Page:A brief history of witchcraft - with especial reference to the witches of Northamptonshire (IA b3056721x).pdf/16

 "there appeared in the room a little white thing, about the bigness of a cat, which sat upon Mary Phillip's lap, at which time she heard her, the said Mary Phillips, say, then pointing to Elinor Shaw, that she was the witch that kill'd Mrs. Wise, by roasting her effiges in wax, sticking it full of pinns, and till it was all wasted, and all this she affirm'd was done the same night Mrs. Wise dyed in a sad and languishing condition." This reminds us at once of Hopkins's system and the charge against the Duchess of Gloucester. The imps and other familiars figured very largely, the prisoners being accused not only of having red, dun, and black imps sent to them, who "nightly sucked a large teat," but of sending others to persons whom they wished to help in doing mischief. "Another evidence," for instance, "made oath that being one day at her house they told her she was a fool to live so miserable as she did, and therefore if she was willing they would send something that night that would relieve her, and being an ignorant woman she consented, and accordingly the same night two little black things, almost like moles, came to her and sucked her, repeating the same for two or three nights after, till she was almost frighted out of her sences, insomuch that she was forced to send for Mr. Danks, the minister, to pray by her several nights before the said imps would leave her; she also added that she heard the said prisoners say that they would be revenged on Mrs. Wise because she would not give them some buttermilk." This buttermilk business was very humiliating for his Satanic Majesty's agents to have to do with, but it appears that the longer they lived in the world the more did the dignity of their life descend. The popular belief was that the places sucked by the imps became insensible to feeling, and hence the test by pricking a suspected witch. Ellinor Shaw added that if the imps were not constantly imploy'd to do mischief, they (the witches) had not their healths; but when they were imploy'd they were very healthful and well." This was precisely what Anne Leach, of Mistley, one of Hopkins's victims, had said sixty years before.

Some further evidence was given in court to the effect that a boy taken with fits had described the prisoners as the source of the mischief, though he had never before seen them; and on some water being put into a stone bottle with pins and needles, and buried under the hearth of the house, the prisoners made their appearance, and asked that the bottle might be taken up, but their request was not granted until they had confessed their complicity. The boy, however, was so "violently handled" the next night but one that he died. These and the other matters having been solemnly sworn to, the judge gave a "larned charge to the jury relating to every particular circumstance," and in spite of their protestations they were found guilty of "wilful murther and witchcraft," and on the next day duly sentenced to death.

But the stories of their pranks do not end here. Although they are said to have "made a howling and lamentable noise" on hearing the announcement of their fate, popular rumour gave them credit for being "game" to the last. While they were in prison a Mr. Laxon and his wife one day had the curiosity to look through the grating, and they rashly taunted Shaw with having been left in the lurch by her infernal friend; but the words were no sooner uttered than she was seen to mutter to herself for a minute or two, and then Mrs. Laxon's clothes suddenly took a turn towards the sky, and she found herself in a condition of which she would have the utmost horror. When the witch had enjoyed a good laugh, and called out that she had "proved her lyer," the habiliments returned to their usual place. A similar trick was played on the keeper of the prison, who had threatened them with irons. The strange and awful narrative of the execution we must extract in full :-"They were so hardened in their wickedness that they publicly boasted that their master (meaning the Devil) would not suffer them to be executed, but they found him lyer, for on Saturday morning, being the 17th inst., they were carried to the gallows on the north side of the town, whither numerous crowd's of people went to see them die, and being come to the place of execution the minister repeated his former pious endeavours, to bring them to a sence of their sins, but to as little purpose as before; for instead of calling on God for mercy, nothing was heard from them but damning and cursing; however, a little before they were ty'd up, at the request of the minister, Ellinor Shaw confessed not only the crime for which she dyed, but openly declared before them all how she first became a witch, as did also Mary Phillips; and being desired to say their prayers, they both set up a very loud laughter, calling for the devil to come and help them in such a blasphemous manner as is not fit to mention; so that the sheriff, seeing their presumptious impenitence, caused them to be executed with all the expedition possible, even while they were cursing