called upon to interpret some things to his own or others' satisfaction: 'Tis the business of this head to explain them. First, then, as to Eh's telling of strange stories, dreams, &c. I have this to say of it, that she was owner of a good share of mother wit, and was more than ordinarily delighted with reading, and had a tenacious memory, by which means she could relate most things she had heard or read, and apply them; she could leave out or put into a story that which would render it surprising. As to her falling down as dead, upon reading the words God, Christ, and Holy Ghost, &c. she did it willingly and perversely, having read in some accounts of witchcraft that afflicted persons always do so. The noises and disturbances in the house were made by these children, who could climb up and down about it and upon it. They would steal away unseen, and go down into ponds of water, and climb to the tops of trees, and sometimes get so high that they could not for their lives, of themselves, safely come down. And though it was a common report that they flew to those places, (and it is true that they said so,) yet no person ever saw them flying: Those that have often asserted it formerly, dare not give their oaths to it. Eh told me she never could get upon the barn, which Ja climbed to the top of; and though Ja climbed upon it, yet she could not come down; and that those who came to help her used ladders for the purpose. The wounds, the pinches, the bruises they complained of, (the marks of which were to be seen) they privately gave with their own hands. Eh told me she once in company pinched her forehead, and then immediately complained of a violent pain in her head, and desired one to hold it, which was done; and all the while the person held it she complained she was pinched, and when the hand was taken away the plain mark of a pinch appeared, which confirmed her being bewitched to all that were present.

The children falsely accused Mrs. Dy, and all the reason they give for it is this-they had proceeded so far in their wicked course that they were both ashamed and afraid to come to a confession of it. And an accusation

of somebody (no matter who) was the next step. Mrs. Dy -y is pitched upon by E-h without any foundation. She owns she never appeared to her, or did her the least hurt, and when she told her mother of the bird in the room, she saw nothing; her mother struck at nothing; and the hurt which Mrs. Dy received was no ways owing to such a cause; but, as I am informed, Mrs. D -y was troubled with an ague in her face, and had at that time been applying an harsh and hot medicine which an unskilful neighbour had simply advised her to, which took off the skin from one side of her face. And when she told her mother, in the other instance, that Mrs. D-y was in such a part of the room, she did not see her nor any appearance at all; and her mother only fought with the air and the floor; Mrs. Dy received no injury by it; but at that time (as I heard) was riding on an horse behind her husband, and said to him she believed she had broke something within her, upon which she took to her chamber, and in a short time after died, I should note here that she was with child, and the horse was going exceeding swift and hard. Her death exceedingly terrify'd the two eldest of these children, who were very capable of reflection; but the youngest, through weakness, paid no regard unto it. These sisters, who were not afraid of wilfully sinning against God, were now trembling for fear of seeing an apparition from the dead, Eh told me she expected no other for a long time, but that Mrs. Dy would come and revenge the wrongs offered her. The fear of some such thing has at times kept her in a state of bondage until now.

I pass now, in the 4th place, to declare the reasons and motives that excited these children at first, and afterwards, to such a behaviour. E-h tells me freely, her's took its rise from folly and pride: When she found she pleased others (whether elder or younger) or caused admiration in them, she was over pleased with, and admired herself, grew conceited and high minded. She thought, to be able to deceive her parents and neighbours was a fine accomplishment; but for a long while after she indulged this humour, she had no thought of nor

design about what it ended in. She never dreamt of witchcraft in all her dreams. She knew not but that other people's speaking of such a thing might put it into her head. She owns she was so much lifted up with pride, that she could not think of humbling herself. She was sorry that ever she began, but could not entertain a thought of leaving off, and therefore, as is the way of the wicked, she told one lie to hide another; adding sin to sin, and proceeding from evil to evil, until she had filled up the measure of iniquity to that height as has been. described. J -a, observing her sister's performances for four months together, especially her being in ponds and upon trees, &c. (although at the same time she really believed her sister to be under an evil hand) had the curiosity to try if she could not perform the like pranks in a natural way, which she found herself able to do with as great facility. She outdid her sister in one thing, namely, in the instance given of climbing a barn, which Eh never attained to. Upon this she feigned herself to be in the like circumstances. E-—————h, finding Ja so active and cunning, and having many times mourned the want of an associate and assistant, she took Ja aside one day, (though with much reluctance, fearing that thereby the plot might sometime or other be discovered,) and told her the whole lying story with a great deal of truth; and persuaded her to join in the hellish design of deceiving and grieving their parents and neighbours, and ruining the character of Mrs. D-y, and serving the devil. Thus they took wicked. counsel together, and J-a complied with all that was proposed, and vowed secrecy. By this agreement they had opportunity and better advantage of contriving and carrying on the accursed scheme. Now, whilst one held the neighbours in discourse, &c., the other would surprise them with a shrill cry, and be found at a great distance, when it was asserted and believed that they were both together but a moment before. The youngest daughter, My, believed her sisters, E-h and Ja, were both possessed and bewitched, and yet commenced the same behaviour about two months after

Ja; but upon different reasons and motives. This little girl had observed what sort of treatment her sisters had met with during their disorders, viz. that they seemed to be more the object of their parents' care and love, as well as pity, than ever; and more than her dear self, (who was now in some measure neglected on their account,) though her years called for greater tenderness; she therefore thought, that if she made the like complaints, they would soon turn the tide of their affections into the right channel; and accordingly she feigned herself afflicted, said and acted as they did, to the very last, without being found out; nay, she held it longer than her sisters, as I hinted under a former head; and, as Eh tells me, it was with unwearied pains (by promises and threatenings) they hindered her from proceeding, and so put a period to this wicked affair.

I pass now, in the 5th place, to shew the manner in which these children were treated, and how they ought to have been managed during their strange behaviour. I have already told you, under the 2d head, what people's opinions were about them and their actions, and we may be sure they were treated accordingly, The parents scarce ever entertained an hard thought of them; they never once imagined the truth-that such folly and wickedness could be bound up in the hearts of their dear children; and therefore they treated them with all imaginable tenderness. They sent for physicians, to find what was amiss in their bodies, to heal them; and for the elders to pray for them and over them; and the credulous neighbours came often to visit and pity them. But as there were those who all along suspected they were dissemblers, we must suppose they met with rougher treatment from them. They would solemnly put some serious questions to them, and sometimes reprove, rebuke, exhort and warn them. The number of those were small, compared with others who bolstered them up in their folly : Few cared to meddle far in an affair that was so dark and intricate; none made a business of it to detect them. Some reverend and wise persons advised the parents to separate them, and offered to receive them into their

houses, (when they came to ask them to keep a day of fasting and prayer on their account,) but the fond and weeping parents could not think of it, but returned sorrowful home. Had this prudent method been fallen into, or had they been all along carefully watched (as we would those we suspect of forgery and deceit,) they might easily have been countermined and confounded in most of their projections and actions. Eh told me that, even when none suspected them, they were put to a thousand shifts to ripen and to bring things to pass, and as often in danger of being found out; and had not almost any excuse or reason been swallowed, all their schemes would have been dashed to pieces. I make no doubt, but in this long course of sinning Satan was very officious, and now and then suggested a thought to them, when they were brought to an extremity. But yet if all matters had been thoroughly scanned and canvassed, I question whether he would have been able to furnish them with such excuses as would clear them before wise

and good men. Eh told me one story which is very remarkable to this purpose: The three children were in bed together, and contriving mischief; one of them was sent out by the others to a closet to fetch a bottle, with which she quickly returned to them. In a few minutes, they complained of a bottle, which (as they said) was, without hands, conveyed to them, and by which they were grievously afflicted. In the midst of these complaints, E- -h had this thought starting in her mind, What if my father should have seen my sister fetch the bottle? Upon which, she lift up her voice and said. Why do you complain of the bottle? Sister just now fetched it for me to smell of: I wish every thing came to us by the same natural means. Her thought was right; for her father was sitting in an apartment where he saw one of the children fetch the bottle. Now if one such matter had been followed up close, it is not unlikely but the whole cheat would have been discovered; had the parents been severe, and used the children as they deserved, the lying spirit would have departed from them, which abode with them many years after