable to be diseased and deranged from various causes1 from which1 it is obvious1 derangement of both body and mind must ensue4 ,the following is extracted from a lecture on ,moral ,philosophy1 by the learned and ,reverend ,samuel ,stanhope ,smith1 ,d4 ,d41 late ,president of the ,college of ,new ,jersey4 ',the nerves are easily excited into movement by an infinite variety of external impulses1 or internal agitations4 ,by whatever impulse any motion1 vibration1 or affection1 in the nervous system is produced1 a correspondent sensation1 or train of sensations1 or ideas in the mind1 will naturally follow4 ,when the body is in regular health1 and the operations of the mind are in a natural and healthful train1 the action of the nervous system1 being affected only by the regular and successive impressions made upon it by the objects of nature1 as they successively occur1 will present to the mind just and true images of the scenes that surround it4 ,but by various species of infirmity and disorder in the body1 the nerves1 sometimes in their entire system1 and sometimes only in those divisions of them which are attached to particular organs of sense1 may be subjected to very irregular motions or vibrations4 ,hence unreal images may be raised in the mind4 ,the state of the nervous affections may be vitiated by intemperate indulgence1 or by infirmity resulting from sedentary and melancholy habits4 ,superstitions1 fancies1 or enthusiastic emotions1 do often greatly disturb the regular action of the nervous system4 ,such elastic and vibratory strings may be subject to an infinite variety of irregular movements1 sometimes in consequence of a disordered state of health1 and sometimes arising from peculiarity of constitutional structure1 which may present false and often fantastic images to the mind4 ,no cause1 perhaps1 produces a more anomalous oscitancy1 or vibration of the nervous system1 or of some particular portions of it1 than habits of intemperate indulgence4 ,and ,i have not unfrequently become acquainted with men who had been addicted to such excesses1 who were troubled with apprehensions of supernatural apparitions4 ,a peculiar imbecility of constitution1 however1 created by study1 retirement1 or other causes1 may be productive of similar effects1 and sometimes these nervous anomalies are formed in men who are otherwise of active and athletic constitutions4 ,but where they possess enlightened minds and vigorous understandings1 such visionary tendencies may be counteracted by their intellectual energies4 ,yet have we sometimes known the strongest understandings overcome by the vivacity of nervous impression1 which frequently is scarcely inferior to the most lively ideas of sense4 ,this may1 especially1 be the case in two opposite conditions2 either when the body has fallen into a gloomy temperament1 and the mind is weakened by fears1 in which case it is oppressed by distressing apprehensions2 or1 on the other hand1 when the nerves1 the primary organs1 of sensation1 are strained into an unnatural tension1 and the whole system is exalted by an enthusiastic fervor to the pitch of delirious intoxication4 ,when a man is exalted to such a degree of nervous excitement and mental feeling1 his visions are commonly pleasing1 often rapturous1 and sometimes fantastic2 but generally rise above the control or correction of the judgment4 ,lord ,lyttleton1 in the vision which he believed he saw of his deceased mother's form1 shortly before his own death1 may be an example of the former2 and the ,baron ,von ,swedenborg1 in his supposed visions1 sometimes of angels and sometimes of reptiles1 may be an instance of the latter4 ,persons1 whose fancies have been much disturbed in early life1 by the tales of nurses1 and other follies of an injudicious education1 creating a timid and superstitious mind1 are more especially liable to have their fears alarmed and their imagination excited by every object in the dark4 ,whence sounds will be augmented to the ear1 and images rendered more glaring to the eyes4' ,in a note1 the learned author presents the following examples1 tending to illustrate the principles just advanced4 ',i knew1 some years ago1 a worthy lady who1 anxiously watching by the cradle of a sick infant1 and momently expecting its death1 felt1 as she believed1 just before it expired1 a violent stroke across the back of both her arms4 ,from a tincture of superstitious apprehension infused in her early education1 and unacquainted with any natural cause of such a phenomenon1 she construed it into a preternatural signal of the death of her child4 ,it was1 probably1 a sudden and convulsive contraction of the muscles in that part of the system1 occasioned by the solicitude of her mind and the fatigue of watching1 which1 aided by imagination in a very interesting moment1 produced a shock that had to her the feeling of a severe concussion4 ,that a convulsive contraction should take place in those particular muscles need not appear strange to those who know how irregular and uncertain is the whole train of nervous action1 especially under the operation of some disorders of the body2 and frequently1 under the influence of strong affections and emotions of the mind4' ',a young lady1 who was peculiarly susceptible of the impressions of fear in the dark1 or at the sight of any of the accompaniments of death1 attended the funeral of one of her intimate companions1 who had died of the small pox4 ,on the following night she lodged in company with a female friend of great firmness of mind4 ,waking in the night1 some time after the moon had risen1 and faintly enlightened her chamber1 the first object that struck her view was a white robe hanging on the tall back of a chair1 and a cap placed on the top4 ,her disturbed imagination instantly took the alarm1 and in her agitation and terror rousing her companion1 she exclaimed violently that her deceased friend was standing before her4 ,the lady1 with great presence of mind1 brought the articles of clothing which had caused the alarm1 and thus composed her fears4 ,after she had become tranquil and was able distinctly to recall her sensations1 she declared that the perfect image of the deceased1 just as she was dressed for her coffin seemed to be before her sight4 ,she contemplated it as long as her fears would permit her1 before she exclaimed4 ,she was sure that she recognised every feature of her friend1 and even the pits of the small pox1 of which she died1 in her face4 ,and she affirmed that before any tribunal she would have been willing to make oath to this fact4' ',i have introduced this anecdote1' says ,dr ,smith1 'merely to illustrate the power of the imagination by its reaction on the nervous system1 to complete the pictures that any sudden impulses of the senses1 occasioned by surprise or by superstitious or enthusiastic feeling1 have begun to form4 ,it is not a solitary anecdote of the kind4 ,but ,i have selected it1 because ,i am more perfectly possessed of the circumstances1 than of many others that are circulated through certain classes of society4 ,nor are these classes always to be found among the most ignorant and credulous4' ,lord ,lyttleton was a man of splendid abilities1 but degraded himself by a continued course of profligacy and the basest dissipation4 ,he was arrested in his career by a sudden and remarkable death1 at the age of thirtyfive in the year #aggi4 ,the various narrations that have been published relative to this singular event concur in most of the following particulars4 ,three days previous to his death1 being in perfect health1 he was warned in a dream or vision of the event1 which1 accordingly1 took place without any previous illness4 ,according to his own account1 he awoke from sleep1 and saw the image of his deceased mother1 who opened the curtains of his bed and denounced to him1 that in three days he should die4 ,on the sentence being denounced1 he started up in great terror1 incoherently saying1 'what6 shall ,i not live three days8' ,the reply was1 no1 you will not live more than three days1 and the apparition instantly vanished4 ,this alarming vision his lordship related1 at breakfast the next morning1 to several women who were his companions4 ,they fell a crying2 but he1 although secretly agitated1 pretended to disregard the affair1 laughed at their credulous folly1 and professed to have no sort of belief1 or apprehension about it4 ,on the third day of the prediction1 he invited ,admiral ,woolsey and another friend to dine with him1 at his country seat4 ,at dinner1 his lordship1 appeared more than usually loquacious and desultory in his conversation1 reciting the probable remarks that would of course be made whenever the news of his death should be announced4 ,in the evening1 perceiving his female companions in a gloomy mood1 he took one of them and danced a minuet with her1 then taking out his watch1 said1 ',look you here1 it is now nine o'clock1 according to the vision ,i have but three hours to live1 but don't you mind this1 madam2 never fear1 we'll jocky the ghost1 ,i warrant you4' ,at eleven o'clock he retired to bed earlier than usual with him1 but his pretence was1 that he had planned for the party to breakfast early1 and spend the day in riding into the country4 ,admiral ,woolsey and his friend resolved to sit in the parlor till the predicted hour was past1 and the clock was privately put a little forward1 and as soon as it struck twelve1 his lordship said1 'you see ,i have cheated the ghost2' but soon after a voice was heard from the staircase1 uttering these words4 ',he's dead8 ,oh1 my lord is dead6' ,instantly running up stairs1 they found him in bed1 fallen back1 and struggling4 ,admiral ,woolsey took his hand1 which was grasped with such violence that it was painful to endure1 but he spake no more4 ,his eyes were turned up and fixed4 ,they opened the jugular vein1 but no blood issued1 and he was entirely dead at midnight of the third day4 ,admiral ,woolsey gives the following remarkable particulars in addition4 ,at the distance of thirty miles from the place where this melancholy scene happened there lived a gentlemen1 one of the intimate companions of ,lord ,lyttleton1 ,m4 ,p4 ,andrews1 ,esq42 and they had agreed that whichever of them should die first1 the survivor should receive one thousand pounds from the estate of the deceased4 ,on this very night he awoke about one o'clock and rung his bell with great violence4 ,his servant ran to him with all speed1 and inquired1 'what is the matter8' ,the gentleman sitting up in bed1 with a countenance full of horror1 cried out1 ',oh ,john6 ,lord ,lyttleton is dead6' ',how can that be8' he replied1 'we have heard nothing1 but that he is alive and well4' ,the master exclaimed with the greatest perturbation1 'no1 no1 ,i awoke just now on hearing the curtains undrawn1 and at the foot of the bed stood ,lord ,lyttleton1 as plain as ever ,i saw him in my life4 ,he looked ghastly1 and said1 all is over with me1 ,andrews4 ,you have won the thousand pounds1 and vanished4' ,after attending to the particulars above detailed1 it would seem to require a philosophical firmness to resist the impression in favor of supernatural visitations2 but this latter instance will1 ,i believe1 bear a different explanation4 ,the gentleman was apprised of ,lyttleton's vision and predicted death1 which1 with the thousand pounds depending1 must have excited in his mind an exquisite degree of anxiety1 and roused a guilty conscience4 ,he doubtless counted every hour1 and although he fell asleep1 could not be calm1 and probably had a disturbed dream4 ,awaking suddenly1 it is quite natural that he should have the impression1 that the prediction was fulfilled4 ,dr ,smith1 who is quoted above1 comments as follows on the death of ,lord ,lyttleton4 ,his lordship was a man who had worn down to a very feeble state1 a lively and elastic constitution1 and impaired a brilliant wit1 by voluptuous1 and intemperate excesses4 ,a few days before his death1 he imagined that he saw before him the perfect resemblance of his deceased mother1 who denounced to him that on such a day1 and at a prescribed hour1 he should die4 ,under a constrained vivacity1 his mind1 during the interval1 was evidently much agitated4 ,and on the predicted day1 and at the prescribed time1 he actually expired4 ,this fact has been regarded by many persons1 and those by no means of inferior understandings1 as a decisive proof of the reality of apparitions from the spiritual world2 and by others has been attempted to be resolved on a variety of different grounds4 ,the principles already suggested1 may1 perhaps1 serve to explain it in conformity with the known laws of human nature1 if the theory of nervous vibration be admitted to be true1 without resorting to the solution of supernatural agents4 ,the irregular and convulsive motions in the nervous system which frequently arise from long continued habits of intemperate indulgence1 might be especially expected in a constitution so irritable and debilitated1 as that of ,lord ,lyttleton4 ,if1 either sleeping or waking1 or1 in that indefinite interval between sleeping and waking1 their disordered movements could present to the fancy or excite in the visual nerves1 the distinct image of a living person apparently resuscitated from the dead1 which has been shown to be a possible case1 the debilitated frame of his lordship1 agitated as it must have often been1 by the conscious apprehension of his approaching end1 may naturally be supposed to have predisposed them to such a vision4 ,conscience1 notwithstanding his assumed gayety1 somewhat perturbed by the fears of death1 and with a recollection of a pious mother1 whose anxious admonitions had often endeavored in vain to recall him from his vices1 and to fix his thoughts on his future existence1 might naturally retrace her features in this formidable vision4 ,it is not improbable1 that the whole scene may have been a kind of waking dream1 or if it was wholly transacted in sleep1 it might have been with such a forcible and vivid vibration1 or impulse of the nerves concerned in the formation of such an image1 as would give it the distinctness and vivacity of waking sensation4 ,in the tumult of his spirits1 and the fear-excited vibrations of his whole system1 it is not strange1 that the image of that disappointed and reproaching parent should be presented to him1 with a solemn and foreboding aspect4 ,and it would be adding only one trait of terror to the scene1 already so well prepared to admit it1 and one that is perfectly conformable to our experience of the desultory images of dreaming1 as well as what we have learned of similar visionary impressions--that a particular period should be denounced to him for his death1 the symptoms and presages of which1 in all probability1 he frequently felt in the tremors and palpitation of a breaking constitution4 ,the principal difficulty in the minds of those who have only carelessly attended to this history1 is to account for the exact correspondence of the event of his death to the time fixed by the prediction1 if it had no other foundation than nervous impression4 ,the imagined prediction itself was sufficient1 in a debilitated and exhausted constitution1 like that of ,lord ,lyttleton1 to produce its own accomplishment4 ,seizing upon his fears1 in spite of his reason and philosophy1 for a life of dissipation and sensual excess generally very much weakens the powers both of the mind and of the body1 it would naturally throw his whole system into great commotion4 ,these perturbed and tumultuous agitations would increase as the destined moment approached1 till the strength of nature failing1 may well be supposed to break at the point of extreme convulsion2 that is1 at the expected moment of death4 ,to a case analogous1 in many respects1 to that of his lordship1 there are many witnesses still living in the city of ,philadelphia4 ,the contrast in the issue of the latter1 serves to confirm the solution which has just been given of the former4 ,mr ,edwards1 a clergyman of the ,baptist persuasion in that city1 of a tendency somewhat addicted to melancholy in his habit1 but1 otherwise of a vigorous constitution1 had1 like ,lord ,lyttleton1 a visual impression1 so clear and distinctly defined1 that he mistook it for a supernatural messenger from the spiritual world to announce to him that at the end of a certain period1 he should die4 ,he was so persuaded of the reality of the vision1 and the verity of the prediction1 that he took leave of his particular friends1 and of his congregation1 before the appointed day4 ,on the evening of this day1 ,i saw his house filled with spectators and inquirers1 awaiting with solicitude the catastrophe of this extraordinary affair4 ,the tumult of his whole system1 his difficult respiration1 his quick and tremulous pulse1 and its frequent intermissions1 led many to announce1 at various times during that evening1 to the surrounding spectators1 that he was just expiring4 ,and without doubt1 if his frame had been as weak and delicate as his nervous system1 he could not have survived the agitations1 and1 ,i may say1 almost convulsions1 into which he was thrown4 ,and here would have been another prediction1 and another supernatural appearance1 as extraordinary as those of ,lord ,lyttleton4 ,but his constitution triumphed1 and he remained a monument to prove the force of nervous illusion1 which1 in this case1 as doubtless it has proved in many others1 appears to have given birth to an image as clear and definite as could have been produced by the actual presence of such an object as was supposed to have created it4 ,i would hardly have ventured to relate such an anecdote1 if there were not ample testimony to its verity still existing4 ,the good man was so ashamed of his delusion1 and it so much lessened his credit with his spiritual flock1 that he was obliged to leave the city1 and the church where he had formerly been highly esteemed1 and retire to a remote position in the country4 ,many anecdotes to confirm the reality of nervous sensation1 if ,i may apply that phrase to designate those sensible perceptions which are sometimes caused in the mind1 without the presence or aid of external objects1 must have occurred to those who have had extensive opportunities of practically observing human nature4 ,with several persons ,i have been acquainted1 and those by no means of inferior understanding1 who have been firmly persuaded of the existence of the spectres indicated by such nervous affections1 and have1 on such occasions1 held conversations with them1 real on their part1 imaginary on the part of the supposed spectre4 ,such1 perhaps1 in general1 are the disciples of the ,baron ,von ,swedenborg4 ,but illusions of this nature are not confined to this class of men alone4 ,,power ,,of ,,imagination4 ,dr ,van ,cleve1 of ,princeton1 was lately applied to as a physician on behalf of a man who had reduced himself by intemperance1 to a state of very distressing nervous irregularity4 ,he was continually disturbed by visions1 sometimes of the most fantastic kind4 ,he often heard strange voices1 and would ask and answer questions1 as if engaged in conversation with some of his visionary personages4 ,his disorder1 the doctor said1 was evidently not of that species which is usually denominated mania1 but appeared to be wholly the effect of a habit of nervous irregularity1 delirium tremens1 induced by previous intemperance4 ,but the ,baron ,von ,swedenborg1 in his most visionary moments1 was never surrounded by more extraordinary assemblages of strange sights4 ,a very striking example of the power of nervous impression1 occurred a few years ago in the ,rev4 ,james ,wilson1 formerly assistant minister with ,dr ,rodgers1 in the first ,presbyterian ,church in ,new ,york4 ,he was a native of ,scotland1 and was a man highly esteemed for his good sense1 and the soundness of his judgment2 although not distinguished for a warm and popular eloquence4 ,being obliged for a time to relinquish the exercise of his ministry from a hemorrhage in his breast1 he employed himself for several years in different occupations in ,scotland and ,america1 but chiefly in presiding over an ,academy in ,alexandria1 in the ,state of ,virginia4 ,the expectoration of blood having ceased for a considerable time1 his conscience began to reproach him for indolence and self-indulgence1 in not renewing his ministerial functions4 ,in this uneasy state of mind1 a vision1 as he thought1 of a man of very dignified aspect1 stood at the foot of his bed in the morning1 after he was perfectly awake1 and surveying him steadily for some moments1 commanded him to resume his duties in the pulpit3 but added1 that as considerable error had crept into the church1 he should undertake to reform it according to the model of the primitive age4 ,mr ,wilson1 conscious of his want of eloquent talents1 and reforming zeal1 reasoned with the supposed apparition1 alleging his utter incompetency to the task imposed upon him4 ,the dialogue ended in a repetition of the command1 and assurance of ability and success4 ,the good man1 wholly unable to explain this clear and palpable vision1 on any principles of nature or philosophy with which he was acquainted1 was deeply distressed1 yet perfectly sensible of his insufficiency for such an undertaking1 he neglected attempting to fulfil it4 ,after an interval of two or three years1 the vision was repeated1 with nearly the same circumstances1 except that the aspect of the person who appeared to present himself1 was more severe1 and expressive of displeasure at his past delinquency4 ,mr ,wilson repeated his former reasonings on his want of health1 and want of talents1 with other topics4 ,but the answer was still the same2 a repetition of the injunction1 and assurance of the necessary ability1 and ultimate success4 ,his distress was raised to the highest degree in the conflict of his mind between what he thought a sensible demonstration of a supernatural requisition1 and an invincible consciousness of his own incompetency1 and his fear of doing an injury to true religion by his failure4 ,after consulting several of his friends upon the subject1 he at length addressed a letter to the author1 stating all the circumstances which have just been detailed4 ,he was answered with the general reasonings contained in this lecture1 to convince him that his vision was merely a consequence of nervous affection1 resulting from bodily disorder4 ,three letters passed between ,mr ,wilson and the author1 reasoned on the part of ,mr ,wilson with great calmness and good sense1 admitting all the objections to such an apostolic undertaking as that to which he was urged1 both from scripture and from his own peculiar deficiency of power and talents1 but pleading the impulse of a sensation as clear and strong1 and1 to his mind1 as real as he had ever felt4 ,but it was replied that there were other considerations combined with the whole system and harmony of nature1 which ought to have greater authority with a rational mind than any single and individual impression of sense1 which evidently violates its general order4 ,the correspondence came to this issue at last1 that1 as he agreed with the church as she now exists1 in most of her doctrines1 and especially in the moral precepts of religion1 he should begin his course by inculcating only those principles in which all were agreed1 and if he found the promise of his vision verified in his returning strength and successful eloquence1 he would then have sufficient encouragement to proceed further4 ,he actually came to ,new ,york with the intention to put this experiment into execution1 but died in that city shortly after his landing4 ,he published one discourse introductory to the design4 ,,illusions4 ,the following observations are from ,dr ,rush1 found in his ,treatise on ,diseases of the ,mind4 ',by this term1 7,illusions7 ,i mean that disease1 in which false perceptions take place in the ears and eyes in the waking state1 from a morbid affection of the brain1 or of the sense which is the seat of the illusion4 ,it may be considered as a waking dream4 ,persons affected with it fancy they hear voices1 or see objects that do not exist4 ,these false perceptions are said1 by superstitious people1 to be premonitions of death4 ,they sometimes indicate either the forming state1 or the actual existence of disease1 which being seated most commonly in a highly vital part of the body1 that is1 in the brain1 now and then ends in death1 and thus administers support to superstition4 ,they depend1 like false perception in madness1 upon motion being excited in a part of the ear or the eye1 which does not vibrate with the impression made upon it1 but communicates it to a part upon which the impression of the noise heard1 or of the person seen1 was formerly made1 and hence the one becomes audible1 and the other visible4 ',the deception1 when made upon the ears1 consists most commonly in hearing our own names1 and for this obvious reason2 we are accustomed to hear them pronounced more frequently than any other words1 and hence the part of the ear1 which vibrates with the sound of our names1 moves more promptly1 from habit1 than any other part of it4 ,for the same reason the deception1 when made upon the eyes1 consists in seeing our own persons1 or the persons of our intimate friends1 whether living or dead1 oftener than any other people4 ,the part upon the retina1 from which those images are reflected1 move more promptly1 from habit1 than any other of that part of the organ of vision4 ',the voice which is supposed to be heard1 and the objects which are supposed to be seen1 are never heard nor seen by two persons1 even when they are close to each other4 ,this proves them both to be the effect of disease in the single person who hears1 or sees1 the supposed voice or object4' ,dr ,rush has recorded numerous instances of partial mental derangement from hypochondriasis1 chiefly from his own knowledge1 such as the following4 ,a sea captain believed that he had a wolf in his liver2 others that they are converted into an animal of another species1 such as a goose1 a dog1 a cat1 a hare1 a cow1 and the like4 ,one imagined that he was once a calf1 and mentions the name of the butcher that killed him1 and the stall in the ,philadelphia market1 on which his flesh was sold1 previously to his animating his present body4 ,one believed that he had no soul4 ,another that he is transformed into a plant1 and insisted on being watered in common with all the plants around him in the garden4 ,another that his body was transformed into glass4 ,the celebrated ,cowper suffered much anguish from complaints of a similar nature1 arising from hypochondriac affection4 ,among the causes of nervous affection and diseased imagination1 are those of sedentary habits and a free use of strong tea4 ,the following instances were communicated by my friend the ,rev4 ,mr ,k4 ,the late ,rev4 ,mr ,f4 of ,ipswich1 who was very sedentary2 spent most of his time in his study without exercise1 and his health became impaired4 ,he imagined for some time before his death1 that he was actually dead4 ,i saw him in this state of mind1 walking his chamber in extreme agitation4 ,to the question1 how he could suffer so much1 if actually dead1 he answered1 that his own spirit was departed1 and that another spirit had taken possession of his body4 ,a gentleman in ,boston once told the first ,president ,adams1 that he had become strangely timid1 that he dared not keep the side walks1 but walked in the middle of the street1 being constantly apprehensive that the tile on the houses would fall on his head4 ,the president asked him if he made a free use of tea1 and being answered in the affirmative1 he recommended to him to use it more sparingly and he would probably be benefited by the change4 ,by pursuing this advice1 he was relieved1 and was soon able to return to the side walks without fear4 ,a gentleman of ,salem1 sailing from the south to ,massachusetts1 while under the influence of nervous affection1 imagined that he saw a man in the water near the ship1 who was drowning4 ,conceiving that he might save his life1 he was in the very act of leaping into the sea for that purpose1 but was happily prevented by those on deck4 ,he afterward recovered his health1 and had a perfect recollection of his feelings on that occasion4 ,he had no idea of destroying himself1 but would have perished had he not been prevented4 ,instances of a similar nature have probably occurred1 in which lives have been lost in consequence of such delusion4 ,it is said that ,mr ,murdock1 the member of the ,vermont ,legislature1 who recently committed suicide1 imagined himself to be ,dr ,cleaveland1 who was under sentence of death4 ,mr ,murdock attempted to speak when ,cleaveland's case was before the legislature1 but was so much agitated that he could not speak1 and was taken from the house by his friends4 ,under this strong impression of his being ,cleaveland1 he killed himself to avoid the doom of the law4 ,this event would make a thrilling chapter in ,sir ,walter ,scott's history of ,demonology and ,witchcraft4 ,it will aid our purpose to relate the following instance of ,mr ,nicolai1 an intelligent bookseller and member of the ,academy of ,sciences of ,berlin1 who happily possessed philosophy enough to account for the phantasms which1 for some time agitated his own mind1 upon rational principles4 ',in the year #agia1 ,i was much affected in my mind by several incidents of a very disagreeable nature2 and on a certain day a circumstance occurred1 which irritated me extremely4 ,at ten o'clock in the forenoon1 my wife and another person came to console me4 ,i was in a violent perturbation of mind1 owing to a series of incidents which had altogether wounded my moral feelings1 and from which ,i saw no possibility of relief2 when suddenly ,i observed at the distance of ten paces from me1 a figure2 the figure of a deceased person4 ,i pointed at it1 and asked my wife if she did not see it4 ,she saw nothing2 but being much alarmed1 endeavored to compose me1 and sent for the physician4 ,the figure remained seven or eight minutes1 and at length ,i became a little more calm2 and as ,i was extremely exhausted1 ,i soon afterwards fell into a troubled kind of slumber1 which lasted for half an hour4 ,the vision was ascribed to the great agitation of mind in which ,i had been1 and it was supposed ,i should have nothing more to apprehend from that cause2 but the violent affection had put my nerves into some unnatural state2 from this arose further consequences which require a more detailed description4 ,in the afternoon a little after four o'clock1 the figure which ,i had seen in the morning again appeared4 ,i was alone when this happened1 a circumstance1 which1 as may easily be conceived1 could not be very agreeable4 ,i went therefore to the apartment of my wife1 to whom ,i related it4 ,but thither also the figure pursued me4 ,sometimes it was present1 sometimes it vanished1 but it was always the same standing figure4 ,a little after six o'clock1 several stalking figures also appeared1 but they had no connexion with the standing figure4 ,the figure of the deceased person never appeared to me after the first dreadful day2 but several other figures showed themselves afterwards very distinctly2 sometimes such as ,i knew1 mostly however1 of persons ,i did not know1 and amongst those known to me1 were the semblance of both living and deceased persons1 but mostly the former2 and ,i made the observation1 that acquaintance with whom ,i daily conversed never appeared to me as phantasms2 it was always such as were at a distance4 ,these figures appeared to me at all times1 and under the most different circumstances1 equally distinct and clear4 ,whether ,i was alone or in company1 by broad day light equally as in the night time1 in my own house as well as in my neighbor's2 yet1 when ,i was at another person's house1 they were less frequent1 and when ,i walked the public street1 they very seldom appeared4 ,when ,i shut my eyes1 sometimes the figures disappeared1 sometimes they remained even after ,i closed them4 ,if they vanished in the former case1 on opening my eyes again1 nearly the same figures appeared which ,i had seen before4 ,for the most part ,i saw human figures of both sexes2 they commonly passed to and fro1 as if they had no connexion with each other1 like people at a fair1 where all is bustle2 sometimes they appeared to have business with each other4 ,once or twice ,i saw amongst them persons on horseback1 and dogs and birds2 these figures all appeared to me in their natural size1 as distinctly as if they had existed in real life1 with the several tints on the uncovered parts of the body1 and with all the different kinds and colors of clothes4 ,on the whole1 the longer ,i continued in this state1 the more did the phantasms increase1 and the apparitions became more frequent4 ,about four weeks afterwards1 ,i began to hear them speak1 sometimes the phantasms spoke with one another2 but for the most part they addressed themselves to me2 these speeches were in general short1 and never contained anything disagreeable4 ,intelligent and respected friends often appeared to me1 who endeavored to console me in my grief1 which still left deep traces on my mind4 ,this speaking ,i heard most frequently when ,i was alone2 though ,i sometimes heard it in company1 intermingled with the conversation of real persons1 frequently in single phrases only1 but sometimes even in connected discourse4 ,though at this time ,i enjoyed rather a good state of health both in body and mind1 and had become so familiar with these phantasms1 that at last they did not excite the least disagreeable emotion1 but on the contrary afforded me frequent subjects for amusement and mirth2 yet as the disorder sensibly increased1 and the figures appeared to me the whole day together1 and even during the night1 if ,i happened to awake1 ,i had recourse to several medicines4 ,had ,i not been able to distinguish phantasms from phenomena1 ,i must have been insane4 ,had ,i been fanatic or superstitious1 ,i should have been terrified at my own phantasms1 and probably might have been seized with some alarming disorder4 ,had ,i been attached to the marvellous1 ,i should have sought to magnify my own importance1 by asserting that ,i had seen spirits2 and who could have disputed the facts with me8 ,in this case1 however1 the advantage of sound philosophy and deliberate observation may be seen4 ,both prevented me from becoming either a lunatic or an enthusiast2 for with nerves so strongly excited1 and blood so quick in circulation1 either misfortune might have easily befallen me4 ,but ,i considered the phantasms that hovered around me as what they really were1 namely1 the effects of disease1 and made them subservient to my observations1 because ,i consider observation and reflection as the basis of all rational philosophy4' ,this gentleman had been accustomed to lose blood twice a year1 but it was omitted at this time1 and having suffered so much by the neglect1 he again had recourse to blood letting and was soon relieved of all his phantasms4 ,the following article is contained in the ,edinburgh ,journal of ,science1 conducted by ,dr ,brewster1 who says of the narrator of the case1 that1 'his station in society and as a man of science1 would authenticate the minutest particulars in his narrative1 and satisfy the most scrupulous reader that the case has been philosophically as well as faithfully described4' ,the narrator is in fact the husband of the lady who was the subject of the disease4 ',on the twentysixth of ,december1 #ahbi1 about half past four o'clock in the afternoon1 ,mrs ,b4 was standing near the fire in the hall1 and on the point of going up stairs to dress1 when she heard1 as she supposed1 my voice calling her by name1--,come here1 come to me6 ,she imagined that ,i was calling at the door to have it opened1 went to it1 and was surprised on opening it to find no one4 ,she returned toward the fire1 and again heard the same voice1 calling very distinctly and loud1--,come1 come here4 ,she then opened two other doors of the same room1 but seeing no one1 she returned to the fire-place4 ,after a few minutes1 she heard the same voice1 still calling--',come to me1 come1 come away2' this time in a loud1 plaintive1 and somewhat impatient tone4 ,she answered as loudly--',where are you8 ,i don't know where you are'--still imagining that ,i was somewhere in search of her2 but receiving no answer1 she shortly went up stairs4 ,on my return to the house about half an hour afterwards1 she inquired why ,i had called to her so often1 and where ,i was2 and was of course surprised to hear ,i had not been near the house at the time4 ',on the #cjth of the same month1 at about four o'clock1 ,p4 ,m41 ,mrs ,b4 came down stairs into the drawing room1 which she had quitted a few minutes before1 and on entering the room1 saw me1 as she supposed1 standing with my back to the fire4 ,she addressed me1 asking how it was ,i had returned so soon4 7,i had left the house for a walk half an hour before47 ,she said ,i looked fixedly at her with a serious and thoughtful expression of countenance1 but did not speak4 ,she supposed ,i was busied in thought1 and sat down in an arm-chair near the fire1 and within a couple of feet at most of the figure she still saw standing before her4 ,as1 however1 the eyes still continued to be fixed upon her1 after a few moments she said--',why don't you speak--8' ,the figure upon this moved off towards the window at the farther end of the room1 the eyes still gazing on her1 and passed so very close to her in doing so1 that she was struck by the circumstance of hearing no step nor sound1 nor feeling her clothes brushed against1 nor even any agitation of the air4 ,the idea then arose for the first time into her mind1 that it was no reality1 but a spectral illusion1 7being a person of sense and habituated to account rationally for most things1 the notion of anything supernatural was out of the question47 ,she recollected1 however1 your having mentioned that there was a sort of experimentum crucis1 applicable to these cases1 by which a genuine ghost may be distinguished from one conjured up by merely natural causes2 namely1 the pressing the eye in order to produce the effect of seeing double1 when1 according to your assertion1 a true ,tartarean ghost may be duplicated as well as everything else2 while the morbid idea being1 ,i suppose1 an impression on the retina1 would or ought to remain single4 ,i am sorry1 however1 to say1 that the opportunity for verifying your theory was unfavorable4 ,before ,mrs ,b4 was able distinctly to double her vision1 my figure had retreated to the window and disappeared there4 ,the lady followed1 shook the curtains1 and tried the windows1 being still loth to believe it was not a reality1 so distinct and forcible was the impression4 ,finding1 however1 that there was no natural means of egress1 she became convinced of having seen a spectral apparition1 such as are recorded in ,dr ,hibbert's work1 and consequently felt no alarm or agitation4 ,the appearance lasted four or five minutes4 ,it was bright daylight1 and ,mrs ,b4 is confident that the apparition was fully as vivid as the reality2 and when standing close to her1 it concealed1 of course1 the real objects behind it4 ,upon being told of this my visible appearance in the spirit1 having been only audible a few days before1 ,i was1 as you may imagine1 more alarmed for the health of the lady than for my own approaching death1 or any other fatality the vision might be supposed to forebode4 ,still both the stories were so very much en regle as ghost stories1 the three calls of the plaintive voice1 each one louder than the preceding1 the fixed eye and mournful expression of the phantom1 its noiseless step and spirit-like vanishing1 were all so characteristic of the wraith1 that ,i might have been unable to shake off some disagreeable fancies1 such as a mind once deeply saturated with the poison of nursery-tales cannot altogether banish1 had it not been for a third apparition1 at whose visit ,i myself assisted1 a few days afterwards1 and which ,i think is the key-stone of the case1 rendering it as complete as could be wished4 ',on the #dth of this month1 ,january1 #ahcj1 five days after the last apparition1 at about ten o'clock at night1 ,i was sitting in the drawing-room with ,mrs ,b4 and in the act of stirring the fire1 when she exclaimed1 ',why1 there's the cat in the room6' ,i asked ',where8' ,she replied1 ',there1 close to you4' ',where8' ,i repeated4 ',why1 on the rug1 to be sure1 between yourself and the coal-scuttle4' ,i had the poker in my hand1 and ,i pushed in the direction mentioned4 ',take care1' she cried out1 'take care1 you are hitting her with the poker4' ,i again asked her to point out exactly where she saw the cat4 ,she replied1 ',why1 sitting up there close to your feet1 on the rug3--she is looking at me4 ,it is ,kitty1 come here ,kitty4' ,there are two cats in the house1 one of which went by this name4 ,they are rarely1 if ever in the drawing-room4 ,at this time ,mrs ,b4 had certainly no idea that the sight of the cat was an illusion4 ,i asked her to touch it4 ,she got up for the purpose1 and seemed1 too1 as if she was pursuing something which moved away4 ,she followed a few steps1 and then said1--',it has gone under that chair4' ,i told her it was an illusion4 ,she would not believe it4 ,i lifted up the chair2 there was nothing there1 nor did ,mrs ,b4 see anything more of it4 ,i searched the room all over1 and found nothing4 ,there was a dog lying on the hearth1 who would have betrayed great uneasiness had a cat been in the room4 ,he was perfectly quiet4 ,in order to be quite certain1 ,i rung the bell and sent for the cats4 ,they were both found in the housekeeper's room4 ,the most superstitious person could now doubt no longer as to the real character of all these illusory appearances1 and the case is so complete1 that ,i hope there will be no renewal of them1 symptomatic as they of course are of a disordered state of the body4 ,i am sorry to say ,mrs ,b4 as well as myself1 forgot to try in time the experimentum crucis on the cat4 ,mrs ,b4 has naturally a morbidly sensitive imagination1 so strongly affecting her corporeal impressions1 that the story of any person having severe pain by accident1 or otherwise1 will occasionally produce acute twinges of pain in the correspondent part in her own person4 ,an account1 for instance1 of the amputation of an arm1 will produce an instantaneous and severe sense of pain in her own arm2 and so of other relations4 ,she is subject to talk in her sleep1 with great fluency2 to repeat poetry very much at length1 particularly when unwell1 and even cap verses for half an hour together1 never failing to quote lines beginning with the final letter of the preceding till her memory is exhausted4 ',she has1 during the last six weeks1 been considerably reduced and weakened1 by a tiresome cough1 which has also added to her weakness by preventing the taking a daily tonic1 to which she had been for some time accustomed4 ,she had also confined herself from this cause to the house for some weeks1 which is not usual with her1 being accustomed to take a great deal of air and exercise4 ,her general health for some time past has not been strong1 and a long experience has proved beyond a doubt1 that her ill health is attributable to a disordered state of the digestive organs4 ,these details are necessary for a complete understanding of this case1 which strikes me as one of remarkable interest1 from combining the character of an ordinary ghost story with those of an indubitable illusion1 as well as from the circumstance occurring to a person of strong mind1 devoid of any superstitious fancies1 and to be implicitly relied on for the truth of the minutest details of the appearances4 ,indeed1 ,i do not recollect any well authenticated and recent instances of auricular delusion like the first of those ,i have related1 though of course the warning voices and sounds which have frightened too many weak persons into their graves1 must have been of this nature4 ,mrs ,b4 tells me that about ten years ago a similar circumstance happened to her when residing in ,florence1 and in perfect health4 ,while undressing after a ball1 she heard a voice call her repeatedly by name1 and was at that time unable to account for the fact4 ',it was nearly a month after the last occurrence1 that ,mrs ,b4 was preparing for bed at about eleven o'clock at night1 and after somewhat a fatiguing day1 and sitting before the dressing glass occupied in arranging her hair4 ,she describes her state of mind at the time as listless and drowsy1 but fully awake2 indeed her fingers were in active motion among the papillotes1 when she was suddenly startled by seeing in the mirror the figure of a near relative 7at the time in ,scotland7 over her left shoulder2 her eyes meeting his in the glass4 ,the figure was enveloped in grave clothes1 closely pinned as is usual with corpses round the head and under the chin4 ,though the eyes were open1 the features were solemn and rigid4 ,the dress was decidedly a shroud1 as ,mrs ,b4 remarked even the punctured pattern worked in a peculiar manner round the edges of that garment4 ,mrs ,b4 describes herself as sensible of a feeling like fascination1 compelling her for a time to gaze on this melancholy apparition1 which was as distinct and vivid as any reflected reality could be2 the light of the candles on the dressing table appearing to shine fully upon it4 ,after a few minutes she turned round to look for the reality of the form over her shoulder4 ,it was not1 however1 visible2 and had also disappeared from the glass when she looked in that direction again4 ,coupled with the previous illusions ,i related to you1 this last apparition becomes more interesting than it would be alone4 ,in the first place1 its melancholy and indeed horrible character1 distinguishes it from the others1 but brings it still nearer the ordinary stories of supernatural visitation4 ,at the same time the possible continuance of such spectral appearances is highly disagreeable1 however firm the lady's nerves1 and however sound her philosophy4 #b;d4 ,the mind in this case seems not to have had the remotest influence in raising or dissipating the illusion4 ,mrs ,b4 is convinced there was no train of thought previously passing through her mind1 likely to have the slightest association with the idea of the relative1 whose form she suddenly saw with all the distinctness of reality4 #c;d4 ,the former illusions might be supposed ideas of sensation1 sounds1 or pictures reproduced1 with extraordinary vividness in the same shape and character1 in which they had been perceived by and stored up in the mind4 ,but in this last case there is a new combination of ideas which never entered the mind in connexion4 ',the union of the well known features with the shroud1 must have been a pure effort of1 or creation of the mind4 ,there seems1 therefore1 no reason why1 under the same disposition of the nervous system1 any monstrous creation of the faculty we call imagination might not be produced to the eyes and other senses2 indeed1 with all the qualities that constitute reality1 except their endurance1 though this should hardly be excepted1 since there can be no reason why the appearances may not endure1 by a continuance of the conditions for days1 or months4 ,i need hardly say that the relative1 whose ghost was seen after so dismal a fashion1 was at the time in perfect health4 ,had it been otherwise1 and the apparition coincided with illness or death1 as has no doubt frequently happened in other instances1 our philosophy would have had to stand a severe trial4' ,,imagination ,,and ,,fear4 ,the influence of the imagination on the nervous system has on some occasions produced effects bordering on a state of insanity4 ,it deprives the mind of all correct reasonings1 perverts the understanding with which we are endowed by our ,creator to regulate our belief1 guide us in our pursuits1 and enable us to trace effects to their true causes4 ,instances are not wanting1 in which the imagination has been so highly excited as to produce fatal effects4 ,we have on record1 among others1 the story of a ,german student1 who dreamed he was to die at a certain hour the next day4 ,he immediately made his will1 and prepared himself for the awful event4 ,every argument was used to convince him that no dependence is to be put in dreams1 but without shaking his belief1 and as the hour approached1 he exhibited the alarming signs of death4 ,he watched the clock with the greatest anxiety1 till his attending physician contrived to place the hands of the clock beyond the specified hour1 when his mind was relieved from the impression1 and he was rejoiced to find that he might still continue to live in despite of his dream4 ,in another instance1 a man whose nervous system was impaired1 and imagination excited1 conceived the extravagant idea1 that his legs were made of glass1 and would use no exercise lest he should break them4 ,he was prevailed on1 however1 to ride1 and the carriage was designedly overset1 when he was soon convinced that his legs were made of the substantial material intended by nature4 ,a few years since1 ,elijah ,barns of ,pennsylvania1 killed a rattlesnake in his field without any injury to himself1 and immediately after put on his son's waistcoat1 mistaking it for his own1 both being of one color4 ,he returned to his house1 and on attempting to button his waistcoat1 he found to his astonishment that it was much too small4 ,his imagination was now wrought to a high pitch1 and he instantly conceived the idea that he had been bitten imperceptibly by the snake1 and was thus swollen from its poison4 ,he grew suddenly very ill1 and took to his bed4 ,the family in great alarm and confusion summoned three physicians1 and the usual remedies were prescribed and administered4 ,the patient1 however1 grew worse and worse every minute1 until at length his son came home with his father's waistcoat dangling about him4 ,the mystery was instantly unfolded1 and the patient being relieved from his imaginary apprehensions1 dismissed his physicians1 and was restored to health4 ,the philosophy of mind is a study of peculiar interest1 and after all our powers of research are exhausted1 numerous phenomena will remain inexplicable4 ,indeed our mental faculties are continually overwhelmed with things inexplicable4 ,we too often embrace for substantial truths mere phantoms1 which vanish into air1 and leave the mind to deplore its own imbecility4 ,while superstition weakens our moral virtues1 and the influence of imagination deludes our intellectual powers1 the passion of fear has a pernicious and even a hazardous tendency4 ,it is the passion1 which most of all others1 exerts its effects directly on the heart2 on some occasions1 it produces instant death1 and in numerous instances1 it lays a foundation for a chronic disease of that vital organ1 which1 after a long duration of distressing complaints1 has a fatal termination4 ,not long since1 an instance was published1 of a child having died of a disease of the heart1 in consequence of a fright received by being thrown upwards and caught in its fall for amusement4 ,few persons are aware of the extreme danger of sudden fright on timid minds4 ,the most melancholy consequences have on some occasions resulted from stratagems with effigies1 representing apparitions for innocent and momentary amusement4 ,instances are not wanting of a total loss of intellect during life1 from such inexcusable folly4 ,parents and nurses should carefully avoid imbuing the minds of children with idle stories of ghosts and apparitions4 ,the following facts1 selected from numerous others1 will illustrate the effects of terror on the mind4 ,in a poor-house in ,haerlem1 a girl was seized with a convulsive disorder1 which returned in regular paroxysms2 not long after1 another was taken1 and others in succession1 till all the boys and girls in the house were affected in a similar manner4 ,the medical prescriptions failed to perform a cure4 ,at length the celebrated ,dr ,boerhaave1 ascribing the occurrences to the habit of imitation1 ordered several furnaces to be placed in the chamber4 ,over the burning coals a number of crooked irons were laid1 and the doctor ordered his attendants to burn the arm of the first child1 who should be seized in a fit1 even to the bone4 ,this alarming remedy produced the desired effect2 their imagination was overpowered by the force of fear1 and not a case of the kind again occurred4 ,in a family of six children1 one of them was afflicted with convulsive affections2 all the others exhibited the symptoms of the same disorder1 by imitation4 ,no remedy could remove the extraordinary affection1 till the father placed a block and an axe in their view1 and declared that he would decapitate the first one who should exhibit any more gestures1 except the first one taken4 ,by this expedient1 all imitation and imaginary feelings were overcome1 and the five last were happily delivered from the nervous agitations4 ,with respect to the appearance of ghosts and apparitions1 it cannot be doubted1 but many of the reports found on record1 or repeated by tradition1 were mere illusions of imagination1 or fictions1 contrived solely to amuse1 or to answer some particular purpose2 and too many have been the dupes of implicit faith1 without examining the affair with that jealous attention which it required4 ,it is not improbable1 that in many instances1 hobgoblin stories may be explained by the deceptive powers of ventriloquism4 ,we have had auricular demonstration of the extraordinary powers of ventriloquists2 they can counterfeit the voices of animals and all imaginable noises1 at pleasure1 and conjure up a ghost or witch on any occasion4 ,although ventriloquism was not practised1 as an art1 in ancient times1 it was not unknown1 and individuals possessing that faculty might have put it in operation1 on particular occasions1 without suspicion4 ,in most cases of supposed apparitions and spectres1 the reports originated with timorous and credulous persons1 or those of questionable character4 ,the scene is always exhibited in the night1 when the eye is prepared to see frightful spectres1 and the imagination is awaked to magnify every object1 whether real or unreal4 ',all things are full of horror and affright1 ,and dreadful even the silence of the night4' ,the darkness of the night1 the gloom and horror produced by the report of haunted houses1 or some disastrous occurrence1 as murder or robbery in a particular situation1 and a state of mind naturally depressed and melancholy1 have doubtless contributed to give a currency to many of those legendary stories which have been credulously received and disseminated by the vulgar4 ,those1 especially1 who are trembling with a guilty conscience1 are liable to deception2 even the most intrepid have been alarmed1 when in the night1 posts1 trees1 and other objects1 have been presented in a distorted form4 ,we are familiar with the story of the frightened person1 who1 on passing a church-yard in the night1 conceited that he saw a ghost clothed in white2 but on examination it proved to be no other than a white horse4 ,a few years ago1 ,dr ,stearns was travelling from ,boston to ,salem in the evening1 having a considerable sum of money about him4 ,he suffered himself to be strongly impressed with the apprehension of being robbed4 ,while his mind was wrought up to the highest pitch1 he imagined that a robber approached him with a club suspended over his head1 and demanded his money4 ,he instantly took out his pocket book and threw it on the ground1 and in great affright drove off with all speed4 ,having procured assistance and lights1 they visited the spot in search of the robber1 when to their surprise they found a pump standing near the road1 having its handle turned upwards1 and the doctor's pocket book instead of being in the hands of a robber1 was found lying beside the pump4 ,were all the supposed apparitions and spectres to be met with the intrepidity displayed in the following instance1 ghost stories would seldom be repeated4 ,about the latter part of the last century1 a ,mr ,blake1 of ,hingham1 ,massachusetts1 was passing the church-yard in the night1 when he saw an object in human form1 clothed in white1 sitting near an open tomb4 ,resolving to satisfy himself1 he walked toward it4 ,the form moved as he approached1 and endeavored to elude his pursuit2 when he ran1 the object ran before him1 and after turning in different directions1 descended into the tomb4 ,mr ,blake followed1 and there found a woman1 who was in a deranged state of mind1 who had covered herself with a sheet1 and was roaming among the silent tombs4 ,the passion of fear is implanted in our nature for wise purposes4 ,it prompts us to self defence and the avoidance of evil4 ,it is excited into action by various causes1 depending on the condition of the nerves in different constitutions1 or in the same at different times4 ,but when extended to imaginary objects of terror1 fear becomes superstition1 as by a sort of instinct1 and has a direct tendency to cherish ignorance and credulity4 ,dr ,franklin had no faith in apparitions and spectres1 but he proposed to a friend1 that the one which should die first1 should return in spirit and visit the survivor2 his friend died first1 but his spirit never returned4 ,the strong mind of ,dr ,samuel ,johnson was not altogether free from agitation and embarrassment1 when contemplating the question of the appearance of incorporeal spirits in our world4 ,this great man said to ,mr ,boswell1 his biographer1 'it is wonderful that #ejjj years have now elapsed since the creation of the world1 and still it is undecided whether or not there has ever been an instance1 in modern times1 of the spirit of any person appearing after death4 ,all argument is against it1 but all belief is for it4' ,boswell suggested1 as an objection1 that if spirits are in a state of happiness1 it would be a punishment to them to return to this world2 and if they are in a state of misery1 it would be giving them a respite4 ,johnson replied1 that 'as the happiness or misery of spirits depends not upon place1 but is intellectual1 we cannot say1 that they are less happy or less miserable1 by appearing upon earth4' ,johnson observed1 that he makes a distinction between what a man may experience by the mere strength of his imagination1 and what imagination cannot possibly produce4 ,thus1 said he1 'suppose ,i should think that ,i saw a form1 and heard a voice say1 ,johnson1 you are a very wicked fellow1 and unless you repent1 you will certainly be punished2 my own unworthiness is so deeply impressed upon my mind1 that ,i might imagine ,i thus saw and heard1 and therefore ,i should not believe that an external communication had been made to me4 ,but1 if a form should appear1 and a voice should tell me1 that a particular man had died at a particular place1 and a particular hour1 a fact which ,i had no apprehension of1 nor any means of knowing1 and this fact1 with all its circumstances1 should afterwards be unquestionably proved1 ,i should in that case be persuaded1 that ,i had supernatural intelligence imparted to me4' ,johnson related a story of a ghost1 said to have appeared to a young woman several times1 advising her to apply to an attorney for the recovery of an old house1 which was done1 and at the same time saying the attorney would do nothing1 which proved to be the fact4 ,about the middle of the last century1 there were reports of a ghost visiting a house in ,cocklane1 in the city of ,london4 ,the whole city was1 for many weeks1 kept in a state of agitation and alarm1 and the magazines and newspapers teemed with strange accounts of the ,cocklane ghost4 ,the story1 at length1 became so popular1 and created such excitement1 as to require a thorough investigation4 ,the purport of the story was1 that a spirit had frequently appeared1 and announced to a girl1 that a murder had been committed near that place1 by a certain person1 which ought to be detected4 ,for a long time1 unaccountable noises1 such as knocking1 scratching on the walls of the house1 c1 were heard every night4 ,the supposed spirit had publicly promised1 by an affirmative knock1 that it would attend any person into the vault under the church where the body was deposited1 and would give a knock on the coffin2 it was1 therefore1 determined to make this trial of the visitation and veracity of the supposed spirit4 ,on this occasion1 ,dr ,johnson1 with several clergymen and other gentlemen and ladies1 assembled about ten o'clock at night1 in the house in which the girl had1 with proper caution1 been put to bed by several ladies4 ,more than an hour passed1 without hearing any noise1 when at length the gentlemen were summoned into the girl's chamber1 by some ladies who were near her bed1 and had heard knocks and scratches4 ,when the gentlemen entered1 the girl declared that she felt the spirit like a mouse upon her back4 ,she was required to hold her hands out of bed1 and from that time1 though the spirit was very solemnly required to manifest its existence by appearance1 by impression on the hand or body of any one present1 by knocks1 or scratches1 or any other agency1 no evidence of any preternatural power was exhibited4 ,the spirit was then very seriously advertised1 that the person to whom the promise was made of striking on the coffin1 was then about to visit the vault1 and that the performance of the promise was then claimed4 ,the company at #a o'clock went into the church1 and the gentleman to whom the promise was made1 went with another into the vault4 ,the spirit was solemnly required to perform its promise1 but nothing more than silence ensued4 ,the person supposed to be accused by the spirit then went down with several others1 but no effect whatever was perceived4 ,upon their return they examined the girl1 but could draw no confession from her1 and the father of the girl1 when interrogated1 denied in the strongest terms1 any knowledge or belief of fraud4 ,it was therefore published by the whole assembly1 that the girl had some art of making or counterfeiting a particular noise1 and that there was no agency of any higher cause4 ,thus ended this singular affair1 which had so long been permitted to disturb the peace of the city and of the public4 ,the greatest surprise is1 that an artful1 mischievous girl1 should be suffered to set at defiance the closest scrutiny to detect her imposition and deception4 ,the following anecdote may be found in some historical publication1 but is now related from memory without recollecting the authority4 ,after the execution of ,charles the ,first1 the ,parliament resolved that every vestige of royalty should be annihilated4 ,for this purpose1 commissioners were appointed to carry into effect the decree in the ,palace of the late ,king4 ,while executing their prescribed duties1 the commissioners were from day to day annoyed and disturbed by strange and frightful noises1 in various parts of the house4 ,logs of wood rolling over the floor in the kitchen1 various utensils clattering together1 dancing and stamping were heard in rooms whose doors were closed1 and to such alarming heights was the deception carried that the commissioners were about to abandon the house1 from the belief that it was haunted by evil spirits4 ,at length1 on close investigation1 the fact was disclosed that the whole deception was the contrivance of a man of singular art1 called funny ,joe1 who was the acting secretary of the commissioners4 ,in ,southey's life of ,wesley1 we have another instance of supposed preternatural noises in the parsonage house of ,wesley's father1 in the year #agaf4 ,the mysterious noises were said to be as various as unaccountable2 such as knocking at the door1 lifting up the latch1 and a groaning1 like a person in distress2 a clatter among a number of bottles1 as if all at once they had been dashed in pieces2 footsteps as of a man going up and down stairs1 at all hours of the night2 sounds like that of dancing in a room1 the door of which was locked2 but most frequently1 a knocking about the beds at night1 and in different parts of the house4 ,mr ,wesley was once awakened a little after midnight1 by nine loud and distinct knocks which seemed to be in the next room1 with a pause at every third stroke4 ,he and his wife rose1 and went below2 a noise was now heard1 like that of a bag of money poured on the floor at their feet4 ,at one time1 the servant heard his hand-mill in rapid motion1 without any visible hand to move it4 ,mr ,wesley made every exertion to ascertain the real cause of the noises1 without success4 ,he at length became so impatient with the unusual annoyances1 that he prepared a pistol1 which he was about to discharge at the place where the noise was heard1 but was dissuaded from it by a neighboring clergyman1 who had been called in to his assistance4 ,but he upbraided the goblin for disturbing the family1 and challenged it to appear to him while alone in his study1 after which1 on entering his study1 the door was pressed against him1 but no object was seen4 ,at length1 the family became so familiar with this invisible spirit1 that one of the daughters gave it the name of ,old ,jeffrey1 and they treated it as matter of curiosity and amusement4 ,this unaccountable affair excited much speculation throughout the country4 ,the celebrated ,dr ,priestley1 and many others1 undertook to investigate the circumstances1 but were unable to make any satisfactory discovery1 and it remains inexplicable4 ,a reviewer of ,wesley's life observes1 that few will regard the circumstances as anything more than creatures of imagination1 the offspring of credulity and superstition2 but ,i should strongly suspect that some one of the family was the prime mover in the business1 as was funny ,joe in the ,royal ,palace of ,king ,charles the ,first4 ,,superstition4 ,historical records furnish innumerable instances of superstition1 fraught with circumstances of inexpressible horror4 ,it is an infirmity inherent in our nature1 and extremely difficult to eradicate2 no lesson on moral evil1 or lecture on physical destiny1 can sever the spell or dissolve the dark enchantment4 ,so peculiarly fascinating is the love of the marvellous1 that when ignorance and bigotry cooperate1 the pure fountain of truth is polluted1 and the most preposterous tales of antiquity are held in veneration by every fiery zealot4 ,from this cause1 millions of innocent lives have been sacrificed4 ,the intellects of thousands have been shackled1 and their energies perverted by irrational fears1 and by degrading conceptions of the nature of ,deity1 and of the purposes and modes of religious worship and obedience4 ,it was in the darkest days of superstition1 that the rack was in exercise to chain down the understanding1 to sink it into the most abject and sordid condition1 punishing imaginary crimes1 and repressing truth and philosophical research4 ,the science of medicine had to encounter the scourge of superstition at an early period2 the epithet of magician was applied to the physician1 who appeared to be endowed with superior genius and knowledge4 ,the inquisition was constantly prepared to take holy cognizance of those who distinguished themselves by extraordinary cures1 and hundreds of miserable wretches were dragged to the stake for this cause alone4 ,galileo1 in the #agth century1 was condemned by the inquisition to a rigorous punishment1 for his noble and useful discoveries in astronomy and geometry2 and about the same period1 ,dr ,bartolo suffered a similar fate at ,rome1 because he unexpectedly cured a nobleman of the gout4 ,the ,university of ,salamanca decreed that no physician should dare to bleed his patient in a pleurisy in the arm of the affected side2 declaring that such practice was of no less pernicious consequences to medicine1 than ,luther's heresy had been to religion4 ,the inquisition having adopted the irrational and foolish doctrine that diseases should be ascribed to fascination1 a physician who opposed that doctrine was compelled to accede to it1 and to declare that he had seen a beautiful woman break a steel mirror to pieces1 and blast trees by a single glance of her fascinating eyes4 ,superstitious opinions prevailed in regard to the cure of diseases1 also4 ,some were supposed to be cured by a song4 ,josephus asserted that he saw a certain ,jew1 named ,eleazer1 draw the devil out of an old woman's nostrils1 by the application of ,solomon's seal to her nose1 in the presence of the ,emperor ,vespasian4 ,numerous remedies were employed for expelling the devil1 among which was flagellation1 purgatives1 and antispasmodics4 ,several bewitched persons being cured by a plaster of assaftida1 the question arose1 in what way this article excited so much efficacy4 ,some supposed1 that the devil considered so vile an application an insult1 and ran off in a passion2 but others very sagely observed1 that as devils are supposed to have eyes and ears1 it is possible that they have noses also1 and that it proved offensive to their olfactory nerves4 ,it may be observed that superstition is not confined to those who are ignorant of the laws of the physical world2 but through the infirmity of human nature1 it has prevailed to the perversion of the profoundest understanding1 and the purest intellect4 ,it has arrested the progress of literature and science1 and shackled the mind with vulgar fictions1 errors1 and prejudices4 ,even the sublime genius of ,lord ,bacon was subjected to its influence2 he believed in witchcraft1 and asserted that he was cured of warts by rubbing them with a piece of lard with the skin on1 and then exposing it to the sun4 ,dr ,more1 and the enlightened ,cudworth1 applied the epithet ,atheist to those who opposed the belief of witchcraft4 ,the celebrated ,dr ,hoffman1 the father of the modern theory and practice of medicine1 in the large edition of his work in #agdb1 says1 that the devil can raise storms1 produce insects1 and act upon the animal spirits and imagination2 and1 in fine1 that he is an excellent optician1 and natural philosopher1 on account of his long experience4 ,but1 blessed be the ,almighty ,ruler1 the present is an era1 preeminently distinguished for improvement in physical and moral philosophy2 and forgetting the things that are behind1 we are pressing forward in the race with rapid strides to the melioration of the condition of the physical and moral world4 ,had the stupendous works performed1 and those contemplated at the present day1 been predicted to our fathers in the #agth century1 they would have trembled with alarm1 lest their posterity were destined to form a league with the infernal powers4 ,the paralyzing idea that the present state of knowledge is as perfect as our nature will admit1 should be utterly reprobated2 for knowledge is eternally progressive1 and we can have no claim to be estimated as the benefactors of posterity1 unless by our own efforts and toils we add to the achievements of our ancestors4 ,we may take a retrospect of the meritorious characters of our fathers with exultation1 and when disposed to animadvert on the frailties and follies peculiar to their times1 let us reflect that it is our happy lot to live in an age in many respects the most glorious the world ever knew4 ,we have a moral interest in all that concerns the human race1 and1 as philanthropists1 we ought to sympathize in every calamity with which our species may be afflicted4 ,being apprised with what facility mankind deceive themselves1 and with what tenacity the mind clings to its darling delusion1 sober reflection is awakened to a lively sense of the evils resulting from our imperfections4 ,as the germs of plants may lie dormant in the earth for ages1 and be resuscitated1 so may the troubles created by unhallowed superstition1 revive and be reiterated by means of some depraved spirits in our day4 ,ventriloquism is an art which may be made subservient to knavery and deception4 ,an ingenious work on this subject was published in #aggb1 by ,m4 de la ,chapelle1 who was of opinion that the responses of many of the oracles were delivered by persons thus qualified to serve the purposes of priestcraft and delusion4 ,that ventriloquism may be made thus subservient to the purposes of knavery1 will clearly appear by the following anecdotes4 ,louis ,brabant1 valet de chambre to ,francis the ,first1 was a capital ventriloquist1 and a great cheat4 ,he had fallen in love with a young1 handsome1 and rich heiress2 but was rejected by the parents as an unsuitable match for their daughter4 ,the young lady's father dying1 ,brabant made a visit to the widow1 who was totally ignorant of his singular talent4 ,suddenly1 on his first appearance1 in open day1 and in presence of several persons who were with her1 she heard herself accosted1 in a voice perfectly resembling that of her dead husband1 and which seemed to proceed from above1 exclaiming1 ',give my daughter in marriage to ,louis ,brabant4 ,he is a man of great fortune1 and of an excellent character4 ,i now endure the inexpressible torments of purgatory for having refused her to him4 ,if you obey this admonition1 ,i shall soon be delivered from this place of torment4 ,you will at the same time provide a worthy husband for your daughter1 and procure everlasting repose to the soul of your poor husband4' ,the widow could not for a moment resist this dread summons1 which had not the most distant appearance of proceeding from ,louis ,brabant1 whose countenance exhibited no visible change1 and whose lips were closed and motionless1 during the delivery of it4 ,accordingly1 she consented immediately to receive him for her son-in-law4 ,louis's finances1 however1 were in a very low situation1 and the formalities attending the marriage contract1 rendered it necessary for him to exhibit some show of riches1 and not to give the ghost the lie direct4 ,he accordingly went to work upon a fresh subject1 one ,cornu1 an old and rich banker at ,lyons1 who had accumulated immense wealth by usury and extortion1 and was known to be haunted by remorse of conscience on account of the manner in which he had acquired it4 ,having contracted an intimate acquaintance with this man1 he one day1 while they were sitting together in the usurer's little back parlor1 artfully turned the conversation on religious subjects1 on demons and spectres1 the pains of purgatory and the torments of hell4 ,during an interval of silence between them1 a voice was heard1 which to the astonished banker seemed to be that of his deceased father1 complaining1 as in the former case1 of his dreadful situation in purgatory1 and calling upon him to deliver him instantly from thence1 by putting into the hands of ,louis ,brabant1 a large sum for the redemption of ,christians then in slavery with the ,turks2 threatening him at the same time with eternal damnation if he did not take this method to expiate likewise his own sins4 ,the reader will naturally suppose that ,brabant affected a due degree of astonishment on the occasion1 and further promoted the deception1 by acknowledging his having devoted himself to the prosecution of the charitable design imputed to him by the ghost4 ,an old usurer is naturally suspicious4 ,accordingly1 the wary banker made a second appointment with the ghost delegate for the next day2 and to render any design of imposing upon him utterly abortive1 took him into the open fields1 where not a house1 or a tree1 or even a bush was in sight1 capable of screening any supposed confederate4 ,this extraordinary caution excited the ventriloquist to exert all the powers of his art4 ,wherever the banker conducted him1 at every step1 his ears were saluted on all sides with the complaints and groans not only of his father1 but of all his deceased relations1 imploring him1 for the love of ,god1 and in the name of every saint in the calendar1 to have mercy on his soul and their's1 by effectually seconding with his purse the intentions of his worthy companion4 ,cornu could no longer resist the voice of heaven1 and accordingly carried his guest home with him1 and paid him down #aj1jjj crowns1 with which the honest ventriloquist returned to ,paris and married his mistress4 ,the catastrophe was fatal4 ,the secret was afterwards blown1 and reached the usurer's ears1 who was so much affected by the loss of his money1 and the mortifying railleries of his neighbors1 that he took to his bed and died4 ,another ,french ventriloquist1 named ,m4 ,st ,gile1 was not less adroit in his secret art4 ,entering a convent1 and finding the whole community in mourning1 he inquired the cause1 and was told that one of their body had lately died1 who was the delight and ornament of the whole society1 and they spoke feelingly of the scanty honors they had bestowed on his memory4 ,suddenly a voice was heard1 apparently proceeding from that part of the church where the singing of the choir is performed1 lamenting the situation of the defunct in purgatory1 and reproaching the brotherhood with their lukewarmness1 and want of zeal on his account4 ,the friars1 as soon as their astonishment gave them power to speak1 consulted together1 and agreed to acquaint the rest of the community with this singular event1 so interesting to the whole society4 ,m4 ,st ,gile1 who wished to carry on the joke still farther1 dissuaded them from taking this step1 telling them that they would be treated by their absent brethren1 as a set of fools and visionaries4 ,he recommended to them1 however1 the immediately calling of the whole community into the church1 where the ghost of their departed brother might probably reiterate his complaints4 ,accordingly1 all the friars1 novices1 lay brothers1 and even the domestics of the convent1 were immediately summoned and collected together4 ,in a short time the voice from the roof renewed its lamentation and reproaches1 and the whole convent fell on their faces1 and vowed a solemn reparation4 ,as a first step1 they chanted a ,de profundis in a full choir2 during the intervals of which the ghost occasionally expressed the comfort he received from their pious exercises1 and ejaculations on his behalf4 ,when all was over1 the friar entered into a serious conversation with ,m4 ,st ,gile2 and1 on the strength of what had just passed1 sagaciously inveighed against the absurd incredulity of our modern sceptics and pretended philosophers1 on the article of ghosts or apparitions4 ,m4 ,st ,gile thought it now high time to disabuse the good fathers4 ,this purpose1 however1 he found it extremely difficult to effect1 till he had prevailed upon them to return with him into the church1 and there be witnesses of the manner in which he had conducted this ludicrous deception4 ,,witchcraft ,,and ,,sorcery4 ,a belief in the entity of witchcraft and sorcery may boast of a high degree of antiquity4 ,in both the ,old and ,new ,testament1 we observe numerous tragical events1 bearing the semblance of diabolical agency4 ,a prominent instance is found in the witch of ,endor1 who is said to have been deeply versed in the art of deception1 and notorious in her day for skill in practical astrology4 ,it is the opinion of some divines1 that to beguile ,saul1 she raised a demon1 counterfeiting ,samuel2 but it seems difficult to decide in what precise manner she effected her purpose of imposing upon her credulous employer4 ,the sorcery and witchcraft1 prohibited under the ,jewish dispensation1 is supposed by high authority to be a very different species of crime from that which was so abhorrent in the days of our ancestors2 the former might have come under the description of idolatry1 or of the heathen mythology4 ',the ancients believed that there were good and evil demons1 which had influence over the minds of men1 and that these beings carried on an intercourse between men and gods1 conveying the addresses of men to the gods1 and divine benefits to men4 ,hence1 demons became the objects of worship4 ,it was supposed1 also1 that human spirits1 after their departure from the body1 became demons1 and that the souls of virtuous men1 if highly purified1 were exalted from demons into gods4' ,the various instances of demoniacs1 lunatics1 and possessed1 recorded in the sacred scriptures of the ,new ,testament1 have received different interpretations according to the particular views among learned expositors4 ,by some of the enlightened ,german theologians1 those subjects are considered as mere prototypes of the maniacs and epileptics of our own times2 but most of the ,english divines have imbibed different opinions4 ',demoniacs1' says ,kenrick1 'were persons disordered in their understandings1 and supposed to be possessed by an evil demon4' ,that real miracles were wrought by our ,saviour and his apostles1 and that both good and evil spirits were subservient to his will1 no ,christian believer can ever deny4 ,but by all impartial inquirers after truth1 it will perhaps be conceded1 that demoniacal possession is a subject the least susceptible of a satisfactory solution1 of any in scripture4 ,it has received the most critical investigation of commentators and divines1 for centuries1 and still remains involved in mystery4 ,the subject in its nature1 is too intricate and mysterious to justify even a discussion on this occasion1 nor is it requisite for my purpose4 ,it must1 therefore1 be referred to philosophical commentators and learned biblical critics4 ,in a work entitled1 ,historical ,essay concerning ,witchcraft1 by ,f4 ,hutchinson1 ,d4 ,d41 published in ,london in #agbj1 the author says1 ',the divine writings1 as well as the soundest philosophy and soberest reason1 give confirmation that there are both good and bad spirits4 ,there are superior beings intermediate betwixt the divine nature and ours4 ,but both philosophers and ,christians that have ventured to define their natures or works1 have been very various in their notions respecting them1 and the holy scriptures1 though they give us many instances of the employment of both the evil and the good spirits1 teach us none such as we commonly meet with in the modern relations of witchcraft1 and the conjoint powers of ,satan4 ,the holy scriptures tell us of no such tales as these which confound the laws of nature1 and absolutely destroy the testimony of our senses4' 999999 ',the human mind is sometimes so clouded and oppressed1 that persons think themselves dead4 ,at another time they are elevated far above their natural pitch1 full of raptures1 and high conceits1 and think themselves kings and queens2 now if witch stories are in their heads1 or witchcraft in their imaginations1 why may they not think themselves bewitched1 or fancy themselves witches or wizards1 as well as kings and queens8' ,a witch1 in her personal character1 was commonly an uncouth old woman1 or hag4 ,her countenance was repulsive1 her air and gait disgusting1 and her general aspect and movements at variance with a proper demeanor4 ,she is supposed to have formed a compact with the devil1 giving herself up to him body and soul4 ,this compact1 it is believed1 cannot be transacted mentally1 but the devil must appear in bodily shape to the witch4 ,in this interview1 he delivers to her an imp1 or familiar spirit1 by which she is enabled to transport herself in the air1 on a broomstick or a spit1 to distant places in the night to attend witch meetings1 at which the devil always presides4 ,she was supposed to be attended by an old gray cat1 as her confederate1 or imp2 the cat and her mistress1 it was believed1 were often overheard plotting their fairy tricks together4 ,she was supposed to possess the power of transforming herself into a cat1 a squirrel1 or other animal1 which she would send abroad to execute her commands4 ,these animals could not be killed but by a silver bullet1 and should the animal receive a wound the witch would have a wound in the same place4 ,it was imagined that the witch1 by the aid of ,satan1 had power to inflict death1 and various diseases and evils1 on families and individuals1 and also on cattle1 by way of revenge for any offence1 and could even raise storms and tempests1 and sink ships at sea4 ,numerous legendary tales were formerly propagated of haunted houses1 where witches assembled and held their nightly orgies and diabolical revels4 ,these haunts were always objects of great terror to the credulous vulgar1 being considered as a pandemonium of all manner of evils1 miseries1 and calamities4 ,the idea was prevalent1 also1 that witches could bridle men in the night1 and ride them about at pleasure4 ,the woman who should exhibit the characteristics above described1 was at once stigmatized as being in league with the devil1 and was treated not only with ridicule and contempt1 but subjected to unmerciful persecution4 ,ranked among demons1 instruments of the devil1 they were objects of no pity1 but were viewed with scorn and horror4 ,instances were not wanting of these wretched mortals1 although entirely innocent1 becoming so hateful and terrible to all1 and befriended by none1 that at length they abhorred themselves1 and were reconciled to be burnt or hung1 that they might escape the rage of cruel persecution4 ,the methods put in practice for the discovery of witches were various and singular4 ,one was1 to weigh the suspected woman against the church bible1 which1 if she was guilty1 would preponderate4 ,another was to require her to repeat the ,lord's prayer2 in attempting this1 a witch will always hesitate and blunder4 ,if a witch should weep1 she could not shed more than three tears1 and that out of the left eye4 ,this deficiency of tears was considered as a very substantial proof of guilt4 ,excrescences on the body1 from which the imps receive their nourishment1 were deemed infallible signs of a witch4 ,she was bound crosswise1 the right thumb tied to the left toe1 and the left thumb to the right toe2 in this condition she was cast into the water1 if guilty she could not sink1 for having in her compact with the devil renounced the water of baptism1 the water in return refuses to receive her4 ,if she was found able to swim in that condition1 she was taken out and burnt or hung2 but it is probable the bystanders were allowed to save them from drowning or few could escape4 ,the trial by the stool was resorted to as another expedient2 the suspected woman was placed in the middle of the room on a stool cross-legged2 if she refused1 she was bound with cords1 and in this uneasy posture she was kept without meat or sleep1 for twentyfour hours1 during which it was supposed that her imps would return to her for nourishment4 ,a small hole was left in the door for the imps to enter1 and persons were directed to be constantly sweeping the floor1 and to keep a strict watch for spiders1 flies1 or other insects1 and if they could not kill them1 they certainly were the witch's imps4 ,suspected witches were sometimes put to cruel torture to force confession1 and were afterwards executed4 ,from such kinds of proof1 together with the most absurd and foolish evidence of old women and children1 thousands of innocent persons were condemned for witchcraft1 and burnt at the stake4 ,bishop ,jewel1 in a sermon preached before ,queen ,elizabeth1 in #aeeh1 tells her1 ',it may please your ,grace to understand that witches and sorcerers1 within these last four years1 are marvellously increased within your ,grace's realm4 ,your subjects pine away even unto death2 their color fadeth1 their speech is benumbed1 their senses are bereft2 ,i pray ,god they never practise farther than upon the subject4' ,john ,bell1 minister of the gospel at ,glaidsmuir1 says1 ',providentially two tests appeared to discover the crime4 ,if the witch cries out1 ,lord have mercy upon me6 when apprehended1 and the inability of shedding tears2 because1 as a witch could only shed three tears1 and those with her left eye1 her stock was quickly exhausted2 and that was the more striking1 as ,king ,james ,i4 shrewdly observes1 since other women in general are like the crocodile1 ready to weep upon every slight occasion4' ,king ,james the ,first1 indulged a ferocious antipathy against sorcery and witchcraft1 and in the first year of his reign1 a new statute was passed1 embracing every possible mode and form in which imagination could paint the mystical crime4 ,james fully considered his own personal safety greatly endangered1 as attempts had been made to poison him by some who practised the magic art4 ,he composed a book on demonology1 in which he advised the water ordeal1 by swimming1 and when a work was published in opposition to his opinion and desire1 he ordered it to be burnt by the common executioner4 ,that illustrious ,english lawyer1 ,sir ,william ,blackstone1 having1 in his commentaries on the laws of ,england1 stated the evidence on both sides of the question1 concerning the reality of witchcraft1 says1 ',it seems to be the most eligible way to conclude that1 in general1 there has been such a thing as witchcraft1 though one cannot give credit to any particular modern instance of it4' ,according to our conceptions of human actions1 they are in general prompted and governed by reason1 and perhaps most frequently the dominant motives are those which pertain to our own individual interest4 ,now it may be inquired in what imaginable circumstances the interest of human beings can be linked with the affairs of ,satan1 or their welfare promoted by his influence8 ,no one will pretend1 that there can be honor attached to a seat in his privy council1 for it is well known that a witch is considered one of the most odious and despicable wretches in existence4 ,nor will it be contended that pecuniary advantages are derivable from that source2 wizards and witches are always poor1 miserable1 forlorn beings4 ,they are supposed to give themselves up to serve under the banners of a cruel1 tyrannical master1 the implacable enemy and tempter of mankind1 whose very name excites horror and detestation in every virtuous mind4 ,it must1 however1 be confessed that a strong bias to scepticism relative to things we cannot understand1 is no less a mark of weakness of intellect1 than indiscriminate credulity4 ,but ,i am aware1 that the real existence of the fraternity has received the credence of some of the wisest and best of men4 ,divine providence has permitted the delusion respecting this great scourge to prevail in the minds of some1 as he did the sin of idolatry among his chosen people while in their pilgrimage to the land of promise4 ,numerous instances of imposition and counterfeit have been detected in times of alarm from supposed witchcraft4 ,there are in all countries those who cannot exist but in times of confusion and civil commotion4 ,they delight to be noticed as objects of great wonder and curiosity1 and when they cannot be distinguished for virtuous actions1 resort to deeds of the most infernal character1 according to their own interest1 passion1 or capricious humor4 ,they learn to counterfeit various kinds of fits2 bark and snarl like a dog1 goggle their eyes1 foam at the mouth1 distort their bodies1 and disjoint their limbs4 ,such impostors have their confederates or partners who join with them1 and share in the profit1 or in the humor4 ,dr ,francis ,hutchinson1 published a chronological detail of trials and executions for supposed witchcraft1 sorcerers1 and conjurors1 in various countries in ,europe4 ,from this it will be seen1 he observes1 that1 in all ages of the world1 superstitious credulity has produced greater cruelties than are practised among ,hottentots1 or other nations whose belief in a ,deity is called in question4 ,the number of witches and their supposed dealings with ,satan1 he observes1 will increase or decrease according as such doings are accounted probable1 or impossible4 ,under the former supposition1 charges and convictions will be found augmented in a terrific degree4 ,when the accusations are disbelieved and dismissed as not worthy of attention1 the crime becomes unfrequent1 ceases to occupy the public mind1 and affords little trouble to the judges4 ,that where the times have not been so violent and superstitious but that sensible men might venture to speak freely1 and the accused could have a fair trial1 they have usually discovered cheat and imposture4 ,fifteen famous detections of fraud were made1 many of them after judges and juries1 and a multitude of eye witnesses had been deceived4 ,had the rest undergone as strict inquiry1 most of them would probably have proved innocent4 ,in the year #adbg1 the famous heroine ,joan of ,arc1 after her glorious military exploit at the siege of ,orleans1 being taken prisoner by the ,earl of ,bedford1 was cruelly burnt as a witch4 ,in #adhh1 a violent tempest of thunder and lightning in ,spain1 having destroyed the corn for some leagues around1 the people accused two old women of being the cause4 ,they confessed and were burnt4 ,other instances1 no less preposterous1 are recorded about that period4 ,in #aeae1 five hundred persons were executed at ,geneva1 in three months1 as witches and wizards1 and at another place1 fortyeight were burnt in five years4 ,eighteen were condemned in ,england in #aeif2 an account of their trials was published1 with the names and colors of the spirits4 ,a perusal of that fantastic production must have excited wonder and amazement in any age4 ,in ,france1 in #aeid1 the crime of witchcraft had become so common1 that the jails were not sufficient to contain the prisoners1 nor had they judges enough to try them4 ,in #aeie1 a woman was hanged in ,england1 for sending an evil spirit into ,thomas ,darling2 and ,e4 ,hartley was executed for bewitching seven persons4 ,in the trial1 spectral evidence was made use of against him1 and the experiment of saying the ,lord's prayer1 which it was believed a witch is unable to repeat4 ,but that which touched his life1 was a deposition that he had made the magic circle for conjuration4 ,in #afab1 twelve women were executed at ,lancaster4 ,mary ,smith believed herself to be a witch1 and died very pious4 ,a learned and eminent clergyman in ,france1 named ,grandier1 was1 in #afcd1 put to cruel torment on suspicion of an evil spirit1 and was adjured to clear himself by shedding tears if innocent4 ,he was tortured till he swooned on the rack1 and then inhumanly burnt4 ,from #afcd to #affa1 history records accounts of several hundreds executed in ,england1 of both sexes1 husband and wife1 mother and daughter together1 some confessing1 others declaring themselves innocent4 ,in ,germany1 whole counties were depopulated1 that no witch might escape4 ,but it was in ,scotland that ,satan was set at liberty to execute his vengeance4 ,there the floodgates of malice1 revenge1 and bloodshed1 were thrown open1 and multitudes were swept away by the dreadful torrent4 ,no less1 it is said in history1 than #djjj victims were cruelly sacrificed within a short period1 for the dubious crime which never has and never can be proved4 ,in #affd1 two women were tried before the celebrated ,lord ,chief ,justice ,sir ,matthew ,hale1 and were convicted4 ,the evidence against the accused was so trivial1 that his ,lordship was greatly embarrassed on the occasion1 and his scruples were such1 that he declined the duty of summing up the evidence4 ,being willing1 however1 that the law should have its course1 he pronounced sentence1 and they were executed4 ,the evidence against them was1 partly spells and partly spectral1 and one evidence was that a cart run against the cottage of one of the women1 by which she was offended1 and shortly after the same cart stuck fast in a gate where its wheels touched neither of the posts1 and yet was moved easily forward on one of the posts being cut down4 ,a girl1 supposed to be bewitched1 went into a fit on being touched by one of the accused4 ,but much weight was given to the evidence of ,sir ,thomas ,browne1 'that the fits were natural1 but heightened by the power of the devil1 cooperating with the malice of witches4' 7,sir ,walter ,scott1 page #bbe47 ,about this period1 seventy persons were condemned in ,sweden1 and most of them executed4 ,fifteen children were also executed1 thirtysix ran the gauntlet1 and twenty were whipped for the same reputed crime4 ,in #afgh1 six were executed in ,scotland for bewitching ,sir ,george ,maxwell4 ,the principal evidence in these cases was a deaf and dumb girl1 who made signs that there was a picture of wax in one of their houses as an instrument of enchantment1 but it was proved afterwards that it was placed there by herself1 and she was whipped through the streets of the city and banished4 ,in #afhb1 three women were hung at ,exeter1 confessing themselves witches1 but died with pious prayers in their mouths4 ,these were the last executed in ,england for the crime of witchcraft4 ,some of the accused persons were in their indictments charged with keeping imps1 one was said to be like a pole-cat4 ,on one trial several witnesses deposed that the grandmother and aunt of the prisoner were hanged for witches1 and that her grandmother had said that she had eight or nine imps1 and that she had given two or three to each of her children4 ,in #afig1 about twentyeight were accused in ,scotland1 by a girl eleven years old4 ,two boys and a girl1 and two other persons1 saved themselves by confessing1 and upon their testimony seven were executed1 all denying their guilt4 ,a notorious witch-finder1 says ,dr ,increase ,mather1 undertook by a pin to make an infallible discovery of suspected persons4 ,if1 when the pin was pushed an inch or two into the flesh1 no blood appeared1 nor any sense of pain1 then he declared them to be witches4 ,no less than three hundred persons1 says that respectable author1 were thus condemned in that kingdom4 ,this miscreant was ,matthew ,hopkins1 who styled himself witch-finder general1 and travelled from town to town with a train of assistants1 for the professed purpose of detecting witches1 charging twenty shillings for each town4 ,he affected to have uncommon skill in his profession1 but treated his subjects with great cruelty1 keeping them from sleep1 wearying them to distress by constant walking to force confession4 ,he also adopted the mode of swimming them while cross-bound4 ,but the cruel wretch finally met his just deserts2 he was treated as he had treated hundreds of others1 being thrown into the water cross-bound2 but1 although able to swim as a witch1 he was suffered to escape from the country4 ,it is greatly to be lamented1 that a considerable number of ,calvinistic divines should take zealous concern in the prosecution of reputed witches4 ,among those pious divines1 we find the venerable names of ,baxter and ,calamy1 in ,england1 and the two ,mathers in ,america4 ,that they were conscientious1 and influenced by the purest motives1 no one will doubt2 but that they were imbued with a large share of the credulity of the times1 will appear most evident4 ,the following are ,mr ,baxter's own words as quoted by ,sir ,walter ,scott4 ',the hanging of a great number of witches in #afde and #afdf1 is famously known4 ,mr ,calamy went along with the judges on the circuit1 to hear their confessions1 and see there was no fraud or wrong done them4 ,i spoke with many understanding1 pious1 learned1 and credible persons1 that lived in the counties1 and some that went to them in the prisons1 and heard their sad confessions4 ,among the rest an old reading parson1 named ,lewis1 was one that was hanged1 who confessed that he had two imps1 and that one of them was always putting him upon doing mischief2 and he being near the sea1 as he saw a ship under sail1 it moved him to send it to sink the ship2 and he consented1 and saw the ship sink before them4' ,the ,rev4 ,mr ,lewis was condemned on his own simple confession1 that he sent his imp to sink a ship1 but it was not known that any ship was lost1 and it was supposed that the man was deranged in his intellect4 ,mr ,baxter relates another story of a mother1 who gave her child an imp like a mole1 and told her to keep it in a can near the fire1 and she would never be in want4 ,the ,catholic priests were remarkable for their zealous pretensions to peculiar powers in dispossessing demons1 by fasting and prayer1 and they were detected in numerous frauds4 ,it was probably from their reports that the story originated which ,dr ,mather cites in his cases of conscience1 that at the time when ,martin ,luther died1 all the possessed people in the ,netherlands became quiet and at ease4 ,the devils in them said the reason was1 that ,luther had been a great friend of theirs1 and they owed him so much respect as to go as far as ,germany to attend his funeral1 and on the mention of some ministers of the reformed religion1 the devils in the possessed laughed and said1 that they and the ,calvinists were very good friends4 ,there were among the ,protestants some clergymen base enough to become rivals with papists in their pretended exorcisms4 ,the following is an instance of unprecedented turpitude4 ,in #afhi1 ,richard ,dugdale1 of ,lancaster1 was reported by a clergyman as having been dispossessed of devils1 by fasting and prayer4 ,he had for several months exhibited1 at intervals1 apparent sufferings1 both surprising and unaccountable4 ,he would counterfeit the demoniac1 epileptic1 and a train of nervous fits1 and unnatural afflictions1 which were attributed to demons4 ,his singular condition excited the curiosity and wonder which he and his vile minister desired1 and his supposed sufferings called forth the sympathy1 and his indigent circumstances the charity of his numerous deluded visitors4 ,by these means he was encouraged to persevere in his deception1 living at ease on the delusion which he and his minister had artfully created about a year4 ,when at length complaint was made to the ,bishop of ,london1 who brought ,dugdale to confess that he had acted the part of an impostor1 and that he had1 from time to time1 received private lessons of instruction from the clergyman1 to carry on the imposition1 that he might have the credit of dispossessing the devil1 by his fastings and prayers4 ,in the trials for witchcraft1 says ,dr ,hutchinson1 an unpardonable partiality was manifested1 owing to the vulgar prejudices among the people4 ,the ,english statute against witchcraft and sorcery interdicts all acts of sorcery whatever1 and all charms for employing spirits2 yet1 for discovering a reputed witch1 the accusers were allowed to use charms which must have their force1 if any at all1 from the same diabolical power4 ,this is unprecedented partiality1 and directly contrary to the statute4 ,whether such compacts are real or imaginary1 they ought to be punished equally on both sides4 ,the number of witches1 and the supposed dealings of spirits1 have been found to increase and decrease according to the laws and principles subsisting at the time and place4 ,since philosophy and learning have prevailed1 we have had but little trouble about witches and sorcerers1 except that created by the superstitious imagination of men4 ,we may have as many devils in our day as they had in other ages1 for we have as many murders1 robberies1 false accusations1 and lies1 and other crimes which are the devil's works4 ,some are of opinion that the devil cannot really control the laws of nature1 while others aver1 that the laws of nature are a mere jest with him4 ,it has been denied that he possesses power to transform a man or woman into a cat1 but ,dr ,henry ,more believed he could1 and describes the manner in which he transforms them4 ,it is difficult to conceive how ,dr ,more acquired such knowledge2 but we shall never believe that ,satan is the ruler of our world4 ,we have no reason to imagine that ,god has endowed him with miraculous powers2 he cannot1 therefore1 impart such powers to others2 consequently1 there can be no such creature as a witch4 ,all illusive fancies of witchcraft may be clearly explained on the principles of mental philosophy and sound and enlightened reason4 ,the confessions of witches have so often been extorted1 so often the effects of distraction1 and so often been found contrary to plain truth and sober reason1 that no dependence should be placed on them4 ,dr ,hutchinson asserts1 that it may be plainly proved1 from scripture and reason1 that there never was a witch1 such as we mean1 who can send devils1 diseases1 and destruction1 among the people4 ,the spectral evidence made use of in courts1 is far from being legal proof1 it is of no sort of weight1 nor should it be regarded as anything more than dreams4 ,the confessions of ignorant old women1 ought to have been entirely rejected2 some were extorted1 many were impossible1 and all ridiculous and incredible4 ,the ,rev4 ,dr ,holmes1 in his ,american ,annals1 observes1 that our fathers1 before the world was enlightened by learning and philosophy1 loved to astonish themselves with the apprehensions of witches and prodigies1 charms and enchantment4 ,there was not a village in ,england1 he observes1 that had not a ghost in it2 the church-yards were all haunted1 every large common had a circle of fairies belonging to it1 and there was scarce a shepherd to be met with who had not seen a spirit4 ,the dreadful contagion was at length permitted to afflict the puritans of ,new ,england1 and our revered ancestors were involved in a series of tragical events1 and overwhelmed with the most appalling apprehensions4 ,a retrospect to that sorrowful period creates painful impressions2 but however revolting the transactions in those days of melancholy delusion1 we are not without the consoling hope1 that our pious fathers were guided by a conscientious spirit in their proceedings and condemnations4 ,the people of ,new ,england were naturally of a grave and serious cast1 and remarkably prone to the most rigid and sacred construction on all the events of ,providence1 and too often their sentiments were biassed by enthusiasm and superstition4 ,the books containing narratives of trials of witches and sorcerers in ,england1 had been received here1 and could not fail of making a deep impression on the public mind4 ,hence it is not strange that there should be a close coincidence between the ,english witches and those reputed such in ,new ,england1 and that they should suffer a similar fate4 ,so violent was the popular prejudice against every appearance of witchcraft1 that it was deemed meritorious to denounce all that gave the least reason for suspicion4 ,every child and gossip were prepared to recognise a witch1 and no one could be certain of personal safety4 ,as the infatuation increased1 many of the most reputable females1 and several males also1 were apprehended and committed to prison4 ,there is good reason to believe1 that1 in some instances1 the vicious and abandoned1 availed themselves of opportunities of gratifying their corrupt passions of envy1 malice1 and revenge4 ,the ,english judge1 ,sir ,matthew ,hale1 so eminently distinguished for his knowledge in the law1 and his exemplary piety1 was most highly estimated here1 and knowing that he had condemned some persons in ,england1 his opinion had great influence with both judges and juries4 ,in a publication in #agfg1 by the ,rev4 ,john ,hale1 of ,beverly1 it appears that the first person who suffered in ,new ,england for witchcraft was a woman in ,charlestown2 and in the collection of the ,massachusetts ,historical ,society1 7,vol4 ,v4 second series7 it is recorded1 that 'in ,june #afdh1 one ,margaret ,jones of ,charlestown1 was executed for a witch4 ,she was proved to have such a malignant touch1 that whomsoever she touched with any affection of displeasure1 were taken presently after with deafness1 vomiting1 or other violent sickness4 ,soon after she was executed1 a ship riding over against ,charlestown1 of three hundred tons1 having in her hold an hundred and twenty tons of ballast1 and eighty horses aboard her for the ,barbadoes1 was on a sudden observed to roll as if she would have turned over4 ,the husband of that witch lately executed had desired passage in that ship to ,barbadoes1 which not obtaining1 that accident was observed to follow4 ,notice being given of this to the magistrates1 then sitting in court at ,boston1 a warrant was sent to apprehend him1 and as the officer was passing therewith over the ferry1 one asked if he could not tame the vessel1 seeing he could sometimes tame men2 he answered1 ,i have that here1 which1 it may be1 will tame her and make her quiet1 showing his warrant1 and at the same instant1 the ship began to stop her motion1 and swim upright1 which had continued rolling1 after a strange manner about twelve hours1 and after ,jones was in prison she never moved in that kind any more4' ,another1 executed not long after1 was a ,dorchester woman2 she also positively denied being guilty4 ,the next was a woman of ,cambridge1 against whom a principal evidence was a nurse1 who testified that the accused did bewitch a child to death2 for the woman made much of the child1 being perfectly well1 but quickly changed its color1 and it died in a few hours after4 ,the woman denied her guilt to the last moment4 ,in #afee1 ,mrs ,hibbens1 widow of an assistant1 or counsellor1 was executed at ,boston4 ,this gave great dissatisfaction to several principal persons1 and it was believed that her death saved the lives of many other inferior persons4 ,about the same time1 two or three at ,springfield1 and one at ,hartford1 were executed1 two of whom confessed themselves guilty4 ,the next that suffered was in #affb1 a woman named ,greensmith1 and her husband with her2 who confessed1 but he denied guilt4 ,two other were put to the water ordeal1 but being found to float on the water like cork1 were permitted to fly from ,new ,england4 ,this ridiculous experiment appears to have been soon after abandoned4 ,in #affc1 ,mary ,johnson was tried and hanged4 ,she said the devil appeared to her1 and cleaned her hearth of ashes1 and hunted the hogs out of the corn4 ,in #afhh1 a female named ,glover1 an ,irish papist1 was hung for bewitching four children of one ,john ,goodwin1 of ,boston4 ,this affair was attended by such extraordinary circumstances as to arrest a general interest and sympathy4 ,goodwin was a man of unexceptionable moral character1 and his children were religiously educated1 and discovered mild and amiable tempers4 ',these children1' says the celebrated ,dr ,cotton ,mather1 'were arrested by a stupendous witchcraft4 ,the eldest1 a daughter thirteen years old1 was first seized with odd fits1 in appearance diabolical2 it was not long before one of her sisters1 and two brothers1 were similarly affected4' ,they were at times deaf1 dumb1 and blind4 ,their tongues would be drawn down their throats1 and then pulled out upon their chins4 ,their mouths were thrown open with great violence1 and then the jaws clapped together again with a force like that of a spring lock1 and all their limbs and joints were strangely distorted4 ,they made piteous outcries that they were cut with knives1 and struck with blows4 ,the ministers of ,boston and ,charlestown1 had recourse to fasting and prayer1 and during the devotions1 the children it is said were deprived of hearing2 but the youngest child was entirely relieved4 ,the poor ignorant woman1 above mentioned1 was suspected of employing demons to afflict these children2 she was arrested1 and committed to jail in chains4 ,on her trial she rather bragged than denied her guilt1 but she would converse only in ,irish1 though she understood the ,english language very well4 ,her house being searched1 several images and puppets1 or babies made of rags and stuffed with goat's hair1 were found1 and she confessed that her way to torment the objects of her malice1 was by wetting her finger with spittle and stroking those little images4 ,the afflicted children were present in court1 and the woman appeared to be greatly agitated4 ,one of the images being presented to her1 she oddly and quickly snatched it into her hand1 and instantly one of the children fell into a fit4 ,the judges ordered a repetition of the experiment1 with the same result4 ,being asked if she had any one to stand by her as a friend1 she replied that she had1 and looking round in the air1 she added1 no1 he is gone4 ,the night after1 she was heard expostulating with the devil for his deserting her1 telling him that because he had served her so basely and falsely1 she had confessed all4 ,the court appointed several physicians to examine whether she was in any degree crazed in her intellect2 but they pronounced her sane1 and the court passed sentence of death upon her1 and she was executed4 ,after the condemnation of the woman1 ,dr ,mather made her many visits2 she declined answering his questions1 or attending to his prayers1 pretending that her spirits would not consent to it4 ,at her execution she said the afflicted children should not be relieved by her death1 as others were concerned in it2 accordingly the three children continued to be tormented4 ,they frequently discerned spectres around them1 and when a blow was aimed at the place where they saw the spectre1 the boy always felt the blow in the part of his body answering to that stricken at1 and it was very credibly affirmed that a dangerous woman or two in the town1 received blows thus given to their spectres4 ,at length1 the children would bark at each other like dogs1 and pur like so many cats4 ,they would complain that they were in a hot oven1 or roasting on an invisible spit1 and that knives were cutting them4 ,they would complain of blows from a great cudgel1 and though we could see no cudgels1 we could see the marks of the blows in red streaks upon their skin4 ,they would complain that their heads were nailed to the floor1 and it required more than ordinary strength to pull them from thence4 ,they would be so limber sometimes1 that it was judged every bone might be bent1 and anon so stiff1 that a joint could not be moved4 ,sometimes they would fly like geese1 with incredible swiftness1 through the air1 their arms waving1 like the wings of birds1 and the feet scarcely touching the ground once in twenty feet4 ,the sight of the ,bible1 and all religious discourse1 would throw them into distressing fits4 ,dr ,mather took the eldest of these children into his own family1 that he might have opportunity to observe the doings of ,satan more critically2 but unhappily his own imagination was so continually haunted by ideas of wicked demons and witches1 that he was unconscious of the imposition he was suffering4 ,when he prayed1 her hands with a strong force would be clapped upon her ears1 and if pulled away by force she would cry out4 ,she complained that she had ,glover's chain round her leg1 and would imitate her in her gait4 ,an invisible chain would be clapped about her1 and she would1 in much pain and fear1 cry out when they put it on4 ,sometimes we could with our hands knock it off as it began to be fastened4 ,but when it was on she would be pulled out of her seat1 with such violence that it was difficult to keep her out of the fire4 ,i may add1 says the learned1 but credulous doctor1 that the demons put an unseen rope with a cruel noose about her neck1 by which she was choked till she was black in the face1 and though it was got off before it killed her1 yet there were the red marks of it1 and of a finger and thumb1 remaining for some time4 ,she once said1 if she could steal or get drunk1 she would be well4 ,at one time an invisible horse was brought to her1 and she would put herself in the posture of a riding woman4 ,she would in her chair throw herself into a riding posture1 sometimes ambling1 sometimes trotting1 and sometimes galloping very furiously1 and attempting to ride up stairs4 ,dr ,mather observes1 that the girl having learned that he was about to prepare a sermon on the occasion of the witchcraft1 became very turbulent and insolent1 constantly endeavoring to interrupt his studying the sermon4 ,in prayer time1 the demons would throw her on the floor1 where she would whistle and sing to drown the voice1 and attempt to kick and strike the speaker4 ,but to conclude this tedious story4 ,at ,christmas1 says the doctor1 this girl and her sister in another house1 were by the demons made very drunk1 though the people in the house were well satisfied that it was without strong drink4 ,they imitated1 with wonderful exactness1 the actions of one drunk in speaking1 and reeling1 and vomiting1 and anon sleeping1 till they recovered4 ,these children were all restored to their natural health1 and lived to adult age4 ,governor ,hutchinson1 in his ,history of ,massachusetts1 says he was acquainted with the eldest daughter2 she sustained an unblemished character2 but he believes she never made any confession of fraud or imposition in this transaction4 ,hutchinson was truly an excellent historical writer1 whatever may have been his political principles and conduct as chief magistrate4 ,from the history and from the collections of the ,historical ,society1 ,i copy the following narrative1 with the view of evincing to what extent artful children may impose on credulous persons4 ,in the year #agbj1 there was at ,littleton1 in the county of ,middlesex1 a family who were supposed to be bewitched4 ,one ,j4 ,b4 had three daughters1 eleven1 nine1 and five years old4 ,the eldest was a forward and capable girl1 and having read and heard many strange stories1 would surprise the company by her manner of relating them4 ,pleased with the applause1 she went from some she had heard to some of her own framing1 and so on to dreams and visions1 and attained the art of swooning1 and of being1 to all appearance1 breathless4 ,upon her revival she would relate strange things she had met with in this and other worlds4 ,when she met with the word ,god1 and other solemn words in the ,bible1 she would drop down as if dead4 ,strange and unaccountable noises were often heard in1 and upon the house1 stones came down the chimney and did considerable mischief4 ,she complained of the spectre of ,mrs ,d--y1 a woman in the town1 and once she desired her mother to strike at a place where she said there was a yellow bird1 and she said to her mother1 you have hit the side of its head1 and it appeared that ,mrs ,d--y's head was hurt about the same time4 ,another time the mother struck at the place where the spectre was1 and the girl said1 you have struck her on the bowels1 and on inquiry it was found1 that ,mrs ,d--y complained of a hurt on her bowels about the same time4 ,it was common to find her in ponds of water1 crying out she should be drowned2 sometimes upon the top of the house1 and again upon the tops of trees1 pretending she had flown there1 and some fancied they had seen her in the air4 ,there were often the marks of blows and pinches upon her1 which were supposed to come from an invisible hand4 ,the second daughter1 after her sister had practised the art for some months1 and had succeeded so well1 imitated her in complaints of ,mrs ,d--y1 and outdid her in feats of climbing the barn and trees1 ascending where she could not descend without assistance with a ladder4 ,what was most surprising1 the youngest1 of five years old only1 attempted the same feats and in some instances went beyond her sisters4 ,the neighbors agreed they were under an evil hand1 and it was pronounced witchcraft1 as certain as there ever had been at ,salem4 ,physicians had been at first employed1 but to no purpose1 and afterwards ministers and elders were called to pray over them1 but without success4 ,the children had numerous visitors1 and the more they were pitied1 the more loud and constant were their moans and distractions2 few spectators suspected that they were acting the part of perverse and wicked impostors4 ,the afflicted parents treated them with all possible care and tenderness1 believing that they were objects of pity and compassion4 ,at length ,mrs ,d--y1 not long after the supposed blows from the mother1 sickened and died1 and the two oldest girls ceased complaining2 the youngest held out longer1 but all persisted in it that there had been no fraud4 ,but their consciences1 that inward monitor1 finally severely lashed and tortured them4 ,the eldest1 for some years1 wore a gloominess upon her mind1 and when questioned by her parents and others on the subject1 she would artfully turn the discourse4 ,not having been baptised1 she applied to a minister for baptism1 who examined her closely relative to the affair1 telling her she was suspected of falsehood and fraud2 but this she denied and asserted her innocence4 ,in #agbh1 having removed to ,medford1 she applied to ,rev4 ,mr ,turell1 to be admitted into his church4 ,she gave him a very good account of the state of her soul1 and discoursed sensibly and religiously respecting her past temper and conversation in life4 ,mr ,turell knew nothing of her having been an actor in the fraud above detailed1 and propounded her for full communion4 ,the next ,sabbath1 without any reference to her1 he happened to preach from this text1 ',he that telleth lies shall not escape4' ,the day before she was to be admitted into the church she visited ,mr ,turell in great distress and anguish of mind1 inquiring of him what dreadful things he had heard about her1 that made him preach so awfully against the practice of lying and liars4 ,mr ,turell being much surprised1 replied that no one had made any complaint against her and that he had no particular reference to her4 ,with great grief she frankly confessed that she had been a great sinner1 but was now awakened and convinced by the word preached1 and that she was resolved no longer to conceal the truth1 but confess it before ,god and man4 ,she then proceeded to acknowledge herself guilty of the wicked deception which she had practised1 bewailing and weeping bitterly for her egregious folly and wicked conduct4 ,she then desired ,mr ,turell to draw up a suitable confession to be read before the congregation1 and she would publicly own and acknowledge the same2 which was accordingly done1 and she was admitted to full communion1 and ever after conducted in a manner becoming the ,christian profession4 ,she acknowledged to ,mr ,turell as follows3 that the motives which excited her and her sisters to act the part of impostors1 were from folly and pride4 ,finding that she pleased others or caused admiration1 she was over pleased with1 and admired herself1 grew conceited and high minded4 ,she thought to be able to deceive her parents and neighbors1 was a fine accomplishment4 ,she never dreamed of witchcraft in her case4 ,the wounds1 pinches1 and bruises on their bodies1 were from their own hands1 and the noises and stones falling down the chimney1 were the effects of their contrivance4 ,she was often sorry she ever began the deception1 but could not humble herself to desist1 and was obliged to tell one lie to hide another4 ,her two sisters1 she said1 seeing her pitied had become actors also1 with her1 without being moved to it by her2 but when she saw them follow her1 they all joined in the secret and acted in concert1 and thus during eight months their parents were kept in constant painful anxiety1 and they were considered as objects of pity and compassion4 ,they had no particular spite against ,mrs ,d--y1 but it was necessary to accuse some person1 and the eldest having pitched upon her1 the others followed4 ,the woman's complaints about the same time the girl pretended she was struck1 proceeded from other causes which were not then properly inquired into4 ,once1 at least1 they were in great danger of being detected in their tricks2 but the grounds of suspicion were overlooked through the indulgence and credulity of their parents4 ,,salem ,,witchcraft4 ,i shall now detail an impartial history of the memorable trials and executions for supposed witchcraft at ,salem1 in #afib4 ,a controversy respecting the settlement of a minister had subsisted in ,salem for some time prior to this melancholy catastrophe4 ,they had also recently been deprived by death of several of their most distinguished and influential characters1 who had been considered as the fathers and governors of the town for half a century4 ,unfortunately1 two or three ministers in the town1 and several in the vicinity1 were1 with a large proportion of the inhabitants1 bigoted and superstitious believers in the doctrine of witchcraft1 and they aggravated the general prejudice and fanaticism4 ,from preconceived opinions and strong prejudices1 it was scarcely possible that the trials should be impartially conducted4 ,it seemed not to be recollected1 that in the trials of witches no other evidence should be received than in the trials of murderers and other criminals2 and that no convictions should be made1 but through the most substantial human testimony1 rejecting all diabolical or witch evidence1 which can1 on no principle1 be deemed legal in any case4 ,in the language of the late ,dr ,bentley1 in his ,history of ,salem1 ',the spark fell upon inflammable matter1 and behold1 how great a matter a little fire kindleth4' ,but it would be unjust not to make due allowance for the times in which they lived1 and the melancholy delusions which prevailed from the war of prejudice1 and the slavish effects of the most imbecile apprehensions4 ,these errors1 like those of a thousand years ago1 are equally opposed to the progress of knowledge1 and to a pious confidence in the wisdom and goodness of an ,almighty ,providence4 ,the authorities from which the following history is derived1 are1 ,hutchinson's ,history of ,massachusetts1 ,dr ,cotton ,mather's ,magnalia1 ,wonders of the ,invisible ,world1 by the same author1 ,historical ,collections1 and ,more ,wonders of the ,invisible ,world1 by ,r4 ,calef1 of ,boston1 published in #agjj4 ,in a letter of ,thomas ,brattle1 ,f4 ,r4 ,s41 dated ,october #h1 #afib1 published in the ,collections of the ,massachusetts ,historical ,society1 we have the following account4 ',as to the method which the ,salem justices do take in their examinations1 it is truly this2 a warrant being issued out to apprehend the persons that are charged and complained of by the afflicted children as they are called1 said persons are brought before the justices1 the afflicted being present4 ,the justices ask the apprehended why they afflict those poor children1 to which the apprehended answer1 they do not afflict them4 ,the justices order the apprehended to look upon the said children1 which1 accordingly1 they do2 and at the time of that look 7,i dare not say by that look1 as the ,salem gentlemen do7 the afflicted are cast into a fit4 ,the apprehended are then blinded and ordered to touch the afflicted2 and at that touch1 though not by that touch 7as above7 the afflicted do ordinarily come out of their fits4 ,the afflicted persons then declare and affirm1 that the apprehended have afflicted them2 upon which the apprehended persons1 though of never so good repute1 are forthwith committed to prison on suspicion for witchcraft4'--',such was the excess of their stupidity1 that to the most dubious crime in the world1 they joined the most uncertain proofs4'--',a person ought to have been a magician to be able to clear himself from the imputation of magic4' ,the first instance of reputed witchcraft in the town of ,salem1 took place in the family of ,mr ,parris1 minister of ,salem1 and very soon after1 one or two in the neighborhood were afflicted in a similar manner1 and a day of prayer was kept on the occasion4 ,the persons who complained of being afflicted1 were a daughter and a niece of ,mr ,parris1 girls of ten or eleven years of age2 and these were soon followed by two other girls4 ,they made similar complaints1 and exhibited antic gestures and tricks1 similar to those of ,goodwin's children1 two or three years before4 ,the physician1 unable to account for the complaint1 pronounced them bewitched4 ,they named several women whose spectres they saw in their fits1 tormenting them1 and in particular ,tituba1 an ,indian woman belonging to ,mr ,parris's family4 ,she had been trying some experiments1 which she pretended to be used in her own country1 in order to find out the witch2 upon this1 the children cried out against the poor ,indian as appearing to them1 pinching1 pricking1 and tormenting them1 and they fell into fits4 ,tituba acknowledged that she had learned how to find out a witch1 but denied that she was one herself4 ,several private fasts were kept at the minister's house1 and several more public by the whole village1 and then a general fast through the colony4 ,this probably had a tendency to bring the afflicted into notice2 which1 with the pity and compassion of those who visited them1 encouraged and confirmed them in their designs1 and increased their numbers4 ,tituba1 as she said1 being beat and threatened by her master to make her confess1 and to accuse her sister witches1 as he termed them1 did confess that the devil urged her to sign a book1 which he presented1 and also to work mischief with the children1 and she was sent to jail4 ,the children complained1 likewise1 of ,sarah ,good1 who had long been counted a melancholy or distracted woman1 and also ,sarah ,osborn1 an old bedridden woman1 both of whom being examined by two ,salem magistrates1 were committed to jail for trial4 ,about three weeks after1 two other women of good character1 and church members1 ,corey and ,nurse1 were complained of and brought to their examination1 when these children fell into fits1 and the mother of one of them joined with the children and complained of ,nurse as tormenting her1 and made most terrible shrieks1 to the amazement of all the neighborhood4 ,the old women denied everything charged against them1 but were sent to prison2 and such was the infatuation1 that a child of ,sarah ,good1 about four or five years old1 was committed also1 charged with being a witch and of biting some of the afflicted1 who showed the print of small teeth on their arms2 and all that the child looked upon1 it is said1 fell down in fits1 complaining that they were in torment4 ,elizabeth ,proctor1 being accused and brought to examination1 her husband1 as every kind husband would have done1 accompanied her to her examination2 but it cost the poor man his life4 ,some of the afflicted cried out against him1 also1 and they both were committed to prison4 ,instead1 says ,governor ,hutchinson1 of suspecting and sifting the witnesses1 and suffering them to be cross-examined1 the authorities1 to say no more1 were imprudent in making use of leading questions1 and thereby putting words into their mouths1 or suffering others to do it4 ,mr ,parris was over-officious2 most of the examinations1 although in the presence of one or more of the magistrates1 were taken by him4 ,they allowed of such as the following trivial replies to their examining questions4 ,john the ,indian4 ',she hurt me1 she choked me1 and brought the book a great many times4 ,she took hold of my throat1 to stop my breath4 ,she pinched and bit me till the blood came4 ,i saw the witches eat and drink at such a place1 and they said it was their sacrament2 they said it was our blood1 and they had it twice that day4' ,upon such kind of evidence1 persons of blameless character were committed to prison2 and1 such was the dreadful infatuation1 that the life of no person was secure4 ,the most effectual way to prevent an accusation was to become the accuser2 and accordingly the number of the afflicted increased every day1 and the number of the accused in proportion2 who1 in general perished in their innocence4 ,more than a hundred women1 many of them of fair characters and of the most reputable families1 in the towns of ,salem1 ,beverly1 ,andover1 ,billerica1 c1 were apprehended1 examined1 and generally committed to prison4 ,goodwife,a ,corey1 as she was called1 was examined before the magistrates1 in the meeting-house in the village2 the novelty of the case produced a throng of spectators4 ,mr ,noyes1 one of the ministers of ,salem1 began by prayer4 ,several children and women were present1 that pretended to be bewitched by her1 and the most of them accused her of biting1 pinching1 and strangling1 and said that they did1 in their fits1 see her likeness coming to them1 and bringing a book for them to sign4 ,she was accused by them1 that the black man1 meaning the devil1 whispered to her now while she was on her examination4 ,the unfortunate woman could only deny all that was laid to her charge1 and she was committed to jail4 ,a miserable negro slave was accused by some of the girls1 but on examination she extricated herself by her native cunning4 ,question to ,candy4 ',are you a witch8' ,answer4 ',candy no witch in her country4 ,candy's mother no witch4 ,candy no witch1 ,barbadoes4 ,this country1 mistress give ,candy witch4' ',did your mistress make you a witch in this country8' ',yes1 in this country mistress give ,candy witch4' ',what did your mistress do to make you a witch8' ',mistress bring book1 and pen1 and ink1 make ,candy write in it4' ,from this testimony1 ,mrs ,haskins1 the mistress1 had no other way to save her life but to make confession4 ,a ,goodwife1 ,goody1 and ,goodman1 were vulgar terms applied to heads of families by the lower class4 ,in ,april1 #afib1 there was a public hearing and examination before six magistrates and several ministers4 ,the afflicted complained against many with hideous clamors and screechings4 ,on their examinations1 besides the experiment of the afflicted falling down at the sight of the accused1 they were required to repeat the ,lord's ,prayer1 which it was supposed a real witch could not do4 ,when ,sir ,william ,phipps entered upon the office of ,governor1 in ,may1 #afib1 he ordered the witches to be put in chains2 upon that it was said the afflicted persons were free from their torments4 ,in ,may1 ,mrs ,carey1 of ,charlestown1 was examined and committed4 ,her husband published the following facts4 ',having for some days heard that my wife was accused of witchcraft1 and being much disturbed at it1 we went to ,salem by advice to see if the afflicted knew her4 ,the prisoners were called in before the justices1 singly1 and as they entered were cried out against by the afflicted girls4 ,the prisoners were placed about seven or eight feet from the justices1 and the accusers between the justices and the prisoners4 ,the prisoners were ordered to stand directly before the justices with an officer appointed to hold each hand lest they should therewith afflict the girls2 and the prisoners' eyes must be constantly fixed on the justices2 for if they looked on the afflicted1 they would either fall into these fits1 or cry out of being hurt by them2 after examination of the prisoners1 who it was that afflicted these girls1 c1 they put them upon saying the ,lord's ,prayer as a trial of their guilt4 ,when the afflicted seemed to be out of their fits1 they would look stedfastly on some one person1 and not speak1 and then the justices said they were struck dumb1 and after a little time they would speak again2 then the justices said to the accusers1 which of you will go and touch the prisoner at the bar8 ,then the most courageous would venture1 but before they made three steps would fall on the floor as if in a fit4 ,the justices then ordered that they should be taken up and carried to the prisoner1 that she might touch them1 and as soon as this was done the justices would say they are all well1 before ,i could discern any alteration1 but the justices seemed to understand the manner of the strange juggle4 ,two of the accusers who pretended to be bewitched1 were ,abigail ,williams1 niece of ,mr ,parris1 aged eleven or twelve years1 and ,indian ,john1 the husband of ,tituba1 who was now in jail4 ,this fellow had himself been accused of witchcraft1 but had now become an accuser for his own safety4 ,he showed several old scars which he said were the effects of witchcraft1 but more likely of the lash4 ,on inquiry who they would accuse as the cause of their sufferings1 they cried out ,carey1 and immediately a warrant was sent by the justices to bring my wife before them4 ,her chief accusers were two girls2 my wife declared to the justices that she never had any knowledge of them before that day4 ,she was obliged to stand with her arms extended4 ,i requested that ,i might hold one of her hands1 but it was denied me4 ,she then desired that ,i would wipe the tears and the sweat from her face and that she might lean herself on me as she was faint2 but justice ,hathorn said she had strength enough to torment those persons1 and she should have strength enough to stand4 ,i remonstrated against such cruel treatment1 but was commanded to be silent1 or ,i should be turned out of the room4 ,indian ,john was now called in to be one of the accusers2 he fell down and tumbled about like a brute1 but said nothing4 ,the justices asked the girls who afflicted the ,indian2 they answered she1 7meaning my wife72 the justices ordered her to touch him in order to his cure2 but her head must be turned another way1 lest instead of curing1 she should make him worse by looking on him2 her hand was guided to take hold of his1 but the ,indian seized hold of her hand1 and pulled her down on the floor1 in a violent manner2 then his hand was taken off1 and her hand put on his1 and the cure was quickly wrought4 ,my wife1 after being thus cruelly treated1 was put into prison1 and the jailor was ordered to put irons on her legs which weighed about eight pounds4 ,these chains1 with her other afflictions1 soon produced convulsion fits1 so that ,i was apprehensive she would have died that night4 ,i intreated that the irons might be removed1 but in vain4 ,i now attended the trials at ,salem1 and finding that spectre evidence1 together with idle or malicious stories1 was received against the lives of innocent people1 ,i trembled for the fate of my wife2 as the same evidence that would serve for one would serve for all4 ,in this awful situation1 ,i thought myself justifiable in devising some means of escape2 and this1 through the goodness of ,god1 was effected4 ,we were pursued as far as ,rhode ,island1 but we reached ,new ,york in safety1 where we were kindly received by ,governor ,fletcher4 ,to speak of the treatment of the prisoners and the inhumanity shown them at their executions1 is more than any sober ,christian can endure4 ,those that suffered1 being many of them church members1 and most of them of blameless conversation4--,jonathan ,carey4' ,captain ,john ,alden1 of ,boston1 mariner1 was sent for by the magistrates of ,salem1 upon the accusation of several poor1 distracted1 or possessed creatures1 or witches4 ,on his examination1 these wretches began their juggling tricks1 falling down1 crying out1 and staring in the faces of people2 the magistrates demanded of them several times who it was of all the people in the room1 that hurt them2 one of the accusers pointed several times to one ,captain ,hill1 but said nothing1 till a man standing behind her to hold her up1 stooped down to her ear1 when she immediately cried out1 ,alden1 ,alden afflicted her4 ,being asked if she had ever seen ,alden1 she answered no1 but she said the man told her so4 ,alden was then committed to custody1 and his sword taken from him1 for they said he afflicted them with his sword4 ,he was next sent for to the meeting-house1 by the magistrates1 and was ordered to stand on a chair to the open view of all the assembly4 ,the accusers cried out that ,alden pinched them when he stood on the chair2 and one of the magistrates bid the marshal hold open his hands1 that he might not pinch those creatures4 ,mr ,gidney1 one of the justices1 bid ,captain ,alden confess1 and give glory to ,god4 ,he replied1 he hoped he should always give glory to ,god1 but never would gratify the devil4 ,he asked them why they should think that he should come to that village to afflict persons that he had never seen before2 and appealed to all present and challenged any one to produce a charge against his character4 ,mr ,gidney said he had known him many years1 and had been to sea with him1 and always believed him to be an honest man2 but now he saw cause to alter his opinion4 ,alden asked ,gidney what reason could be given why his looking upon him did not strike him down as well as the miserable accusers2 but no reason could be given4 ,he assured ,gidney that a lying spirit was in his accusers1 and that there was not a word of truth in all they said of him4 ,alden1 however1 was committed to jail where he continued fifteen weeks1 when he made his escape4 ,at the examinations1 and at other times1 it was usual for the accusers to tell of the black man1 or of a spectre1 as being then on the table2 the people present would strike with swords or sticks at those places4 ,one justice broke his cane at this exercise2 and sometimes the accusers would say they struck the spectre2 and it was even reported that several of the accused women were hurt and wounded thereby1 though at home at the same time4 ,in ,june and ,july1 the court of ,oyer and ,terminer proceeded on trials and condemnations1 and six miserable creatures were executed1 protesting their innocence4 ,at the trial of ,sarah ,good1 one of the afflicted girls fell into a fit1 and after coming out of it1 she cried out against the prisoner for stabbing her in the breast while in court1 and actually produced a piece of the blade of the knife which she said was used and broken in doing it4 ,upon this1 a young man was called to prove the imposition4 ,he produced a haft and part of the blade1 which the court1 having viewed and compared1 found to be the same2 and the young man affirmed1 that yesterday he happened to break that knife1 and that he cast away the upper part in the presence of the person who now produced it4 ,the girl was cautioned by the court not to tell any more lies1 but was still employed to give evidence against the prisoners whose lives were in her hands4 ,mr ,noyes1 the minister1 urged ,sarah ,good to confess1 saying he knew she was a witch1 and she knew she was a witch2 to which she replied1 ',you are a liar4 ,i am no more a witch than you are a wizard4' ,at the trial of ,rebecca ,nurse it was remarkable that the jury brought her in not guilty2 immediately all the accusers in the court1 and soon after all the afflicted out of court1 made a hideous outcry1 to the amazement of the court and spectators4 ,the court having expressed some dissatisfaction1 the jury were induced to go out again to consider better one expression of hers when before the court4 ,they now brought her in guilty1 and she was condemned4 ,after her condemnation1 she was by ,mr ,noyes of ,salem1 excommunicated and given to the devil4 ,the governor1 however1 saw cause to grant a reprieve1 upon which1 when known1 the accusers renewed their dismal outcries against her1 insomuch that the governor was by some ,salem gentlemen prevailed with to recall the reprieve1 and she was executed with the rest4 ,the testimonials of her ,christian behaviour1 both in the course of her life1 and at her death1 are numerous and highly satisfactory4 ,mary ,easty1 her sister1 was also condemned4 ,she was of a serious and religious character1 and before her execution she presented a petition to the court and the reverend ministers at ,salem1 protesting her innocence before ,god4 ,she petitioned1 not for her own life1 for she knew she must die2 but most earnestly prayed1 that if possible1 no more innocent blood might be shed4 ,by her own innocence she said she knew the court was in the wrong way1 and humbly begged that their honors would examine the confessing witches1 being confident that many of them had belied themselves and others4 ,they had accused her and others1 she said1 of having made a league with the devil1 which she and they most positively denied4 ',the ,lord alone1 who is the searcher of all hearts1 knows that as ,i shall answer it at the tribunal seat1 that ,i know nothing of witchcraft1 therefore ,i cannot1 ,i dare not1 belie my own soul by confessing4' ,she intreats their honors not to deny the humble petition of a poor1 dying1 innocent person1 and prays that the ,lord will give a blessing to their endeavors that no more innocent blood be shed4 ,these two women were among the eight who were executed together1 when the ,rev4 ,mr ,noyes1 turning towards the bodies1 said1 what a sad thing it is to see eight firebrands of hell hanging there66 ,john ,proctor1 while confined in prison1 complained that two young men were compelled to a confession by being tied neck and heels till the blood was ready to burst out of their noses4 ,they then confessed that one had been a wizard a month1 and the other five weeks1 and that their mother had made them so when she had been confined in jail without seeing them for nine weeks4 ,he adds1 ',my son1 ,william ,proctor1 when he was examined1 because he would not confess that he was guilty1 they tied him up neck and heels till the blood gushed out of his nose4' ,at a court held in ,salem1 ,april1 #afib1 by the honorable ,thomas ,danforth1 deputy governor1 ,elizabeth ,proctor was tried for witchcraft4 ,the witnesses were ,indian ,john1 husband to ,tituba1 and three or four girls who pretended to be afflicted by the said ,proctor4 ,the questions by the court1 and the answers of the witnesses1 were exceedingly futile and whimsical2 but they exhibited their antic gestures and fits1 which they pretended were caused by the presence of the prisoner at the bar4 ,the court then put the question thus--',elizabeth ,proctor1 you understand whereof you are charged1 viz4 to be guilty of sundry acts of witchcraft3 what say you to it8' ',speak the truth as you will answer it before ,god another day4 ,what do you say1 ,goody ,proctor1 to these things8' ',i take ,god in heaven to be my witness1 that ,i know nothing of it1 no more than a child4' ,proctor1 the husband1 being present in court1 the afflicted girls cried out against him1 saying he was a wizard1 and again exhibited their tricks and fits4 ,the question was put by the court1 ',who hurts you8' ,answer4 ',goodman ,proctor1 and his wife too4' ,by the court4 ',what do you say1 ,goodman ,proctor1 to these things8' ',i know not1 ,i am entirely innocent4' ,it is no less painful than astonishing to add that by such miserable evidence1 ,proctor and his wife were both condemned and executed4 ,proctor earnestly entreated that he might be allowed a few days to prepare himself for death1 and at his execution he desired in the most affecting manner that ,mr ,noyes would pray with1 and for him2 but his request was cruelly denied him1 because he would not confess himself to be a wizard4 ,august #aith1 #afib1 five persons were executed1 all protesting their innocence in the firmest manner4 ,one of this number was ,mr ,george ,burroughs1 who had been a preacher several years before at ,salem village1 where there had been some misunderstanding between him and the people2 afterwards he became a preacher at ,wells4 ,it was alleged against ,mr ,burroughs1 that he had been seen to perform feats of strength exceeding the natural powers of man4 ,he had lifted a barrel of molasses or cider from a canoe1 and carried it to the shore4 ,he would1 with one hand1 extend a heavy musket of six or seven feet barrel1 at arm's length4 ,in addition to these charges1 it was urged by the writers of that day1 as a principal part of the evidence1 that seven or eight of the confessing witches witnessed against him4 ,but it will appear from the examinations by the court1 that their evidence was drawn from them4 ,for example4 ,question to ,mary ,lacey4 ',was there not a man among you at your meetings8' ',none but the devil4' ',your mother and grandmother say there was a minister there2 did you not see men there8' ',there was a minister there1 and ,i think he is now in prison4' ',was there not one ,mr ,burroughs there8' ',yes4'--,question to another witness4 ',were there not two ministers there8' ',i heard ,sarah ,good talk of a minister or two1 one of them is he that has been to the eastward2 his name is ,burroughs4' ,margaret ,jacobs had been brought to accuse herself of being a witch1 and then to charge ,burroughs the minister1 and her own grandfather1 but afterwards being struck with horror1 she chose to lose her own life rather than persist in her confession4 ,she begged forgiveness of ,burroughs before his execution1 who is said to have freely forgiven her2 and to have prayed with1 and for her4 ,she also recanted all she had said against her grandfather1 but all in vain as to his life4 ,some of the accusers asserted that ,burroughs often attended the witch or devil's sacrament4 ,some testified1 that1 in their torments1 ,burroughs tempted them to go to a sacrament2 and he would1 with the sound of a trumpet1 summon other witches2 who1 quickly after the sound1 would come from all quarters unto the rendezvous4 ,numerous other charges1 equally frivolous1 were brought against this unfortunate minister1 as stated by ,dr ,cotton ,mather2 among others1 his venomous bites1 leaving the prints of his teeth upon the flesh1 which would compare precisely with his set of teeth4 ,it is seldom that a man1 #hj years of age1 can boast a good set of teeth1 and some said that he had not one in his head1 and could be no other than imaginary teeth1 but these could answer their purpose4 ,burroughs had been twice married1 and it was reported of him1 perhaps truly1 that he had treated his wives unkindly4 ',several of the bewitched1' adds ,dr ,cotton ,mather1 'gave in their testimony that they had been troubled with the apparitions of two women1 who said they were ,burroughs' two wives1 and that he had been the death of them1 and that the magistrates must be told of it1 before whom1 if ,burroughs upon his trial denied it1 they did not know but they should appear against him in court4 ,burroughs being now on trial1 one of the bewitched persons was cast into horror at the ghosts of the two deceased wives1 then appearing before him1 and crying for vengeance against him4 ,but he1 though much appalled1 utterly denied that he discerned anything of it3 nor was this1' adds ,dr ,mather1 'any part of his conviction4',b ,it was testified by some of the witnesses1 that the prisoner had been at witch meetings with them2 and that he was the person who had seduced them into the snares of witchcraft2 that he promised them fine clothes for doing it2 that he brought puppets to them1 and thorns to stick into those puppets1 for the afflicting of other people2 and that he exhorted them with the rest of the crew to bewitch all ,salem village1 but be sure to do it gradually1 if they would prevail in what they did4 ,it was testified of one ,ruck1 brother-in-law to the prisoner1 that himself and sister1 with ,burroughs1 going out two or three miles to gather strawberries1 ,ruck1 with his sister1 rode home very moderately with ,burroughs on foot in company4 ,burroughs stepped aside into the bushes1 whereupon they halted and holloed for him4 ,he not answering1 they proceeded homewards with a quickened pace1 and yet1 when they were got near home1 to their astonishment they found him on foot with them1 having a basket of strawberries4 ,burroughs then fell to chiding his wife for speaking to her brother of him on the road2 which1 when they wondered at1 he said he knew their thoughts4 ,ruck being startled at that1 intimated that the devil himself1 did not know so far4 ,burroughs answered1 ',my ,god makes known your thoughts unto me4' ,the prisoner at the bar had nothing to answer unto what was thus witnessed against him1 that was worth considering4 ',but the court began to think1' says ,dr ,mather1 'that he then stepped aside only that by the assistance of the black man he might put on his invisibility1 and in that fascinating mist1 gratify his own jealous humor to hear what they said of him4' ,this is paying no great compliment to the philosophical character of the court4 ,burroughs was1 however1 condemned1 and was carried in rags in a cart through the streets of ,salem1 to his execution2 and his body was dragged by the rope over the ground1 and buried among some rocks1 one hand and part of the face left uncovered4 ,when on the ladder1 he repeated the ,lord's ,prayer2 probably because it was the popular opinion1 that a wizard is deprived of the power of doing it1 and he also protested against the injustice of his sufferings with such awful solemnity1 as to affect the spectators to tears1 and it was by some apprehended that the populace would have prevented the execution4 ,he suffered this ignominious death at the age of about #hj years1 with fervent prayers that the dreadful delusion might cease4 ,as soon as he was turned off1 ,dr ,cotton ,mather1 being mounted1 addressed himself to the people1 declaring that ,burroughs was not an ordained minister1 and that there was the fullest proof of his guilt4 ,dr ,increase ,mather1 equally credulous in these things with his son1 in his ,cases of ,conscience1 affirms1 that he was present at the trial of ,burroughs1 and had he been one of his judges1 he could not have acquitted him4 ',for several persons did on oath testify1 that they saw him do such things as no man that has not a devil to be his familiar1 could perform4' ,b ,in an ,english court1 a witness was about to relate an account of a murder as he received it from the ghost of the murdered person4 ',hold1 sir1' said the judge2 ',the ghost is an excellent witness1 and his evidence the best possible1 but he cannot be heard by proxy in this court2 summon him hither1 and ,i'll hear him in person2 but your communication is mere hearsay1 which my office compels me to reject4' ,if a court or magistrate will listen to ghost evidence to convict a reputed criminal1 why not admit the same evidence on the contrary1 in proof of innocence4 ,and if a judge or magistrate countenance or abet such kind of juggling with diabolical influence1 do they not come under the penalty of the statute of ,king ,james1 which interdicts all acts of sorcery whatever1 and all charms for employing spirits8 ,john ,willard was another who suffered about the same time4 ,he had been employed in looking up witches1 but at last refusing to fetch in more1 as he deemed it unjust1 he was accused4 ,he at first made his escape to a distance of forty miles1 but was overtaken and condemned4 ,giles ,corey1 aged about #hj years1 was brought to trial1 but refused to plead1 being unwilling to be tried by a jury that cleared no one2 he was therefore pressed to death4 ,when in the agonies of death1 the victim thrust out his tongue1 and the officer pushed it into his mouth with his cane4 ,this was the first1 and ,i believe the only one1 who was pressed to death in ,new ,england1 though there had been examples of it in ,old ,england4 ,corey's wife suffered at the gallows1 where she made an eminent prayer4 ,september #bb;d1 eight were executed1 the horse carrying them together in a cart to the gallows1 failed for a short time1 and the accusers said the devil hindered it2 but it may be asked1 if he had power to arrest the cart for a moment1 why not stop it altogether1 and prevent the executions8 ,but they shew no signs of confidence or hope in his power to save them4 ,one ,wardwell1 having formerly confessed himself guilty and afterwards denied it1 was brought upon his trial4 ,his former confession and spectre evidence were adduced against him2 but his own wife and daughter accused him and saved themselves4 ',there are1' says ,hutchinson1 'many instances of children accusing their parents1 and some1 of parents accusing their children4 ,this is the only instance of a wife or husband accusing one the other1 and surely this instance ought not to have been suffered4 ,i shudder while ,i relate it4' ,besides these irregularities1 there were others in the course of these trials4 ,at the execution of ,wardwell1 while he was speaking to the people1 protesting his innocence1 the executioner being at the same time smoking his pipe1 the smoke coming in his face interrupted his discourse1 the accusers said the devil hindered him with smoke4 ,mrs ,english was a woman of superior mind1 and an excellent education2 but was thought not to be very condescending or charitable to the poor2 and by some of them she was accused of witchcraft4 ,the officer read to her the warrant in the evening1 and guards were placed round her house4 ,in the morning1 after attending the devotions of the family1 she kissed her children with great composure1 proposed her plan of education1 and took leave of them1 and told the officer she was ready to die1 being confident that would be her fate4 ,after being examined1 she was by indulgence committed to custody in a public house1 where her husband frequently visited her1 and this occasioned an accusation against him4 ,being a man of large property1 a merchant in ,salem1 and having considerable influence1 he fortunately obtained permission to be confined with his wife in a prison in ,boston1 till the time of trial4 ,here their friends found means to effect their escape1 and they fled to ,new ,york1 where they were received with friendly attention by ,governor ,fletcher4 ,in the winter following1 ,mr ,english sent generous supplies to the suffering poor at ,salem2 but on his return after the storm had subsided1 he found his house plundered1 and his property so reduced1 that from an estate valued at #aejj1 he realized only about #cjj4 ,in ,july1 one ,goody ,foster was examined before four justices4 ,she had confessed many things of herself1 but her daughter now confessed others in which she was concerned4 ,she was told that her daughter was with her when she rode on the stick1 and was with her at the witch meetings1 and was asked how long her daughter had been engaged with her4 ,she replied that she had no knowledge of it at all4 ,she was then told that one of the afflicted persons said1 that ,goody ,carryer's shape told her that ,goody ,foster had made her daughter a witch about thirteen years ago4 ,she replied that she knew no more about her daughter's being a witch1 than what day she should die4 ,if ,i knew anything more ,i would speak it to the utmost4 ,the daughter being called in1 and asked whether she had any discourse with her mother while riding on the stick1 replied1 ,i think not a word4 ,next comes the important question by the magistrate1 ',who rid foremost on that stick to the village8' ',i suppose my mother4' ,the mother replied1 'no1 ,goody ,carryer was foremost4' ,it might be supposed that it was time for the magistrates to stop2 but they proceed to question the daughter4 ',how many years since they were baptized1 who baptized them1 and how8' ',three or four years ,i suppose2 the old serpent dipped their heads in the water1 saying they were his1 and that he had power over them forever and ever4' ',how many were baptized that day1 and who were they8' ',i think there were six1 some of the chiefs1 they were of the higher powers4' ,the old woman's grandaughter1 ,m4 ,lacey1 was now called in1 and instantly ,m4 ,warren fell into a violent fit1 but was soon restored when ,lacey laid her hand on her arm4 ,question by the justices4 ',how dare you come in here and bring the devil with you to afflict these poor creatures2 which way do you do it8' ',i cannot tell4 ,if my mother made me a witch ,i did not know it4' ,she was now directed to look on ,m4 ,warren in a friendly way1 without injuring her2 but in doing so she struck her down with her eyes4 ,being asked if she would now acknowledge herself to be a witch1 she said yes4 ,being asked how long1 she said she had not been a witch above a week4 ,the devil appeared to her in the shape of a horse1 bidding her worship him1 and fear nothing1 and he would not bring her out1 but he has proved a liar from the beginning4 ,the questions being still put to her1 she again said1 she had been a witch but a little more than a week2 but at another time she replied1 that the devil appeared to her a little more than a year ago for the first time4 ,among other persons accused of witchcraft1 was ,mrs ,hale1 whose husband1 the minister of ,beverly1 had been very active in these prosecutions2 this was a stroke which the good man was not prepared to receive4 ,being fully satisfied of his wife's innocence1 the question was now suggested and controverted1 whether the devil could afflict in a good person's shape1 taking it for granted1 that the minister's wife was a good person4 ,the accusation of ,mrs ,hale1 and some others of respectable character1 brought them to believe that the devil could so manage matters as that the afflicted person should think he did4 ,this affair effected a considerable alteration in the sentiments and conduct of ,mr ,hale4 ,he became much more moderate and rational in his views of witchcraft4 ,in the midst of their distress and confusion1 the clergymen of the town and vicinity held a consultation by request of the governor and council1 upon the state of things as they stood2 particularly1 to consider the question1 whether ,satan may not appear in the shape of an innocent and pious1 as well as of a nocent and wicked person1 to afflict such as suffer by diabolical molestation8 ,they reported1 among other things1 as their opinion1 ',that presumptions1 whereupon persons may be committed1 and much more1 convictions1 as being guilty of witchcraft1 ought certainly to be more considerable than barely the accused person's being represented by a spectre unto the afflicted2 inasmuch as it is an undoubted and notorious thing1 that a demon may by ,god's permission appear even to ill purposes1 in the shape of an innocent1 yea1 of a virtuous man4 ,nor can we esteem alterations made in the sufferers by a look or touch of the accused1 to be an infallible evidence of guilt1 but frequently liable to be abused by the devil's legerdemain4' ,among the confessing witches were ,d4 ,falkner1 a child of ten years1 ,a4 ,falkner1 of eight1 and ,s4 ,carryer1 between seven and eight4 ,sarah ,carryer's confession4 ,it was asked by the magistrates4 ',how long hast thou been a witch8' ',ever since ,i was six years old4' ',how old are you now8' ',near eight years old2 brother ,richard says ,i shall be eight years old next ,november4' ',who made you a witch8' ',my mother4 ,she made me set my hand to a book4 ,i touched it with my fingers1 and the book was red1 the paper was white4' ,being questioned she said she never had seen the black man1 the place where she did it was in a pasture1 and her aunt ,t4 and her cousins were there4 ,they promised to give her a black dog1 but the dog never came to her4 ',but you said you saw a cat once1 what did that say to you8' ',it said it would tear me in pieces if ,i would not set my hand to the book4' ,she said her mother baptized her1 and the devil or black man was not there as she saw4 ,she said she afflicted people by pinching them1 she had no puppets1 her mother carried her to afflict4 ',how did your mother carry you when she was in prison8' ',she came like a black cat4' ',how did you know it was your mother8' ',the cat told me she was my mother4' ,this poor child's mother was then under sentence of death1 and the mother of the other two children was in prison also1 and was soon after tried and condemned4 ,the following is among the affecting instances of confessors retracting their confessions4 ,the humble declaration of ,margaret ,jacobs unto the honored court now sitting at ,salem1 showeth1 ',that whereas your poor and humble declarant1 being closely confined in ,salem jail1 for the crime of witchcraft1 which crime1 thanks be to the ,lord1 ,i am altogether ignorant of1 as will appear at the great day of judgment4 ,may it please the honored court1 ,i was cried out upon by some of the possessed persons1 as afflicting them2 whereupon ,i was brought to my examination1 which persons at the sight of me fell down1 which did very much startle and affright me4 ,the ,lord above knows ,i knew nothing in the least degree who afflicted them2 they told me without doubt ,i did1 or they would not fall down at seeing me2 they told me if ,i would not confess1 ,i should be put down into the dungeon1 and would be hanged2 but if ,i would confess ,i should have my life spared2 the which did so affright me1 that to save my life1 ,i did make the confession1 which confession1 may it please the honored court1 is altogether false and untrue4 ,the very first night after1 ,i was in such horror of conscience that ,i could not sleep1 for fear the devil would carry me away for telling such horrid lies4 ,i was1 may it please the honored court1 sworn to my confession1 as ,i understand since1 but at that time ,i was ignorant of it1 not knowing what an oath did mean4 ,the ,lord1 ,i hope1 in whom ,i trust1 out of the abundance of his mercy1 will forgive me my false forswearing myself4 ,what ,i said was altogether false against my grandfather and ,mr ,burroughs1 which ,i did to save my life and to have my liberty2 but the ,lord charging it to my conscience1 made me in so much horror1 that ,i could not contain myself before ,i had denied my confession2 choosing rather death with a quiet conscience1 than to live in such horror4 ,and now1 may it please your honors1 ,i leave it to your pious and judicious discretion1 to take pity and compassion on my young and tender years1 to act and to do with me as the ,lord and your honors shall see good2 having no friend but the ,lord to plead my cause1 not being guilty in the least measure of the crime of witchcraft1 nor any other sin that deserves death from the hands of man4' ,the horrid scourge of witchcraft was1 by means of the imprudence1 or rather the folly1 of an individual1 extended to the town of ,andover4 ,one ,joseph ,ballard1 of that town1 sent to ,salem for some of the accusers who pretended to have the spectral sight to tell him who afflicted his wife1 who was then sick of a fever4 ,soon after this1 fifty persons at ,andover were accused of witchcraft1 many of whom were among the most reputable families4 ,here the nonsensical stories of riding on poles through the air1 were circulated4 ,many parents believed their children to be witches1 and many husbands their wives1 c4 ,the following is the grand jury's bill against ,mary ,osgood4 ',the jurors for our sovereign ,lord and ,lady the ,king and ,queen present1 that ,mary ,osgood1 wife of ,captain ,joseph ,osgood1 of ,andover1 in the county of ,essex1 about eleven years ago1 wickedly1 maliciously1 and feloniously1 a covenant with the devil did make1 and signed the devil's book1 and took the devil to be her ,god1 and consented to serve and worship him1 and was baptized by the devil1 and renounced her former christian baptism1 and promised to be the devil's1 both body and soul1 forever1 and to serve him2 by which diabolical covenant by her made with the devil1 she1 the said ,mary ,osgood1 is become a detestable witch1 against the peace of our sovereign ,lord and ,lady the ,king and ,queen1 their crown and dignity1 and the laws in that case made and provided4' ,the foregoing bill was grounded principally on her own confession1 the purport of which is as follows4--,that about eleven years ago1 when she was in a melancholy state1 upon a certain time while walking in her orchard1 she saw the appearance of a cat at the end of her house1 which she supposed was a real cat1 about this time she made a covenant with the devil1 c4 ,she said further1 that about two years agone1 she was carried through the air in company with three others1 whom she named1 to five mile pond1 where she was baptized by the devil1 and was transported back again through the air in the same manner in which she went1 and believes they were carried on a pole4 ,she confesses that she had afflicted three persons1 and that she did it by pinching her bed clothes1 and giving consent the devil should do it in her shape1 and that the devil could not do it without her consent4 ,when in court1 she afflicted several persons1 as they pretended1 and they were as usual restored by her touching their hands4 ,it was not long after1 that the said ,mary ,osgood1 with five other women1 who had1 when in danger1 confessed themselves guilty1 retraced their confessions1 stating that 'they were blind-folded1 and their hands were laid on the afflicted persons who fell into fits2 others when they felt our hands1 said they were well1 and that we were guilty of afflicting them1 whereupon we were committed to prison4 ,by reason of that sudden surprisal1 knowing ourselves perfectly innocent1 we were exceedingly astonished and amazed1 consternated and afflicted out of our reason4 ,our nearest and dearest friends and relations1 seeing our awful situation1 entreated us to make confession1 as the only way to save our lives4 ,they1 out of tender love and pity1 persuaded us to make such confession1 telling us we were witches1 they knew it1 and we knew it1 and they knew that we knew it1 which made us think it was really so4 ,our understanding and reasoning faculties almost gone1 we were incapable of judging of our condition4 ,some time after1 when we had been better composed1 they telling us what we had confessed1 we did profess we were innocent1 of such things4' ,the testimonials to these persons' characters1 says ,governor ,hutchinson1 by the principal inhabitants of ,andover1 will outweigh the credulity of the justices who committed1 or of the grand jury which found bills against them4 ,fiftythree reputable inhabitants of ,andover1 addressed the court1 held at ,salem1 stating that 'they are women of whom we can truly give this character and commendation1 that they have not only lived among us so inoffensively as not to give the least occasion to suspect them of witchcraft1 but by their sober1 godly1 and exemplary lives and conversation1 have obtained a good report in the place1 where they have been well esteemed and approved in the church1 of which they are members4' ,one ,dudley ,bradstreet1 a justice of peace in ,andover1 having himself committed thirty or forty persons to prison for supposed witchcraft1 himself and wife were both accused1 and they were obliged to flee for their lives4 ,the accusers reported1 that ,mr ,bradstreet had killed nine persons1 for they saw the ghosts of murdered persons hover over those that had killed them4 ,a dog being afflicted at ,salem1 those that had the spectral sight said1 that ,j4 ,bradstreet1 brother of the justice1 afflicted the dog and then rode upon him4 ,he also was glad to make his escape1 and the dog was killed4 ,another dog was said to afflict others1 and they fell into fits when the dog looked on them1 and he was killed4 ,at length a worthy gentleman of ,boston1 being accused by some of those at ,andover1 sent a writ to arrest the accusers in a thousand pound action1 for defamation4 ,from that time the accusations at ,andover generally ceased1 to the unspeakable joy of the inhabitants4 ,this tremendous storm continued sixteen months in ,salem1 in which was displayed a great want of sober wisdom in some1 and of moral honesty in others1 while a spirit of superstitious persecution1 almost without a parallel1 generally prevailed4 ,nineteen innocent persons were hanged1 one pressed to death1 and eight more condemned2 and about fifty confessed themselves witches1 of which not one was executed4 ,above one hundred and fifty were in prison1 and above two hundred more1 being accused1 it was thought proper to put a stop to further prosecutions4 ,the persons in the prisons were set at liberty1 and those who had fled returned home in peace4 ,experience showed that the more were apprehended1 the more were afflicted by ,satan1 and the number of confessors increasing1 increased the number of the accused2 and the executing of some made way for the apprehension of others1 till the numbers became actually alarming to the public1 and it was feared that ,salem had involved some innocent persons1 as all the nineteen denied the crime to their death4 ,the late ,dr ,bentley of ,salem1 in his ,history of that town1 published in the ,historical ,society's ,collections1 observes1 that 'the scene was like a torrent1 sudden1 irresistible1 and momentary4 ,they who thought they saw the delusion1 did not expose it1 and they who were deluded were terrified into distraction4 ,for a time no life was safe4 ,on the trials1 children below twelve years of age obtained a hearing before magistrates4 ,indians came and related their own knowledge of invisible beings4 ,tender females told every fright1 but not one man of reputation ventured to offer a single report1 or to oppose openly the overwhelming torrent4 ,nothing could be more ridiculous than a mere narrative of the evidence4 ,it would be an affront to the sober world4 ,the terror was so great1 that at the hazard of life1 they who were charged with guilt confessed it1 and the confessions blinded the judges4 ,the public clamors urged them on1 and the novelty of the calamity deprived them of all ability to investigate its true causes1 till nineteen innocent persons were made victims to the public credulity4' ',from ,march to ,august1 #afib1' says ,dr ,bentley1 'was the most distressing time ,salem ever knew2 business was interrupted1 the town deserted1 terror was in every countenance1 and distress in every heart4 ,every place was the subject of some direful tale1 fear haunted every street1 melancholy dwelt in silence in every place after the sun retired4 ,the population was diminished1 business could not1 for some time1 recover its former channels1 and the innocent suffered with the guilty4 ,but as soon as the judges ceased to condemn1 the people ceased to accuse4 ,terror at the violence and the guilt of the proceedings1 succeeded instantly to the conviction of blind zeal1 and what every man had encouraged1 all now professed to abhor4 ,every expression of sorrow was found in ,salem4 ,the church erased all the ignominy they had attached to the dead1 by recording a most humble acknowledgment of their error4 ,but a diminished population1 the injury done to religion1 and the distress of the aggrieved1 were seen and felt with the greatest sorrow4' ,i quote the following from ,judge ,story's ,centennial ,discourse4 ',the whole of these proceedings exhibit melancholy proofs of the effects of superstition in darkening the mind1 and steeling the heart against the dictates of humanity4 ,indeed nothing has ever been found more vindictive and cruel than fanaticism1 acting under the influence of preternatural terror1 and assuming to punish offences created by its own gloomy reveries4 ,under such circumstances it becomes itself the very demon whose agency it seeks to destroy4 ,it loses sight of all the common principles of reason and evidence4 ,it sees nothing around it but victims for sacrifice4 ,it hears nothing but the voice of its own vengeance4 ,it believes nothing but what is monstrous and incredible4 ,it conjures up every phantom of superstition1 and shapes it to the living form of its own passions and frenzies4 ,in short1 insanity could hardly devise more refinements in barbarity1 or profligacy execute them with more malignant coolness4 ,in the wretched butcheries of these times1 7for so they in fact were17 in which law and reason were equally set at defiance1 we have shocking instances of unnatural conduct4 ,we find parents accusing their children1 children their parents1 and wives their husbands1 of a crime1 which must bring them to the scaffold4 ,we find innocent persons1 misled by the hope of pardon1 or wrought up to frenzy by the pretended sufferings of others1 freely accusing themselves of the same crime4 ,we find gross perjury practised to procure condemnations1 sometimes for self protection1 and sometimes from utter recklessness of consequences4 ,we find even religion itself made an instrument of vengeance4 ,we find ministers of the gospel and judges of the land1 stimulating the work of persecution1 until at last in its progress its desolations reached their own firesides4' ,there are not wanting1 ,hutchinson observes1 those who are willing to suppose the accusers to have been under bodily disorders1 which affected their imaginations4 ,this is kind and charitable1 but seems to be winking the truth out of sight4 ,a little attention must force conviction1 that the whole was a scene of fraud and imposture1 commenced by young girls1 who at first1 perhaps1 thought of nothing more than exciting an interest in their sufferings1 and continued by adult persons1 who were afraid of being accused themselves4 ,rather than confess their fraud1 they permitted the lives of so many innocent persons to be sacrificed4 ,none of the pretended afflicted were ever brought upon trial for their fraud2 some of them proved profligate persons1 abandoned to all vice1 others passed their days in obscurity and contempt4 ,in ,december1 #afif1 there was a proclamation for a fast1 in which there was this clause1 ',that ,god would shew us what we know not1 and help us wherein we have done amiss1 referring to the late tragedy raised among them by ,satan and his instruments1 through the awful judgment of ,god4' ,on the day of the fast1 at the ,south meeting-house in ,boston1 ,judge ,sewall1 who had sat on the bench at the trials1 delivered in a paper to be read publicly1 and he stood up while it was reading4 ,it expressed in a very humble manner1 that he was apprehensive he might have fallen into some error in the trials at ,salem1 and praying that the guilt of such miscarriages may not be imputed either to the country in general1 or to him or his family in particular1 and asking forgiveness of ,god and man4 ,the ,chief ,justice1 ,mr ,stoughton1 being informed of this action of one of his brethren1 observed for himself1 that when he sat in judgment1 he had the fear of ,god before his eyes1 and gave his opinion according to the best of his understanding2 and although it might appear afterwards that he had been in an error1 yet he saw no necessity of a public acknowledgment of it4 ,twelve men who had served as jurors in court at ,salem1 in #afib1 published a recantation of their sentiments1 and an apology for their doings on the trials2 stating that they were incapable of understanding1 nor able to withstand the mysterious delusions of the powers of darkness1 and the prince of the air1 but for want of knowledge and information from others1 took up such evidence against the accused as1 on further consideration and better information1 they justly fear they have been instrumental with others1 though ignorantly and unwittingly1 to bring upon themselves the guilt of innocent blood1 c4 ,they express a deep sense of sorrow for their errors in acting on such evidence to the condemnation of persons1 declaring with deep humility that they were deluded and mistaken1 for which they are much distressed and disquieted in mind4 ,they humbly beg forgiveness of ,god1 and praying that they may be considered candidly and aright by the surviving sufferers1 acknowledging themselves under the power of strong and general delusion4 ,they again ask forgiveness of all whom they may have offended1 declaring they would not do such things again for the whole world4 ,as this great calamity began in the house of ,mr ,parris1 and he had been a witness and very zealous prosecutor of the supposed offenders1 many of his church withdrew from his communion1 and in ,april1 #afic1 they drew up articles against him4 ',they charge the said ,parris of teaching such dangerous errors1 and preaching such scandalous immoralities as ought to discharge any man1 though ever so gifted otherwise1 from the work of the ministry4 ,particularly1 in his oath against the lives of several1 wherein he swears1 that the prisoners with their looks knock down those pretended sufferers4 ,we humbly conceive1 that he who swears to more than he is certain of1 is equally guilty of perjury with him that swears to what is false4' ,they were so settled in their aversion1 that they continued their persecutions for three or four years2 and in ,july1 #afig1 they presented a remonstrance to arbitration1 in which they accuse him of 'believing the devil's accusations1 and readily departing from all charity to persons1 though of blameless and godly lives1 upon such suggestions against them2 his promoting such accusations1 as also his partiality in stifling the accusations of some1 and vigilantly promoting others4 ,his applying to those who have a familiar spirit to know who afflicted the people2 which we consider as an implicit denying the providence of ,god1 which alone we believe can send afflictions1 or cause devils to afflict the people4 ,by these practices and principles1 ,mr ,parris hath been the beginner and procurer of the sorest afflictions1 not to this village only1 but this whole country1 that did ever befall them4' ,mr ,parris did at length acknowledge his errors1 but the people would not be satisfied till he was entirely dismissed4 ,at the period when the prosecutions for witchcraft were conducted at ,salem1 ,sir ,william ,phipps was governor of the ,colony4 ,he was a native of ,new ,england1 of obscure origin1 and very illiterate4 ,his title and his affluence were acquired by fortuitous circumstances1 not from any meritorious or honorable achievements4 ,mr ,phipps had1 by some means1 obtained information that a ,spanish ship loaded with gold and silver1 had been wrecked on the coast of ,la ,plata1 many years before1 and he resolved on a bold effort to possess himself of the booty4 ,for the purpose of procuring assistance in the enterprise1 he performed a voyage to ,england1 where he obtained partners and associates1 and from thence he proceeded to ,la ,plata1 in #afhg4 ,he was so fortunate as to discover the hulk1 from which he recovered gold and silver to the amount of #cjj1jjj1 his own share being #af1jjj4 ,having returned to ,england1 and being introduced to men of rank and influence1 he received from ,king ,james the ,second1 the honor of knighthood1 and was commissioned as ,governor of his native ,colony4 ,but1 though a man of piety and integrity1 he was not qualified to support the dignity of the office to which he had the honor of being promoted4 ,sir ,william was a firm believer in witchcraft1 and among the first acts of his authority1 was an order for chaining the witches2 stupidly believing that if the body was chained1 the wicked spirit within could exert no power4 ,but before the close of the tragedies1 in which his excellency was so zealous an actor1 his own wife1 was by some of the complainants1 accused of being a witch2 but through favor to the governor's lady1 she escaped without chains or halter4 ,it appears that ,dr ,cotton ,mather was one of the leading champions in the persecution of witches4 ,in ,october1 #afib1 at the desire of the governor1 he published an account of the trials of seven of those who had been condemned and executed1 in which he states that the court grounded their proceedings chiefly on the laws of ,england1 and precedents found in books from thence4 ,in his preface he has this passage4 ',if in the midst of the many dissatisfactions among us1 the publication of these trials may promote a pious thankfulness unto ,god for justice being so far executed among us1 ,i shall rejoice that ,god is glorified2 and pray that no wrong steps of ours may ever sully any of his glorious works4' ,but it should be remembered that no condemnation can receive the sanction of justice nor the countenance of ,christians1 unless the party is fairly convicted by full and substantial human evidence4 ,it is a most extraordinary circumstance that the rulers and judges1 and the eminent divines of that day1 should overlook the reasonable maxim in the ,jewish constitution1 that every word or thing admitted for evidence in the decision shall be established by the concurrence of what cometh from the mouth of two or three credible witnesses4 ',so you will not pollute with blood the land in which you dwell4'--',and if a false witness rise up against a man1 and accuse him of any crime1 the two men before whom is the controversy1 shall stand before the ,lord1 and before the priests1 and before the judges1 who may be in those days4 ,and when the judges have made a strict examination1 if the false witness hath testified falsehoods1 and risen up against his brother2 you shall do to him as he wickedly thought to do to his brother4',c ,it is melancholy to reflect that no instance can be found on record of a false witness against the innocent victims at ,salem having been brought to merited punishment4 ,c ,numbers1 xxxv4 #cj4 ,deut4 xvii4 #f1 and xix4 #ae4 ,dr ,mather1 in his work entitled ',wonders of the ,invisible ,world1' produced an abridgment of the trials of the two women condemned by ,lord ,hale1 #affd1 and also an abridgment of the rules and signs by which witches are to be discovered1 of which he says there are above thirty4 ,his production received the approbation of two of the judges of the court1 one of whom was the chief justice and lieutenant governor4 ,the author's father1 ,dr ,increase ,mather1 also expressed his coincidence in the same sentiments4 ,the work is1 nevertheless1 a singular and curious production2 it evinces1 most clearly1 that the reverend author1 in the fervency of zeal1 suffered his mind to be deeply imbued with bigotry and depressing superstition4 ,dr ,mather was eminent for extensive knowledge and ,christian piety2 but foibles and infirmities were his lot1 and while his mind was enriched with knowledge1 his heart must have sickened for lack of wisdom4 ,he published #chb books and tracts on various subjects4 ,in these he displays wit and fancy1 and advocates with zeal the cause of religion2 and although his style is singular and verbose1 his works contain rich and important matter for the historian and antiquary4 ,it would be unjust not to acknowledge the debt of gratitude due to ,dr ,mather for the immeasurable benefits which our country and the world have enjoyed from his efforts to introduce smallpox inoculation1 in #agba4 ,but the work now in question affords a striking example of the imbecility of mind in the absence of its glorious attributes4 ,sobriety of judgment is seduced by folly1 and moral dignity is degraded by the intrusion of fictions of imagination1 and the man becomes a dupe to his own credulity4 ,he adopted1 in the fullest extent1 the doctrine of demons1 and of supernatural compacts between ,satan and witches1 and was fatally blinded against the most palpable impositions practised on himself4 ,but this distinguished divine was not singular in his proneness to bigoted and dogmatical principles and doctrines2 they were in perfect coincidence with the habits of thinking in the times in which he lived4 ,his cotemporaries1 who administered the affairs of government1 and those who were called to decide in their judicial proceedings1 had evidently imbibed the same gross absurdities2 and there is in our nature an unaccountable reluctance to discard errors1 however preposterous4 ,his publication teems with romantic and ludicrous stories1 which he unwisely adduces for substantial facts4 ,a shrewd reply was made to it by ,r4 ,calef1 a merchant of ,boston1 which led to a controversy between the two authors1 on the subject of their inquiry4 ,the following is an abridged narrative of the trials of ,b4 ,bishop1 ,s4 ,martin1 ,e4 ,how1 and ,m4 ,carryer1 from ,dr ,mather's ',wonders of the ,invisible ,world4' ',the court appeared to rely for evidence chiefly on the testimony of the accusers1 and the incidents exhibited by the experiment with the parties in their presence on the trials4 ,in all instances the presence of the accused would produce wonderful effects on the persons of the accusers4 ,at a look1 or cast of the eye1 the accusers would instantly fall down as if in a fit or swoon1 and would throw themselves into unnatural and painful postures1 and by the application of the witches' hand they were immediately restored4,d ,some complained that the shape or spectre of ,b4 ,bishop1 the prisoner on trial1 pinched1 choked1 and bit them4 ,one testified1 that the shape of the prisoner1 one day1 took her from her wheel and carried her to the river side1 threatening to drown her if she would not sign the devil's book1 and said she had been the death of several persons whom she named4 ,another testified1 that there were apparitions or ghosts seen with the spectre of the prisoner1 crying out ,you murdered us4 ,there was testimony1 likewise1 that a man striking once at a place where a bewitched person said the shape of this ,bishop stood1 the bewitched cried out that he had torn her gown1 and the woman's gown was found afterwards to be torn in the very place mentioned4 ,d ,why not bewitch the magistrates as well as others1 and save the victims from death8 ,if the witches1 assisted by ,satan1 have power over the laws of nature and the actions of men1 how is it that their enemies escape with impunity8 ,if they possess the power of raising storms and sinking ships at sea1 why not overwhelm both judge and jury in the ruins of falling houses and make a mock of the chains and ropes employed for their executions8 ',one ,d4 ,hobbs having confessed herself to be a witch was now tormented by the spectres for her confession1 and this ,bishop tempted her to sign the book again1 and to deny what she had confessed1 and it was the shape of this prisoner which whipped her with iron rods to compel her thereto4 ,to render it further unquestionable1 that the prisoner at the bar was the person truly charged in this witchcraft1 there were produced many evidences of other witchcrafts by her perpetrated4 ,j4 ,cook testified that1 about five or six years ago1 he was in his chamber assaulted by the shape of this prisoner1 which looked on him1 grinned at him1 and very much hurt him with a blow on the side of his head2 and on the same day about noon1 the same shape walked into his room1 and an apple strangely flew out of his hand into the lap of his mother1 six or eight feet from him4 ,s4 ,gray testified1 that about fourteen years ago1 he waked on a night and saw the room where he lay full of light1 and saw plainly a woman between the cradle and the bed1 which looked upon him4 ,he rose1 and it vanished1 though the doors were all fast4 ,he went to bed1 and the same woman again assaulted him4 ,the child in the cradle gave a great screech1 and the woman disappeared4 ,it was long before the child could be quieted2 though it were a very likely1 thriving child1 yet from this time it pined away1 and after divers months died in a sad condition4 ,he was satisfied that it was the apparition of this ,bishop which had thus troubled him4 ,b4 ,coman testified1 that eight years ago1 as he lay awake in his bed with a light burning1 he was annoyed with the apparition of this ,bishop1 and of two more1 who came and oppressed him1 that he could neither stir himself nor wake any one else2 the said ,bishop took him by the throat and pulled him almost out of bed4 ,the next night his kinsman lodged with him1 and as they were discoursing together1 they were visited by the same guests1 and the kinsman was struck speechless and unable to move hand or foot4 ,he had laid his sword by him1 which the spectres did strive much to wrest from him1 but he held it too fast for them4 ,s4 ,shattuck testified1 that in the year #afhj1 this ,bishop often came to his house on frivolous and foolish errands4 ,presently1 whereupon1 his eldest child began to droop exceedingly1 and the oftener she came to his house the worse grew the child4 ,he would be thrown and bruised against the stones by an invisible hand1 and his face knocked against the sides of the house in a miserable manner1 and the child's money1 purse and all1 would be unaccountably conveyed out of a locked box1 and never seen more4 ,the child was taken with terrible fits1 and did nothing but cry and sleep for several months together1 and at length his understanding was utterly taken away4 ,among other symptoms of enchantment upon him1 one was1 that there was a board in the garden whereon he would walk1 and all the invitations in the world could never fetch him off4 ,about seventeen or eighteen years after1 there came a stranger to ,shattuck's house1 who1 seeing the child1 said this poor child is bewitched1 and you have a neighbor who is a witch4 ,j4 ,louder testified1 that having some little controversy with ,bishop about her fowls1 he awaked in the night by moonlight1 and clearly saw the likeness of this woman grievously oppressing him2 she held him1 unable to help himself1 till near day4 ,he told her of this1 but she utterly denied it1 and threatened him very much4 ,soon after this1 being at home on a ,lord's day1 with the doors shut1 he saw a black pig approach him1 but it soon vanished away4 ,soon after he saw a black creature jump in at the window1 and it came and stood before him4 ,the body was like that of a monkey1 the feet like a fowl's1 but the face much like a man's4 ,he was so extremely affrighted1 that he could not speak2 he endeavored to clap his hand upon it1 but could feel no substance1 and it jumped out of the window again4 ,he struck at it1 but missed his blow1 and broke his stick2 and the arm with which he struck was soon disabled4 ,this same creature appeared again1 and was going to fly at him1 whereat he cried out1 and it sprang back and flew over the apple tree1 shaking many apples off the tree in flying over4 ,at its leap it flung dirt with its feet against the stomach of the man1 whereon he was then struck dumb1 and so continued for three days4 ,william ,stacy testified1 that having received some money of this ,bishop for work done by him1 he had gone but about three rods from her1 when looking for his money it was unaccountably gone from him2 and being about six rods from her1 with a small load in his cart1 suddenly the off wheel sunk down into a hole upon plain ground1 so that he was forced to get help for the recovery of the wheel2 but in searching for the hole in the ground1 which might give him this disaster1 there was none at all to be found4 ,soon after this1 as he was in a dark night going to his barn1 he was very suddenly lifted up from the ground and thrown against a stone wall2 and after that he was again hoisted up and thrown down a bank4 ,at another time this deponent passing by the said ,bishop1 his horse with a small load1 striving to draw1 all his gears flew to pieces1 and the cart fell down1 and the deponent going then to lift a bag of corn of about two bushels1 could not lift it with all his might4 ,many other pranks of the prisoner this deponent was ready to testify4 ,he verily believed that the said ,bishop was the instrument of his daughter ,priscilla's death4 ,to crown all1 says the ,dr1 ,j4 ,bly1 and ,w4 ,bly1 testified1 that being employed by said ,bishop to take down the cellar wall of the old house1 wherein she formerly lived1 they did1 in holes of the said wall1 find several puppets made up of rags and hogs' bristles1 with headless pins in them1 the points being outwards4 ,whereof she could now give no account unto the court1 that was reasonable or tolerable4 ,there might have been many more strange things brought against this woman1 but there was no need of them4 ,but there was one very strange thing more with which the court was entertained4 ,as this woman was under guard1 passing by the great and spacious meeting-house of ,salem1 she gave a look towards the house1 and immediately a demon1 invisibly entering the meeting-house1 tore down a part of it2 so that though there was no person to be seen there1 yet the people at the noise1 running in1 found a board which was strongly fastened with several nails1 transported into another quarter of the house4' ,it will doubtless be conceded1 that if ,bridget ,bishop was actually guilty of all the disasters above detailed1 she was a proper subject for the gallows4 ,,trial ,,of ,,susanna ,,martin1 ,,june #bi1 #afib4 ,magistrate4 ',pray what ails these people8' ,martin4 ',i don't know4' ,magistrate4 ',but what do you think ails them8' ,martin4 ',i do not desire to spend my judgment upon it4' ,magistrate4 ',don't you think they are bewitched8' ,martin4 ',no1 ,i do not think they are4' ,magistrate4 ',tell me your thoughts about them1 then8' ,martin4 ',no3 my thoughts are my own1 when they are in1 but when they are out1 then another's their master4' ,magistrate4 ',their master6 who do you think is their master8' ,martin4 ',if they be dealing in the black art you may know as well as ,i4' ,magistrate4 ',well1 what have you done towards this8' ,martin4 ',nothing at all4' ,magistrate4 ',why1 it is you or your appearance4' ,martin4 ',i can't help it4' ,magistrate4 ',is it not your master8 ,how comes your appearance to hurt these8' ,martin4 ',how do ,i know8 ,he that appeared in the shape of ,samuel1 a glorified saint1 may appear in any one's shape4' ,it was then also noted1 that if the afflicted went to approach her1 they were flung down to the ground4 ,the court counted themselves alarmed by these things1 to inquire farther into the conversation of the prisoner1 and see what might occur to render these accusations further credible4 ,john ,allen testified1 that he refused1 because of the weakness of his oxen1 to cart some stones1 at the request of this ,martin4 ,she was displeased1 and said it had been as good that he had1 for his oxen should never do him any more service4 ,whereupon1 as he was going home1 one of his oxen tired1 so that he was forced to unyoke him that he might get him home4 ,he put his oxen1 with many others1 on ,salisbury beach2 they all ran into ,merrimack river1 and the next day were found on ,plum ,island4 ,they next ran1 with a violence that seemed wholly diabolical1 right into the sea1 swimming as far as they could be seen2 and out of fourteen good oxen all were drowned1 save one4 ,john ,atkinson testified1 that he exchanged a cow with the son of said ,martin1 whereat she muttered and was unwilling he should have it4 ,going to receive his cow1 though he hamstringed her1 and haltered her1 she1 of a tame creature1 grew so mad they could scarce get her along4 ,she broke all the ropes that were fastened unto her1 and1 though she was tied fast to a tree1 yet she made her escape1 and gave them such further trouble1 as they could ascribe it to no cause but witchcraft4 ,j4 ,kemball testified1 that the said ,martin1 upon a causeless disgust1 threatened him that a certain cow should never do him any more service1 and it came to pass accordingly1 for soon after the cow was found stark dead on the ground1 without any distemper to be discerned upon her2 and this was followed with the death of several more of his cattle4 ',but1' says the reverend author1 'the said ,j4 ,kemball had a further testimony against the prisoner1 which was truly admirable4 ,he applied himself to buy a dog of this ,martin2 but she1 not letting him have his choice1 he said he would supply himself at one ,blazdel's1 and marked a puppy there which he liked4 ,g4 ,martin1 the husband of the prisoner1 asked him if he would not have one of his wife's puppies1 and he answered1 no4 ,whereupon the prisoner replied1 ,as ,i live ,i will give him puppies enough4 ,within a few days after1 ,kemball coming out of the woods1 there arose a little black cloud in the ,n4 ,w4 and ,kemball immediately felt a force upon him1 which made him not able to avoid running upon the stumps of trees1 although he had a broad1 plain1 cart way before him2 but though he had his axe on his shoulder to endanger him in his falling1 he could not forbear going out of his way to tumble over them4 ,when he came below the meeting-house1 there appeared to him a little creature like a puppy1 of a darkish color1 and it shot backwards and forwards between his legs4 ,he had the courage to use all possible endeavors to cut it with his axe1 but he could not hit it1 the puppy gave a jump from him1 and went1 as to him it seemed1 into the ground4 ,on going a little further1 there appeared unto him a black puppy1 bigger than the first1 but as black as a ,coal4 ,its motions were quicker than those of his axe4 ,it flew at him and at his throat over his shoulders one way1 and then over his shoulders another way2 his heart now began to fail him1 and he thought the dog would have tore his throat out4 ,but he recovered himself and called on ,god in his distress1 and it vanished away at once4'--',this ,s4 ,martin once walked from ,amesbury to ,newbury in an extraordinary season1 when it was not fit for any one to travel4 ,she bragged and showed how dry she was2 it could not be perceived that so much as the soles of her shoes were wet4 ,being told that another person would have been wet up to the knees1 she replied1 she scorned to be drabbed4 ,it was noted that this testimony upon her trial1 cast her into a very singular confusion4 ,john ,pressy testified1 that being one evening bewildered near the field of ,martin1 as under enchantment1 he saw a marvellous light1 about the bigness of a half bushel1 near two rods out of the way4 ,he struck at it with a stick and laid it on with all his might4 ,he gave it near forty blows and felt it a palpable substance4 ,but going from it1 his heels were struck up1 and he was laid with his back on the ground1 sliding1 as he thought1 into a pit1 from whence he recovered by taking hold on the bush1 although afterwards he could find no pit in the place4 ,having gone five or six rods he saw ,s4 ,martin standing on his left hand1 as the light had done before1 but they changed no words with one another4 ,at length he got home extremely affrighted4 ,the next day it was upon inquiry understood1 that ,martin was in a miserable condition by pains and hurts that were upon her4' 7,forty stout blows would have killed any one but a witch47 ',the deponent further testified1 that having affronted the prisoner1 many years ago1 she said he should never prosper2 more particularly1 that he should never have more than two cows2 that though he were ever so likely to have more than two cows1 yet he should never have them4 ,from that very day to this1 namely1 for twenty years together1 he could never exceed that number1 but some strange thing or other still prevented his having more4' ,,trial ,,of ,,elizabeth ,,how1 ,,june #cj1 #afib4 ',the most remarkable things ascribed to ,e4 ,how1 were1 that the sufferers complained of her as the cause of their distresses1 and they would fall down when she looked on them and were raised again on the touch of her hand4 ,there was testimony1 also1 that the shape of her gave trouble to people nine or ten years ago4 ,there were apparitions or ghosts testified by some of the present sufferers1 which ghosts affirmed that this ,how had murdered them4 ,j4 ,how1 brother to the husband of the prisoner1 testified1 that having refused to accompany her to her examination1 as she desired1 immediately some of his cattle were bewitched to death1 leaping three or four feet high1 squeaking1 falling1 and dying at once2 and going to cut off an ear1 the hand wherein the knife was held1 was taken very numb and painful1 and so remained for several days1 and he suspected the prisoner as the cause of it4 ,n4 ,abbot testified1 that unusual and mischievous accidents would befall his cattle whenever he had any difference with her4 ,once in particular1 she wished his ox choked1 and within a little while that ox was choked with a turnip in his throat4 ,a woman1 on some difference with ,how1 was bewitched1 and she died charging her of having a hand in her death4 ,many people had their barrels of beer unaccountably mischiefed1 spoiled1 and spilt1 upon displeasing her4 ,one testified1 that they once and again lost great quantities of drink out of their vessels1 in such a manner as they could ascribe it to nothing but witchcraft4 ,and also that ,how once gave her some apples1 and when she had eaten them1 she was taken with a very strange kind of maze1 so that she knew not what she said or did4 ,there was likewise a cluster of depositions that one ,j4 ,cummings refused to lend his mare to the husband of the said ,how2 the mare was within a day or two taken in a strange condition4 ,she seemed abused and bruised as if she had been running over the rocks1 and was marked where the bridle went1 as if burnt with a red hot bridle4 ,on using a pipe of tobacco for the cure of the beast1 a blue flame issued out of her which took hold of her hair and not only spread and burnt on her1 but it also flew upwards towards the roof of the barn and like to have set the barn on fire1 and the mare died very suddenly4 ,f4 ,lane being hired by the husband of ,how to get him a parcel of posts and rails1 ,lane hired ,j4 ,pearly to assist him4 ,the prisoner told ,lane that the posts and rails would not do because ,pearly helped him1 but if he had gotten them alone they might have done well enough4 ,when ,how came to receive his posts and rails1 on taking them up by the ends1 they1 though good and sound1 yet unaccountably broke off1 so that ,lane had to get twenty or thirty more4 ,and this prisoner being informed of it1 said she told him so before1 because ,pearly helped about them4' ,,trial ,,of ,,martha ,,carryer1 ,,august #b1 #afib4 ,a considerable number of bewitched persons deposed that it was ,martha ,carryer or her shape1 that grievously tormented them by biting1 pricking1 pinching1 and choking them2 the poor people were so tortured1 that every one expected their death upon the very spot1 but that on the binding of the prisoner they were eased4 ,moreover1 the looks of ,carryer then laid the afflicted people for dead2 and her touch1 if her eyes at the same time were off them1 raised them again4 ,it was testified1 that on the mention of some having their necks twisted almost round by the shape of this ,carryer1 she replied1 it's no matter though their necks had been twisted quite off4 ,b4 ,abbot testified1 that the prisoner was very angry with him upon laying out some land near her husband's4 ,she was heard to say she would hold ,abbot's nose as close to the grindstone as ever it was held since his name was ,abbot4 ,presently after this1 he was taken with a swelling in his foot1 and then with a pain in his side1 and exceedingly tormented4 ,it bred a sore which was lanced by ,dr ,prescott4 ,for six weeks it continued very bad1 and then another sore bred1 and finally a third1 all which put him to very great misery4 ,he was brought to death's door1 and so remained till ,carryer was taken and carried away by the constable4 ,from which very day he began to mend and so grew better every day4 ,abbot was not only afflicted in his body but suffered greatly in the loss of his cattle in a strange and unaccountable manner4 ,one ,a4 ,toothaker testified1 that ,richard1 the son of ,m4 ,carryer1 having some difference with him1 pulled him down by the hair of his head2 when he rose again he was going to strike at ,richard1 but fell down flat on his back to the ground1 and had not power to stir hand or foot until he told ,carryer he yielded1 and then he saw the shape of his mother1 the prisoner1 go off his breast4 ,one ,foster1 who had confessed herself a witch1 testified1 that she had seen the prisoner at some of their witch meetings1 and that the devil carried them on a pole1 but the pole broke and she hanging about ,carryer's neck1 they both fell down and she received a hurt by the fall4 ,many other evidences of her mischievous conduct were produced1 which ,i omit2 the last was this4 ,in the time of the prisoner's trial1 one ,s4 ,sheldon1 in open court1 had her hands unaccountably tied together with a wheel band1 so fast1 that without cutting1 it could not be loosened4 ,it was done1 says ,dr ,mather1 by a spectre1 and the sufferer affirmed it was the prisoner's4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is something in the foregoing proceedings during the memorable events at ,salem1 that seems to surpass all our conceptions of impartial justice1 christian charity1 or humanity4 ,it is humiliating to our nature to reflect1 that a class of the most profligate wretches were brought together on the stage1 and their base intrigues tolerated and encouraged1 fanciful experiments witnessed1 and little else than fictitious evidence of accusation received to condemnation2 while all pleadings for mercy1 on the score of innocence1 were of no avail4 ,not a solitary instance is found on record of the voice of pity and compassion being raised in behalf of the friendless1 ignorant victims of suspicion4 ,they were subjected to barbarous tricks and senseless experiments1 calculated to encourage fraud and imposition1 and then consigned to the gallows for the consequences4 ,better that ten guilty persons escape1 than one innocent should suffer4 ,unfortunately1 no lawyers were at that time employed in criminal cases4 ,had our present court and our state prison been then in existence1 the good people of ,salem would not long have been molested by witches and bewitched girls1 with their invisible ropes and chains4 ,but while we contemplate the melancholy errors of judgment in our predecessors1 we ought in charity to cherish the belief that had not their minds been clouded in superstitious darkness1 their posterity would not have been called to mourn over imbecilities so lamentably exemplified4 ,but we would attribute to our venerated fathers no moral corruption1 no perverseness of temper1 no desire to swerve from the dictates of stern justice4 ,their task was most arduous1 their path of duty obscured by novel occurrences1 and their decisions unavoidably swayed by popular clamor and vulgar prejudice4 ,if1 unhappily1 their intellects were tinctured with superstition1 it was the effect of early education1 fostered and confirmed by concurrent sentiment and opinion1 propagated in books of the heathen and papist4 ,much importance was attached by the magistrates to the effects of the witches' eyes upon the sufferers2 but no explanation is given why the same eyes could produce no mischievous effects on any other person4 ,great stress was laid on the circumstance1 that in the trials the sufferers were revived from their fits by the touch of the hand of the reputed witch1 but not by the hand of any other person2 but instances of the contrary can be adduced2 the experiment was ordered to be made in a court in ,england2 the afflicted girl's eyes being blindfolded1 and she being touched by the hand of another woman1 recovered as speedily as if touched by the accused witch4 ,the ,rev4 ,dr ,increase ,mather1 then ,president of ,harvard ,college1 may be considered as among the best authorities for the prevalent doctrines on the subject of witchcraft4 ,on the #aith of ,october1 #afib1 he went to ,salem and conferred with eight of the confessing witches1 all of whom freely and relentingly recanted their former confessions1 declaring that in making them they had violated the truth1 being compelled to it by pressing threats and urgings1 by which they were so affrighted as to agree to anything that would rescue them from their awful situation4 ,but they confessed with anguish of soul that they had committed a great wickedness for which they implored forgiveness4 ,in his ',cases of ,conscience1' published in #afic1 ,dr ,mather has particular reference to the trials at ,salem4 ,in this work he observes1 that 'the gift of healing the sick and possessed1 was a special grace and favor of ,god for the confirmation of the truth of the gospel1 but that such a gift should be annexed to the touch of wicked witches1 as an infallible sign of their guilt is not easy to be believed4' ,if it be as supposed1 by virtue of some compact with the devil1 that witches have power to do such things1 those who encourage them in the practice1 whether courts or individuals1 must be guilty of sacrilege4 ,the accusers pretended to suffer much by bites1 and the prints on the skin would compare precisely with the set of teeth of the accused1 but those who had not such bewitched eyes1 have seen the accusers bite themselves and then complain of the accused4 ,it was true1 also1 that some who complained of being pricked by pins sticking in their flesh1 were their own tormentors1 for the purpose of effecting their wicked designs4 ,the pins thus employed are still preserved at ,salem4 ,dr ,mather1 in the work just quoted1 judiciously affirms1 that the evidence in the crime of witchcraft ought to be as clear as in any other crimes of a capital nature4 ,he is decidedly opposed to the employment of spectral evidence as being alone sufficient to justify conviction4 ,but he considers a free and voluntary confession as a sufficient ground of conviction2 yet the reverend author himself cites one remarkable instance of false confession for the avowed purpose of effecting her own death in consequence of the cruel persecution which she suffered from suspicion only1 and she was burnt at the stake4 ,in most of the instances at ,salem1 the confessions proved false and deceptive1 those who made them being totally ignorant of the nature of witchcraft4 ,our learned author further observes1 that if two credible persons shall affirm on oath that they have seen the person accused1 doing things which none but such as have familiarity with the devil ever did or can do1 that is a sufficient ground of conviction4 ,it was on this ground that he justified the condemnation and execution of ,george ,burroughs1 the minister2 it being testified before the court1 that he had been seen to lift a barrel of molasses or cider1 and to extend with one hand a heavy musket at arms' length4 ,nothing could be more sophistical than evidence of this description1 for there are persons who can lift a solid body of six or seven hundred pounds1 and can extend a king's arm at arms' length1 when held at the smallest end with one hand1 and no jury in our day would condemn such to the gallows as wizards4 ,it is among the most unaccountable facts1 that those who1 to save their lives1 belied their consciences1 and confessed themselves guilty of having formed a league with the devil1 and of committing horrid crimes1 should be spared and suffered to live in society1 while others1 relying on their innocence1 honestly despised those tempting conditions1 should be consigned to the gallows4 ,in fact1 false confessions1 fraud1 and counterfeit1 were so palpable1 that the halter might with more justice have been applied to the accusers than to those who actually suffered4 ,but such1 at that time1 was the state of the public mind1 that the more extravagant the tale1 the more implicitly was it regarded4 ,the hostility to witchcraft was so prevalent as to give a general bias unfriendly to the fair development of truth1 or to the impartial examination of facts and circumstances4 ,the unhappy victims were without defence1 and their total ignorance subjected them to the most cruel treatment and sufferings4 ,in one instance on record1 there appears to us to be a profanation of the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,the woman being required to repeat it before the court1 instead of 'deliver us from evil1' expressed it 'deliver us from all evil2' this was considered as referring to her own condition1 and she was ordered to repeat it again4 ,on the second trial1 instead of 'hallowed be thy name1' she expressed 'hollowed be thy name4' ,thus by her using the o1 in place of a1 it was concluded that she could not say the ,lord's ,prayer1 and she was committed to jail as a witch4 ,in ,dr ,mather's ',magnalia1' we have the following instance of witchcraft4 ,in the year #afgi1 the house of ,william ,morse1 at ,newbury1 was infested with demons4 ',bricks1 and sticks1 and stones1 were often by some invisible hand1 thrown at the house1 and so were many pieces of wood2 a cat was thrown at the woman of the house1 and a long staff was danced up and down in the chimney1 and afterwards the same long staff was hanged by a line1 and swung to and fro1 and when two persons laid it on the fire to burn1 it was as much as they were able to do with their joint strength to hold it there4 ,an iron crook was violently1 by an invisible hand1 hurled about1 and a chair flew about the room until at last it lit upon the table1 where the food stood ready to be eaten1 and would have spoiled all1 if the people had not with much ado saved a little4 ,a chest1 was by an invisible hand1 carried from one place to another1 and the doors barricaded2 and the keys of the family taken some of them from the bunch where they were tied1 and the rest flying about with a loud noise4 ,for a while the people of the house could not sup quietly2 ashes would be thrown into their suppers and on their heads4 ,the man's shoes being left below1 one of them would be filled with ashes and coals and thrown up after him4 ,when in bed a stone1 weighing about three pounds1 was divers times thrown upon them4 ,a box and a board were likewise thrown upon them1 and a bag of hops being taken out of a chest1 they were by the invisible hand1 beaten therewith1 till some of the hops were scattered on the floor1 where the bag was then laid and left4 ,the man was often struck by that hand1 with several instruments1 and the same hand cast their good things into the fire2 yea1 while the man was at prayer1 a broom gave him a blow on his head behind and fell down before his face4 ,while the man was writing1 his ink-stand was by the invisible hand snatched from him1 and being able nowhere to find it1 he saw it at length drop out of the air down by the fire4 ,a shoe was laid on his shoulder1 and when he would have catched it1 it was snatched from him and was then clapped on his head1 and there held so fast1 that the unseen fury pulled him with it backward on the floor4 ,he had his cap torn off his head1 and in the night he was pulled by the hair and pinched1 and scratched2 and the invisible hand pricked him with some of his awls1 and with needles1 and bodkins1 and blows that fetched blood were sometimes given him4 ,his wife going down into the cellar1 the trap door was immediately by an invisible hand shut upon her1 and a table brought and laid upon the door4 ,when he was writing another time1 a dish went and leaped into a pail and cast water upon the man and spoiled what he was about4 ,his cap jumped off his head and on again1 and the pot lid went off the pot into the kettle1 then over the fire together4 ,a little boy belonging to the family was a principal sufferer1 for he was flung about at such a rate1 that it was feared his brains would be beaten out4 ,his bed-clothes would be pulled from him1 his bed shaken1 leaping forward and backward4 ,the man took him to hold in a chair1 but the chair fell a dancing1 and both of them were very near being thrown into the fire4 ,these1 and a thousand such vexations1 befalling the boy at home1 they carried him to live at a doctor's4 ,there he was quiet1 but returning home he suddenly cried out he was pricked on the back1 where was found strangely sticking a three tined fork belonging to the doctor1 and had been seen at his house after the boy's departure4 ,afterwards his troublers found him out at the doctor's also1 when crying out again he was pinched on the back1 they found an iron spindle stuck into him2 and on the like outcry again1 they found pins in a paper stuck into him1 and a long iron1 a bowl of a spoon stuck upon him4 ,he was taken out of his bed and thrown under it1 and all the knives in the house were one after another stuck into his back2 which the spectators pulled out1 only one of them seemed to the spectators to come out of his mouth4 ,the spectre would make all his meat1 when he was going to eat1 fly out of his mouth1 and instead thereof make him fall to eating ashes1 sticks1 and yarn4' ,the foregoing has all the air of an exaggerated narrative1 and it is probable that ,dr ,mather1 in his love for the marvellous and wonderful1 recorded the circumstances without due examination1 but merely from the uncertain rumor among the credulous neighbors4 ,the same story is found on the records of the court at ,salem1 but with the following explanatory circumstances as ,i have received them4 ,it so happened1 that one ,caleb ,powell1 an intelligent seaman1 suspected that a boy1 the grandson of ,morse1 who lived in the family1 was the cause of all the mischief1 and watched for an opportunity of detecting him4 ,going one morning to ,morse's house1 he saw through the window1 the said boy throw a shoe slyly at the old man's head4 ,upon this1 ,powell told ,morse that if he would let his boy come and live with him a short time1 he guessed that with a little astrology and a little astronomy1 he could unravel the mystery4 ,morse reluctantly consented1 and his house was not molested during the boy's absence4 ,this1 ,morse acknowledged1 but yet1 unwilling to suspect the boy1 he and his neighbors concluded that ,powell had studied the black art1 and had by that means been the cause of all the mischief about ,morse's house4 ,powell was accordingly apprehended and tried at ,salem4 ,the testimony against him was singular4 ,one testified1 that he had heard him say that by a little astrology and a little astronomy1 he guessed he could find out the cause of ,morse's trouble4 ,another testified1 that he heard it said that ,powell had studied the black art with one ,norwood1 a famous magician beyond sea4 ,the result of the trial was1 that although they could find no positive evidence of his guilt1 yet he had given so much ground for suspicion1 that he deserved to bear his own shame and the costs of court4 ,morse's wife was at another time tried for witchcraft1 and condemned to be hung1 but was afterwards reprieved1 and died a pious woman4 ,the following is an amusing story1 well told1 but it is from newspaper authority1 the ,galaxy4 ,about the year #agfj1 the fury of the inhabitants of ,new ,england had declined towards suspected old women1 but their believing fear was not altogether quelled4 ,at this time1 a case of witchcraft occurred in ,billerica1 under the ministry of the ,rev4 ,dr ,cummings1 who related the story with much satisfaction1 as the last which came within his precincts4 ,an old woman1 of very peaceable character1 lived pretty much alone in a shell of a house near the meeting-house and the clergyman's dwelling4 ,she was suspected of witchcraft by a family who lived at two miles' distance1 in the west part of the town1 and they brought accusation immediately to the parson2 who in those early times1 exercised not only the spiritual1 but the temporal power of the parish2 he was often counsel for both parties1 and was judge and jury1 without subjection to appeal4 ,he was1 moreover1 a peace-maker4 ,mr ,c4 accused ,mrs ,d4 of witchcraft4 ',how do you know she is a witch8' ',because she has bewitched my mare4' ',how do you know that your mare is bewitched8' ',because she won't stand still to be saddled1 and the minute ,i get on1 she kicks up and throws me off4' ',but what makes you think that ,mrs ,d4 has bewitched her8' ,no answer4 ',have you had a quarrel with her8' ',oh no6 ,i have had no quarrel4' ',but what is the matter8 surely she would not bewitch her for nothing4' ',why ,i carried her some corn on the mare about a week ago1 and ,i didn't know but ,i might have made a mistake in the measure so that it fell short1 and so'--',and because your corn fell short1 you suspect that she found it out1 and is so angry as to bewitch your mare4' ',yes1 that's it1 and ,i want you to go and lay the devil4' ',why1 if you have raised the devil by cheating in the corn1 you had better lay him yourself4' ',yes1 but ,i don't know how4' ',go then1 directly1 and carry the balance of the corn1 and take good care never to commit such an act again3 the devil is always busy with people who do not perform all their duties honestly4' ,the man slunk away home at this unexpected rebuke1 and failed not to carry corn enough to make full measure2 which1 however1 he feared to carry into the house to the old woman1 but emptied it down upon the door-stone4 ,but the mare ceased to kick as usual2 whereupon ,mr ,c4 came to the minister1 told him what he had done1 and begged for holy assistance4 ',go home1' said the parson1 with all that energy for which he was so remarkable1 'go home1--you need not trouble yourself about witches2 ,i'll not allow them to do any mischief1 ,i assure you--do your duty1 so as to escape a guilty conscience1 and if your mare is refractory1 whip her1 as ,i do mine--go1 and let me hear no more about witches4' ,mr ,c4 obeyed1 but he was far from convinced that ,mrs ,d4 was not a witch1 and he determined to put it to the proof4 ,for this purpose he boiled a large potato1 which he put directly from the boiling water1 under the bewitched mare's saddle4 ,the caperings and kickings of the poor beast were excusable this time1 at least1 for when after some hours the saddle was got off1 it was found that a severe mark was left behind it4 ,the proof of the matter was to be this2 if the old woman had bewitched the mare1 she would have the same mark of a burn on her back4 ,two old women were prevailed on to be of the examining committee4 ,dr ,cummings was requested to be of the party1 with his ,bible at hand1 to prevent any fatal explosion from ,satan's nostrils4 ,this office he prudently declined4 ,his place was supplied by another old woman1 and ,saturday night was appointed for this examination4 ,this time was chosen1 because the good people thought that ,satan would not visit in holy hours4 ,in the meantime1 the good woman got an inkling of what was going on2 and as they entered a long dark entry1 they were saluted with a stupendous flash of powder and tow1 and a glorious clatter of tin pans4 ,the committee was scattered of course--and before church the next day1 everybody in the town knew1 that the devil came1 all covered with blue brimstone1 to save his disciple1 the wicked ,mrs ,d4 ,this would have made a new era in witchcraft in the town1 but for the pertinent remarks of the parson touching the matter2 for he was enabled to dispense a word in season4 ,it is but a few years since1 a farmer at ,kennebunk1 observing his cattle to be affected with some fatal disease1 conceived the idea that they were bewitched1 and fixed his suspicion on a poor widow who had become insane in consequence of the death of her husband at sea4 ,he was so confident of her guilt1 that he went to her lonely cottage1 and with his ox goad1 beat and abused her in a cruel manner4 ,it is not under our salutary laws that a crime so atrocious can pass with impunity4 ,the culprit was prosecuted and received the merited punishment4 ,the family of ,m',farlain1 of ,pembroke1 were remarkable for peculiarity of character and manners4 ,about the year #aghi1 ,seth ,m',farlain attracted the notice of the neighborhood by being supposed to be under the influence of witchcraft4 ,he became an object of wonder and commiseration to some1 and of curiosity and ridicule to others4 ,hundreds of people thronged round his house from time to time1 gazing with astonishment at his supposed personal sufferings2 inflicted1 as he pretended1 by a certain old hag in the neighborhood4 ,he was desired to visit the woman at her house1 but before he could reach the door1 his limbs would fail him1 and he would fall to the ground4 ,his body was occasionally distorted and convulsed1 he would utter the bitterest complaints of pain and distress1 which he ascribed to the presence of the hag1 although she was invisible to all but himself4 ,he consulted ,judge ,t--r1 to know whether he would be culpable in law if he should kill a witch4 ,the ,judge observing ,seth on the bed with a club1 swinging his arms to and fro1 to keep off the witch1 was willing to humor the whim1 and procured a gun1 and loading it with some pieces of silver1 enjoined on ,seth to take a sure aim when the witch again made her appearance4 ,accordingly1 ,seth pointed the gun to the door where she usually entered1 and hung up her bonnet1 and at the proper time he discharged his piece4 ,the discharge shattered the door in pieces1 but the cunning witch dodged her head at the moment he pulled the trigger6 ,,omens ,,and ,,auguries4 ,in ancient times1 especially among the ,greeks and ,romans1 omens and auguries were considered as of great importance in the common concerns of life2 but having their origin in ignorance and superstition1 they vanished before the light of philosophy and wisdom4 ,but so late as the first part of the last century1 the belief in fairies1 hobgoblins1 witches1 and omens1 prevailed almost universally among the superstitious part of the community2 and even some of superior rank and condition in life1 were under the influence of these chimerical fancies4 ,the following were among the lucky and unlucky omens4 ,the flight of singing birds1 or the manner of feeding of birds and chickens1 portended good or evil1 according to particular circumstances4 ,the act of sneezing was ominous of good or evil1 according to the number at the time1 or the place4 ,if1 when a servant is making a bed1 she happens to sneeze1 no person can sleep in it undisturbed1 unless a part of the straw or feathers be taken out and burnt4 ,nothing could insure success to a person going on important business1 more effectually than to throw an old shoe after him on leaving the house4 ,if there be in company thirteen persons1 the devil's dozen1 some misfortune will befall one of them4 ,to spill salt1 at table1 is very ominous1 and the ticking of the small insect called a death-watch1 foretels death1 and the screech-owl at midnight1 some terrible misfortune4 ,these1 and many other silly fancies1 have been keenly satirized by ,addison1 in the ,spectator4 ,to find a horse-shoe was deemed lucky1 more especially1 if it be preserved and nailed on the door1 as this prevents the annoyance of witches4 ,this1 probably1 was the origin of the practice continued in our times1 of nailing horse shoes on the masts of vessels1 against the enchantment of witches4 ,the omens are extended to particular days in the week4 ,friday1 for instance1 is considered an inauspicious day for the commencement of any undertaking4 ,it is seldom that a seaman can be prevailed on to commence a voyage on that day4 ,an account has been published of some person1 who1 desirous of eradicating this prejudice1 ordered the timber of his vessel to be cut on ,friday2 her foundation laid1 her launching1 and the engaging her crew1 on ,friday1 and finally he ordered her to sail on ,friday4 ,but it was remarkable and unfortunate1 that neither the vessel nor crew were ever heard from afterwards4 ,this1 however1 is no proof that ,friday is more likely to produce disasters than any other day in the seven4 ,we know that all events are under the control of ,divine ,providence1 and it is inconsistent with reason to imagine1 that fatality will attend undertakings because they were commenced on any one particular day4 ,that singular genius1 ,lord ,byron1 was among those who indulged the superstitious notion1 that ,friday is an unlucky day4 ,in ,moore's ,life of ,byron1 may be found the following4 ',among the superstitions in which he chose to indulge1 the supposed unluckiness of ,friday1 as a day for the commencement of any work1 was one by which he almost always allowed himself to be influenced4 ,soon after his arrival at ,pisa1 a lady of his acquaintance happening to meet him on the road from her house1 as she was herself returning thither1 and supposing that he had been to make her a visit1 requested that he would go back with her4 ,i have not been to your house1 he answered2 for just before ,i got to the door ,i remembered that it was ,friday2 and not liking to make my first visit on a ,friday1 ,i turned back4 ,it is even related of him1 that he once sent away a ,genoese tailor1 who brought him home a new coat on the same ominous day4 ,with all this1 strange to say1 he set sail for ,greece on a ,friday2 and1 though by those who have any leaning to this superstitious fancy1 the result may be thought but too sadly confirmatory of the omen1 it is plain1 that either the influence of superstition over his own mind was slight1 or1 in the excitement of self devotion under which he now acted1 was forgotten4' ,in ,lord ,byron1 we have an example of the fatal consequences which sometimes ensue from prejudices against any particular purpose or object1 being instilled into the youthful mind4 ,of all his prejudices1 he declared the strongest was that against bleeding4 ,his mother had on her death bed obtained from him a promise never to consent to being bled4 ,when on his own death bed1 therefore1 he pertinaciously opposed the operation1 contrary to the united and earnest entreaties of his physicians1 and it was delayed till too late to afford him the desired relief4 ,history furnishes one signal instance of a successful enterprise commenced on ,friday4 ,it was on that day that ,christopher ,columbus sailed from the port of ,palos on his first voyage of discovery2 and it was on ,friday that he landed on an island never before seen by ,european eyes4 ,of all events recorded in modern history1 this is incomparably the most important4 ,a curious and melancholy instance of aberration of intellect1 occurred on board the ship ,president1 on her outward bound passage to ,charleston4 ,she encountered very heavy weather1 and one of the sailors stated to his shipmates that he was convinced the storm had arisen entirely in consequence of his wicked course of life1 and that the offended majesty of heaven could only be appeased by his immediately precipitating himself into the sea4 ,in vain was every argument urged1 and every endeavor made1 on the part of the captain and his officers1 to induce him to relinquish his purpose4 ,one evening he ascended the main rigging1 and putting off a part of his attire1 threw himself headlong into the deep4 ,when the ship was returning to this city1 a storm of considerable violence arose1 which called forth all the superstition of the mariners1 and a cry became universal that she would go down unless ',sam's' chest was thrown overboard4 ,a ,scotchman was among the most bigoted portion of the crew1 and having more dread of the elements than the captain1 he1 by some means or other1 procured the chest of poor ',sam1' and entombed it in the grave of its owner4 ,the storm almost immediately abated2 calmness reigned upon the face of the waters1 and a fine breeze wafted them to the mouth of the harbor4 ,here1 however1 the wind became unpropitious1 and a squall from the land drove them off4 ,discontent again manifested its influence1 and a general search took place to ascertain whether anything belonging to the suicide remained4 ,after the forecastle had been duly searched1 an old shoe was discovered1 and hastily yielded up as a sacrifice to ,eolus4 ,the wind again subsided1 and a fair breeze brought them into port2 the whole scene without doubt1 confirming their minds in the superstition they had cherished4--,n4 ,y4 ,j4 of ,commerce4 ,on board of a ship1 ,capt ,v4 master1 it became necessary in the night1 to reef the topsails2 the sails were lowered1 and the reef tackle hauled out1 when the sailors ascended the mast2 but to the surprise of the captain1 they soon came down in great terror1 crying out that the devil was in the top1 they knew him by his horns1 flashing eyes1 and grisly beard4 ,no commands or threats from the captain could avail1 to induce them to make another attempt4 ,all other orders they were willing to obey1 but to encounter the devil on the topmast was too much4 ,the affair began to grow serious1 for the topsail was quivering and shivering in the wind4 ,the captain and officers resolved with courage to ascend1 but they1 too1 were driven in terror to the deck4 ,it was now agreed1 be their fate what it may1 to wait till the morning2 when by daylight it was discovered1 that an old goat was seated on the top1 with its glaring eyes staring the seamen in the face4 ,it appeared that the goat was sleeping on the halliards while coiled in a tub1 and was by that means hoisted up to the top without the knowledge of any one4 ,the ,roman ,catholics have been educated in the full persuasion that the devil appears in bodily form1 and often in the high style of some great personage4 ,i have more than once listened to an honest ,irish ,catholic while gravely relating the manner in which ,satan appeared on horseback with a splendid retinue1 and took possession of a gentleman's palace in ,ireland1 after the massacre of the ,romish priests4 ,his majesty having taken possession of the palace1 a ,protestant minister was sent to drive him to his own abode1 but he was received with a laugh and sneer1 as possessing no power4 ,but at length a ,catholic priest1 who had been secreted in a cavern during the massacre1 was sent1 and he no sooner entered than the devil in a fright1 flew up the chimney1 carrying an iron pot from over the fire1 and in passing out carrying off the top of the chimney4 ,the ,irishman entertained not the least doubt of the reality of the transaction2 and added that the chimney still remains in the same state1 no one daring to mend it4 ,some old seamen admire to be considered as being on familiar terms with the devil4 ,the following story has often been related by sailors in the full belief of its truth4 ,a sailor sold himself to the devil1 on condition that he should enjoy all the good things and pleasures of this life for fifty years1 when he would give himself up2 but the devil was to perform any one thing which the sailor might desire before he surrendered4 ,at the expiration of fifty years1 ,satan came for his man4 ,the sailor acknowledged that the time had expired1 but one thing was to be done4 ,satan was required to pump the sea dry1 but the cunning son of ,neptune had so placed the pump that the water from it flowed directly into the sea again4 ,the devil was so enraged at this cunning artifice1 that he gave him a tremendous blow with his tail and vanished in a cloud of smoke and brimstone4 ,the ,reformation of the #afth century1 although it in a great measure broke the shackles which bound the human intellect1 and taught men to think1 did not altogether eradicate heathen and popish absurdities1 even from the reformers themselves4 ,what1 but a spirit of bigotry1 could influence the great mind of ,martin ,luther gravely to declare that he experienced several personal encounters with the devil1 in consequence of his being engaged in reforming the abuses of the ,catholic ,church1 and particularly that his ',satanic majesty entered his bolted chamber one night1 stole his hazel nuts1 and cracked them on his bed-post1 to his no small annoyance8' ,the ,rev4 ,mr ,whitman1 in his ingenious lecture on ,popular ,superstition1 relates1 that ',not many years ago1 a man was suddenly missing from a certain town in this commonwealth4 ,the church immediately sent one of her members to consult the far-famed fortune-teller1 ,molly ,pitcher4 ,after making the necessary inquiries1 she intimated that the absent person had been murdered by a family of negroes1 and his body sunk in the deep waters behind their dwelling4 ,upon this evidence1 the accused were forthwith imprisoned1 and the pond raked in vain from shore to shore4 ,a few days previous to the trial1 the murdered man returned to his friends safe and sound4' ,the church would have done themselves more credit1 had they taken the legal means for the punishment of the fortune-teller in the penitentiary for defamation4 ,i cannot omit to communicate the following excellent remarks in the language of my amiable and learned friend and correspondent1 ,thomas ,miner1 ,m4 ,d4 of ,middletown1 ,conn4 ',that demons could ever work miracles1 seems to be incredible2 but mind as well as matter was evidently subject to different laws anciently1 from what they are at present4 ,this principle may perhaps help to a satisfactory solution of many things otherwise involved in inextricable perplexity in the ,scriptures4 ,god never violated1 and can never violate1 known laws1 but he can change them at pleasure4 ,every geologist knows he has changed them since the creation1 for by no law now existing1 can we account for the organic remains of tropical animals1 and plants in arctic and temperate regions4 ,there have1 therefore1 been miracles1 or variations1 or suspensions1 or additions1 to the common laws of nature1 as respects the physical world4 ,science teaches this1 particularly geology1 and this cuts1 or rather unties1 the gordian knot in the material world4 ,the analogy is complete in the world of mind2 at least1 revelation informs us that the ordinary laws of mind1 and of matter too1 have been occasionally varied1 suspended1 or have had supplementary additions1 as is the fact in all the miracles recorded in ,scripture4 ,if ,hume had only been a modern geologist1 he would have seen the futility of his reasoning against the possibility of miracles1 for he would have had facts staring him in the face1 demonstrating that matter had at times been governed by laws very different in kind or in degree1 or in both1 from any that are now known to exist4 ,analogy shows that this may have been the case with mind2 ,scripture says it has been4 ',i must confess1 ,i am very cautious in explaining away a single miraculous event recorded in the ,scriptures1 since if ,i begin ,i know not where to stop2 but if ,i only admit this principle1 that though the general laws of matter and mind have always been the same1 yet the ,creator has frequently1 for great and wise purposes1 deviated from them himself1 and permitted1 or authorized1 or empowered others1 sometimes1 on important occasions1 to deviate from them1 7as we know has been the fact in the material world7 nearly every difficulty in the interpretation of the marvellous part of revelation1 at once becomes of easy solution4 ,perhaps it may be objected that this does not solve the difficulty concerning the miraculous agency of bad men or other depraved beings4 ,but revelation does mention cases of bad men prophesying1 working miracles1 and performing other wonders1 whom the ,saviour never knew4 ,true science1 wherever it is properly applied1 must destroy superstition and fanaticism1 but as is the case with geology1 showing that miracles or changes of the laws of nature have existed1 it serves to support real religion1 and demonstrates the immoveable basis on which it is founded4 ,philosophy shows that miracles have existed1 revelation records the time1 place1 and occasion4 ,after all1 ,i would speak with great caution concerning the ancient demoniacs1 whatever side of the question we take1 much remains that is mysterious and perhaps incomprehensible by our present imperfect faculties4 ',in most points of view1 we live in the best age the world ever saw2 but we live in an age of excitement4 ,every1 almost every project1 is begun and pursued with enthusiasm4 ,the difficulty is to keep from running into complete fanaticism4 ,mere duty or expediency1 however1 is a cold thing1 and never alone does much1 unless it is attended with some zeal1 some ardor1 some earnestness of feeling4 ,these latter emotions should resemble the steady1 but gentle breeze2 but passion1 especially1 when protracted into fanaticism1 is like the hurricane and tornado4 ,i know of no way to insure the golden mean with any prospect of success1 except by giving the rising generation a stable education1 founded upon the sure basis of the morality and religion of the gospel4 ,the sermon on the mount contains the best rules of duty1 and the thirteenth chapter of the first ,corinthians1 the best exposition of them1 anywhere to be found4 ,the great law of love1 enforcing a disposition to do to others as we would wish them to do to us1 is practically exemplified in the charity which is so much insisted on by ,paul4' ,it is incumbent upon us as patriots and philanthropists1 as far as in our power1 to guard the rising generation against every species of superstition1 by a strong bulwark laid deep and early in the minds of our children4 ,it is our children that are to be entrusted with our character1 our acquirements1 and our sentiments2 whether fraught with pure wisdom1 or tinctured with brain-sick infirmities1 future generations will know how to appreciate their worth4 ,if we wish posterity to enjoy true and permanent happiness1 let them be taught to cultivate their intellectual powers1 and fortify their minds against deceptive illusions and imaginary evils4 ,spectral illusions may be experienced while the intellectual faculties remain entire1 as is exemplified in the cases of ,nicolai and the ,scottish lady1 related in a former part of this work4 ,the celebrated ,dr ,samuel ,johnson1 was prone to superstition1 and occasionally afflicted with paroxysms of hypochondriacal illusions4 ,he relates1 that as he was one day at ,oxford1 turning the key of his chamber1 he heard his mother 7who was at ,litchfield7 distinctly calling ',sam4' ,from which he had wrought up his mind to expect the most woful tidings of his beloved parent1 but was entirely and happily disappointed4 ,let our youth be taught that the whole phalanx of ghosts1 apparitions1 witches and wizards1 charms and enchantments1 second sight1 omens and auguries1 astrology and fortune telling1 vulgar miracles1 and vulgar prophecies1 should be classed with other vulgarisms1 the legitimate offspring of perverted imaginations1 and ought to be reprobated as degrading to the human understanding4 ,those who disdain to believe in their existence1 will never be molested by them4 ',resist the devil and he will flee from you4' ,firmly resist a belief in witchcraft1 and you may bid defiance to all the witches that ever traversed the air or haunted a dwelling4 ,strongly impress on the minds of our youth1 that superstition and bigotry are derogatory to the cause of genuine religion1 giving countenance to inadequate conceptions of the deity1 illiberality1 and uncharitableness1 religious frenzy1 tumultuous excitements1 fanatical disquietudes1 unreal or doubtful conversions1 melancholy1 gloom1 and despair4 ,these evil results are diametrically opposed to that honorable and happy character which the christian religion is so admirably calculated to form and sustain4 ,we may confer great benefit on our youth1 by directing them to a proper course of reading4 ,in a library1 without advice1 they are in the condition of a stranger in a city without a guide4 ,the world is almost inundated with books2 a choice may be made to answer every requirement and to suit every genius and taste4 ,popular education has now become almost universally a darling pursuit4 ,seminaries of learning and improved school institutions1 are extending more and more1 and will soon be diffused throughout the land1 and their benefits equally enjoyed by all classes of our youth4 ,numerous ,lyceums have1 within these last few years1 been established in ,new ,england1 and the public voice bespeaks an abundant increase in their numbers2 they abound in the best means to excite emulation and diffuse general knowledge4 ,it is auspicious to the public welfare when our citizens are wise1 and sober minded1 patriotic1 chaste1 and virtuous1 appreciating the free institutions of our fathers1 as rich boons from heaven1 and the freedom of mind as of inestimable value4 ,the avenues which lead to the fountains of honor and intelligence are as wide and easy of access as those which overwhelm in vice and misery1 and those who prefer the former need not pass through life unacquainted with the mighty wonders which the world contains4 ,it is with regret1 that1 in ',a ,dictionary of important names1 objects1 and terms found in the holy ,scriptures1 intended principally for youth1' recently published by ,howard ,malcolm1 ,a4 ,m41 the following definition is found4 ',witch is a woman and ,wizard is a man that is supposed to have dealings with ,satan1 if not actually entered into formal compact with him4 ,that such persons are among men is abundantly plain from ,scripture2 and that they ought to be put to death4' ,it can scarcely be believed that this can be intended as an item in the code of instruction for the rising generation in the #aith century4 ,our children1 it is presumed1 have1 in these enlightened times1 been taught lessons better calculated to instil into their tender minds the principles of moral wisdom and philanthropy4 ,the author has not favored the public with the rules and signs by which witches and wizards are to be designated1 and the evidence by which they are to be convicted4 ,had he lived in witch-hanging times1 he might have witnessed with what sang-froid ghosts and spectres could consign witches and wizards to the gallows4 ,has the author been so fortunate as to ascertain whether the sin of witchcraft1 as understood in modern times1 is actually denounced as punishable in the holy ,scriptures8 ,in all countries1 improvements in literature and the arts and sciences1 have been impeded1 not only by superstition and bigotry among the ignorant1 but by the absurd edicts of sovereigns and legislators1 as if to bid defiance to all the energies of progressive knowledge4 ,in the #afth century1 the ,emperor ,charles ,v4 of ,spain1 although himself addicted to crimes of the blackest stain1 ordered an assembly of divines to deliberate1 whether it were lawful in point of conscience to dissect a dead body4 ,during the prevalence of a malignant fever in ,barcelona1 the court of ,madrid wrote the prescription to be used1 and by command of his ,catholic ,majesty1 the physicians were ordered to adhere to it in all cases1 and forbidden to prescribe any other remedy4 ,in the days of bitter intolerance1 ,servetus1 a learned ,spanish physician1 discovered the course of the blood through the lungs1 called the lesser circulation2 and was afterwards cruelly burnt at the stake1 with his books1 in consequence of a religious controversy with ,john ,calvin4 ,the immortal ,harvey1 who1 in #afbh1 was the author of the most important discovery recorded in medical history1 the circulation of the blood1 was subjected to base calumny and detraction1 while bestowing blessings on the world1 by his noble efforts and pious example4 ',it was1 ,i believe1' says ,lady ,morgan1 'late in the last century1 that ,baron de ,luch was executed at ,turin1 for having published that the earth moves round the sun4' ,the ,chevalier ,la ,barre1 a minor1 was executed in ,france for an imputed insult offered to the crucifix4 ,but1 ,god be praised1 the rack of torture and the lighted fagot never have disgraced our native country2 nor are these horrid engines any longer in requisition to punish imaginary crimes and to repress truth and philosophical research4 ,a pious friend and patron of the present writer1 dying in the year #aghg1 without heirs1 bequeathed by will his whole estate1 except some legacies1 to thirteen ,congregational ,societies in the county in which he lived2 the interest of which was to be appropriated1 annually1 for one hundred years1 to the purchase of certain specified religious books1 to be distributed among the said ,societies4 ,after the expiration of one hundred years1 other religious books might be selected by the existing ministers1 except1 that one year in every four1 the books first mentioned only should be purchased4 ,in less than twenty years1 the specified books becoming obsolete1 new editions were required to be printed for that particular purpose only1 which occasioned great expense4 ,the ,societies interested became dissatisfied with their restriction to books which were constantly superseded by more recent publications1 keeping pace with progressive improvement4 ,they all united in a petition to the legislature that the will might be abolished1 which was granted1 and the estate sold and the proceeds divided among the several ,societies concerned4 ,change and decay are stamped in indelible characters upon the proudest productions of man2 all bequests on illiberal conditions and human creeds to which men may cling as infallible1 can be considered as commensurate only with all earthly objects based on no permanent foundation4 ,,medical ,,quackery4 ,there may be no impropriety in adding a few pages on the subject of ,medical ,quackery and empiricism1 since1 for more than half a century1 the writer has occasionally witnessed melancholy scenes and disasters among his fellow-men in consequence of their nefarious practice4 ,it is a matter of congratulation1 that from the liberal and excellent provisions made by our legislatures1 and the most ample means of education which our institutions afford1 every candidate for medical fame may become completely qualified for its attainment4 ,and every town or parish may be supplied with scientific physicians1 meriting the confidence of the people2 and no other should ever be employed or encouraged1 as they have peculiar claim to public patronage4 ,notwithstanding that in all the medical institutions in the ,united ,states1 the most judicious and energetic measures have been adopted to prevent the evils of quackery1 there are ignorant and unprincipled impostors1 who set at defiance all learning and theoretical knowledge1 and practise the vilest acts and deceptions1 sporting with the health and lives of their fellow-men without remorse4 ,such miscreants are too frequently encouraged by the heedless multitude1 who1 delighting in marvellous and magical airs1 readily yield themselves dupes to the grossest absurdities4 ,from one of this character we have the following anecdote4 ,an old acquaintance who knew well the character of a celebrated empiric1 said to him1 while standing at the door1 ',prithee1 doctor1 how is it that you1 whose origin ,i so well know1 should have been able to obtain more practice than almost all the regular bred physicians4' ',pray1' says the quack1 'how many persons have passed us while you put the question8' ',about twenty4' ',and pray how many of them do you suppose possess a competent share of common sense8' ',perhaps one out of the twenty4' ',just so1' says the doctor1 'and that one applies to the regular physician1 while ,i and my brethren pick up the other nineteen4' ,and how often have we seen the contemptible ignoramus raised by the voice of popularity above the level of the learned and accomplished physician1 and boasting of nineteen twentieths of the practice8 ,it is not unfrequent that our attention is arrested by the pretensions of prophets and mystical fanatics1 who announce their pretended heavenly mission1 and treat their credulous patients with bubbles and magical spells4 ,the stranger1 called the rainwater doctor1 after gulling hundreds of people of weak minds a few years since1 disappeared1 leaving both his origin and his exit involved in mystery4 ,but the most audacious impostor that was ever suffered to delude even the vulgar1 was one ,austin1 of ,vermont1 who1 a few years since1 proclaimed himself a prophet1 and pretended to cure all diseases by prayer to heaven1 requiring no other information relative to the patient1 than a few lines requesting his prayers4 ,such was the credulity and such the faith of the multitude1 that letters and messengers were despatched to him from the sick1 the blind1 and the crippled1 from the distance of several hundred miles1 until thousands had accumulated on his hands4 ,a certain poor man whom ,i knew1 became so infatuated with the prophet's proclamation1 that1 after collecting letters from a number of invalids1 of all descriptions1 among whom was one totally blind1 and having received contributions in money1 actually performed a journey of about two hundred miles to receive the benefit of the prophet's prayers4 ,but he soon returned as he went1 and gained for his credulous employers and himself no other benefit than a conviction of their folly1 and the vile imposition of modern prophets4 ,the two jugglers above mentioned1 it is presumed1 jeoparded no lives by the use of poisonous materials1 as they depended on the operation of the imagination2 but there are bolder champions of the craft who can pop you off the stage in a moment4 ,the country is annoyed by a train of unprincipled ignoramuses1 without reputation1 who are prowling about1 brandishing the sure weapons of death1 reckless of consequences4 ,but their punishment is reserved to the day of retributive justice4 ,i well recollect the following moral lesson of a pious physician4 ',if a patient die through your wilful ignorance1 rashness1 or careless neglect1 his blood will be required at your hands4' ,how much greater1 then1 must be the accountability in those who administer the most active and even poisonous materials1 without the smallest acquaintance with the human constitution or the nature of the medicine4 ,it is characteristic of these people1 to undertake to cure incurables1 magnifying a wart to a rose cancer1 a simple ulcer to a spreading mortification1 and to set bones where there is neither joint nor fracture4 ,although palpable instances of death from their practice are frequent1 should a single cure happen1 it is proclaimed as almost miraculous1 and the lawless miscreants are still suffered to seek their prey with impunity1 and no one tells of their thousand victims concealed in the silent grave6 ,it is from a similar empirical source1 that the public is annoyed by a disgusting display of quack and patent medicines2 which1 through the medium of newspapers1 are impudently palmed upon public attention4 ,it would seem as though a host of ignorant impostors have leagued in hostility against the profession of medicine1 wishing to despoil it of its dignity and usefulness1 and prostrate its character in the dust4 ,the world is inundated with nostrums1 usurping the power1 not only to remedy all the diseases of our nature1 but actually to fortify the human constitution1 and render it invulnerable4 ,in their ostentatious display1 they extol a single nostrum as adequate to the prevention and cure of a whole catalogue of diseases1 however opposite or discordant in their nature4 ,they are suited to all constitutions1 as the shoe-black's composition is applicable to every one's boots or shoes4 ,thus are we kindly invited1 at the expense of a few dollars1 to purchase of those self 'dubbed doctors1' that health and longevity which even the judicious hand of science is unable to bestow4 ,the inventors and venders of these pretended specifics1 in most instances1 have no knowledge of the diseases which they pretend to cure2 they depend1 as it were1 on a random shot1 and whatever may be the issue1 they are sure of their enormous gains1 from two to four hundred per cent2 articles sold for a dollar might be afforded for ten cents4 ,by such fraud and imposition1 a noted ,charlatan in ,london accumulated such an immense fortune as to parade the streets in a splendid equipage1 the effects of public credulity4 ,but the public may be assured1 that since the great improvements in chemical science1 a large proportion of patent medicines have been analyzed1 and are found to consist of old articles which physicians have expunged from their materia medica1 to give place to more valuable and efficacious remedies4 ,here1 then1 is a boundless source of knavery and fraud1--but ,i desire to have it understood1 that these observations are not to extend to all patentees of medical compositions1 without exception1 for all are not equally censurable4 ,few1 indeed1 there are1 which scientific physicians are willing to concede may be of public utility4 ,but that indiscriminate application in all cases and circumstances1 should be most pointedly reprobated4 ,were the annual amount of money expended for useless nostrums made public1 it would excite astonishment1 and were the innumerable disappointments in their creative powers promulgated1 public indignation and contempt would be the portion of the inventors and venders of patented nostrums4 ,there is not a more provoking absurdity1 as applied to the economy of health1 than the idea of spring medicines1 family medicines1 c1 and it should be distinctly understood by every individual1 that such medicine administered to persons in health1 as preventive of disease1 as well as those administered without a skilful reference to the present condition of the system1 are absolutely dangerous to health and life4 ,and the same observation will apply to the practice of blood-letting in the spring season4 ,those who maintain the ridiculous idea that individuals are endowed with supernatural gifts and knowledge1 and become skilful physicians without education or study1 betray a pitiful credulity1 equalled only by the conceits of those who believe in ghosts and spectres1 haunting the dwellings of the dead4 ,we now witness with the deepest interest1 the rapid strides in the march of intellect1 keeping pace with the advance of light and truth1 looking for that political and moral millenium1 when knowledge will be more sought for than wealth1 and the charms of virtue more prized than those of vice2 when prejudice1 superstition1 and licentiousness1 will be discountenanced among all classes of mankind1 and righteousness shall exalt our nation4 ,truly 'the lines have fallen to us in pleasant places1 and we have a goodly heritage4' ,but it were unjust to look back to antiquity and compare the beauties of the present day with the deformities of ancient times2 to attribute exclusive perfection to ourselves and deprive our ancestors of their real worth and merit2 for we know not the period among them when wisdom and virtue were lightly esteemed4 ,let us reflect1 with religious gratitude1 on the momentous privileges and benefits bequeathed to us by our fathers4 ,in all their actions we trace a zealous solicitude to transmit to posterity a glorious inheritance4 ,like angels of light1 they would illuminate the minds of their children1 with the high importance of religious institutions1 seminaries1 and free schools4 ,if1 in any form1 they would enchain our minds1 it would be in the principles of civil and religious freedom1 of patriotism1 philanthropy1 moral rectitude1 and public virtue4 ,but 'our fathers1 where are they8' ,let us with laborious fidelity follow them in every good word and work1 that our children may1 in the spirit of gratitude and love1 reiterate the exclamation 'our fathers1 where are they8' ,it is our glorious privilege to live in an age when the elements of our terrestrial abode are rendered subservient to the most stupendous operations4 ,the works of men's hands appear as if endowed with intelligence2 the heated steam subverts the power of the fleetest steed1 and the facilities of traversing the earth and seas1 are like the airy flights of the feathered tribe4 ,but oh6 humbling consideration1 death triumphs over the frail nature of man2 our life is but a continued miracle1 capable of being sustained only by the hand of that omnipotent being whom we adore as the 'former of our bodies1 and the father of our spirits4' ,all must bow to the awful summons1 and quit this earthly tabernacle2 the last remains of mortality are consigned to the silent tomb to mingle with the parent dust4 ,transcriber's ,note ,variant spelling is preserved as printed4 ,minor punctuation errors have been repaired4 ,the following amendments have been made3 ,page #d--repeated 'for' deleted--444 our fathers have ascended to regions prepared for their reception1 444 ,page #cg--were amended to where--444 she enquired why ,i had called to her so often1 and where ,i was2 444 ,page #gf--;,demonaics amended to ,demoniacs--',demoniacs1' says ,kenrick1 'were persons disordered 444' ,page #agi--;be amended to he--444 to endanger him in his falling1 he could not forbear going out of his way 444 ,page #ahd--unacountably amended to unaccountably--444 yet unaccountably broke off1 444 ,page #bja--women amended to woman--,his place was supplied by another old woman1 444