On the Sabbath the physician came, who judged a main point of her distemper to be natural, arising from the foulness of her stomach and corruptness of her blood, occasioning fumes in her brain and strange fancies. Whereupon (in order to further trial and administration), she was removed home, and the succeeding week she took physick and was not in such violence handled in her fits as before, but enjoyed an intermission and gave some hopes of recovery, in which intermission she was altogether senseless (as to our discovery) of her state, held under security and hardness of heart, professing she had no trouble upon her spirits, she cried Satan had left her. A solemn day was kept with her,8 that it had then (as I apprehend) little efficacy upon her. She that day again expressed hopes that the Devil had left her, but there was little ground to think so because she remained under such extreme senselessness of her own estate. And thus she continued being exercised with some moderate fits, in which she used none of the former expressions but sometimes fainted away, sometimes used some strugglings, that not with extremity, till the Wednesday following, which day was spent in prayer with her. When her fits something more increased, and her tongue was for many hours together drawn into a semicircle up to the roof of her mouth, and not to be removed, for some tried with the fingers to do it, from thence till the Sabbath seven nights following, she continued alike, only she added to former confessions of her twice consenting to travel with the Devil in her company between Groton and Lancaster, who accompanied her in form of a black dog with eyes in his back, sometimes stopping her horse, sometimes leaping up behind, and keeping her (when she came home with company) 40 rod at least behind, leading her out of the way into a swamp, et cetera. But still no conference would she own, but urged that the Devil’s quarrel with her was because she would not seal a covenant with him, and that this was the ground of her first being taken. Besides this nothing observable came from her, only one morning she said, God is a father, the next morning, God is my father, which words (it is to be feared) were words of presumption put into her mouth by the adversary.9
I, suspecting the truth of her former story, pressed whether she never verbally promised to covenant with him, which she stoutly denied. Only acknowledged that she had had some thoughts so to do. But on the forenamed November 26 she was again with violence and extremity seized by her fits, in such wise that 6 persons could hardly hold her, but she leaped and skipped about the house perforce roaring and yelling extremely and fetching deadly sighs, as if her heartstrings would have broken and looking with a frightful aspect to the amazement and astonishment of all the beholders, of which I was an eyewitness. The physician being then again with her consented that the distemper was diabolical, refused further to administer, advised to extraordinary fasting, whereupon some of God’s ministers were sent for. She meanwhile continued extremely tormented night and day, till Tuesday about noon, having this added on Monday and Tuesday morning that she barked like a dog and bleated like a calf, in which her organs were visibly made use of. Yea (as was carefully observed), on Monday night and Tuesday morning, whenever any came near the house, though they within heard nothing at all, that would she bark till they were come into the house. On Tuesday, about 12 of the clock, she came out of the fit, which had held her from Sabbath day about the same time, at least 48 hours, with little or no intermission, and then her speech was restored to her, and she expressed a great seeming sense of her state. Many bitter tears, sighings, sobbings, complainings she uttered, bewailing of many sins fore mentioned, begging prayers, and in the hour of prayer expressing much affection. I then pressed if there were anything behind in reference to the dealings between her and Satan, when she again professed that she had related all and declared that in those fits the Devil had assaulted her many ways, that he came down the chimney, and she essayed to escape him, but was seized upon by him, that he sat upon her breast and used many arguments with her and that he urged her at one time with persuasions and promises of ease and great matters, told her that she had done enough in what she had already confessed, she might henceforth serve him more securely. Anon told her her time was past and there was no hope unless she would serve him. And it was observed in the time of her extremity, once when a little moment’s respite was granted her of speech, she advised us to make our peace with God, and use our time better then she had done. The party advised her also to bethink herself of making her peace. She replied, “It is too late for me.” The next day was solemnized, when we had the presence of Mr. Bulkley, Mr. Rowlandson, and Mr. Estabrooke, whither coming. We found her returned to a sottish and stupid kind of frame. Much was pressed upon her, but no affection at all discovered, though she was little or nothing exercised with any fits, and her speech also continued. Though a day or two after she was melancholy and being enquired of a reason, she complained that she was grieved that so much pains were taken with her and did her no good, but this held her not long. And thus she remained till Monday, when to some neighbors there present, she related something more of the converse with the Devil, namely, that it had been 5 years or thereabouts since she first saw him, and declared methodically the sundry apparitions from time to time, till she was thus dreadfully assaulted, in which, the principal was that after many assaults, she had resolved to seal a covenant with Satan, thinking she had better do it, than be thus followed by him, that once, when she lived at Lancaster, he presented himself and desired of her blood, and she would have done it, but wanted a knife. In the parley10 she was prevented by the providence of God interposing my father. A 2nd time in the house he met her and presented her a knife, and as she was going about it, my father stepped in again and prevented, that when she sought and enquired for the knife, it was not to be found, and that afterward she saw it sticking in the top of the barn, and some other like passages. She again owned an observable passage which she also had confessed in her first declaration, but is not there inserted, namely, that the Devil had often proffered her his service, but she accepted not, and once in ptic[?] to bring her in chips for the fire. She refused but when she came in she saw them lie by the fireside and was afraid, and this I remark, I sitting by the fire spake to her to lay them on, and she turned away in an unwonted manner. She then also declared against herself her unprofitable life she had led, and how justly God had thus permitted Satan to handle her, telling them they little knew what a sad case she was in. I after asked her concerning these passages, and she owned the truth of them and declared that now she hoped the Devil had left her, but being pressed whether there were not a covenant, she earnestly professed that by God’s goodness she had been prevented from doing that, which she of herself had been ready enough to assent to and she thanked God there was no such thing.
The same day she was again taken with a new kind of unwonted fit in which after she had been awhile exercised with violence. She got her a stick and went up and down, thrusting and pushing here and there,11 and anon looking out at a window, and cried out of a witch appearing in a strange manner in form of a dog downward with a woman’s head, and declared the person, other whiles that she appeared in her whole likeness, and described her shape and habit, signified that she went up the chimney and went her way. What impression we read in the clay of the chimney, in similitude of a dog’s paw, by the operation of Satan and in the form of a dog’s going in the same place she told of, I shall not conclude, though something there was, as I myself saw in the chimney in the same place where she declared the foot was set to go up.
In this manner was she handled that night and the 2 next days, using strange gestures, complaining by signs when she could not speak, explaining that she was sometimes in the chamber, sometimes in the chimney, and anon assaults her, sometimes scratching her breast, beating her sides, strangling her throat, and she did oftentimes seemed to our apprehension as if she would forthwith be strangled. She declared that if the party were apprehended she should forthwith be well, but never till then. Whereupon her father went and procured the coming of the woman impeached by her, who came down to her
on Thursday night, where (being desired to be present) I observed that she was violently handled and lamentably tormented by the adversary, and uttered unusual shrieks at the instant of the person’s coming in, though her eyes were fast closed. But having experience of such former actings, we made nothing of it, but waited the issue. God therefore was sought to, to signify something whereby the innocent might be acquitted or the guilty discovered,12 and he answered our prayers, for by 2 evident and clear mistakes she was cleared, and then all prejudices ceased, and she never more to this day hath impeached her of any apparition. In the fore mentioned allegation of the person, she also signified that sometimes the Devil also in the likeness of a little boy appeared together with the person. Friday was a sad day with her, for she was sorely handled with fits, which some perceiving, pressed that there was something that behind not discovered by her, and she, after a violent fit, holding her between 2 and 3 hours did first to one and afterward to many acknowledge that she had given of her blood to the Devil and made a covenant with him, whereupon I was sent for to her, and understanding how things had passed, I found that there was no room for privacy, in another already made by her so public. I therefore examined her concerning the matter and found her not so forward to confess as she had been to others, that this much I gathered from her confession.
That after she came to dwell with us, one day as she was alone in a lower room, all the rest of us being in the chamber, she looked out at the window and saw the Devil in the habit of an old man coming over a great meadow lying near the house, and suspecting his design, she had thoughts to have gone away, that at length resolved to tarry it out and hear what he had to say to her. When he came he demanded of her some of her blood, which she forthwith consented to, and with a knife cut her finger. He caught the blood in his hand and then told her she must write her name in his book. She answered she could not write, but he told her he would direct her hand and then took a little sharpened stick and dipped in the blood and put it into her hand and guided it, and she wrote her name with his help. What was the matter she set her hand to, I could not learn from her; but thus much she confessed, that the term of time agreed upon with him was for 7 years. One year she was to be faithful in his service, and then the other six he would serve her and make her a witch. She also related that the ground of contest between her and the Devil, which was the occasion of this sad providence, was this: that after her covenant made, the Devil showed her hell and the damned and told her if she were not faithful to him, she should go thither and be tormented there. She desired of him to show her heaven, but he told her that heaven was an ugly place and that none went thither but a company of base rogues whom he hated. But if she would obey him, it should be well with her. But afterward she considered with herself that the term of her covenant was but short and would soon be at an end and she doubted (for all the Devil’s promises) she must at last come to the place he had shown her. And withal, feared if she were a witch, she should be discovered and brought to a shameful end, which was many times a trouble on her spirits. This the Devil perceiving, urged upon her to give him more of her blood and set her hand again to his book, which she refused to do, but partly through promises, partly by threatenings, he brought her at last to a promise that she would sometime do it. After which he left not incessantly to urge her to the performance of it. Once he met her on the stairs and often elsewhere, pressing her with vehemence, but she still put it off, till the first night she was taken when the Devil came to her and told her he would not tarry any longer. She told him she would not do it. He answered she had done it already and what further damage would it be to do it again, for she was his sure enough. She rejoined she had done it already and if she were his sure enough, what need he to desire any more of her. Whereupon he struck her the first night, again more violently the 2nd as is above expressed.
This is the sum of the relation I then had from her, which at that time seemed to be methodical. These things she uttered with great affection, overflowing of tears, and seeming bitterness. I asked of the reason of her weeping and bitterness. She complained of her sins and some in particular, profanation of the Sabbath, et cetera, but nothing of this sin of renouncing the government of God and giving herself up to the Devil. I therefore (as God helped) applied it to her and asked her whether she desired not prayers with and for her. She assented with earnestness and in prayer seemed to bewail the sin as God helped, then in the aggravation of it and afterward declared a desire to rely on the power and mercy of God in Christ. She then also declared that the Devil had deceived her concerning those persons impeached by her, that he had in their likeness or resemblance tormented her, persuading her that it was they, that they bore her a spleen, but he loved her and would free her from them and pressed on her to endeavor to bring them forth to the censure of the law.
In this case I left her but (not being satisfied in some things) I promised to visit her again the next day, which accordingly I did, but coming to her, I found her (though her speech still remained) in a case sad enough, her tears dried up and senses stupefied, and (as was observed) when I could get nothing from her and therefore applied myself in counsel to her, she regarded it not, but fixed her eye steadfastly upon a place, as she was wont when the Devil presented himself to her, which was a grief to her parents, and brought me to a stand. In the condition I left her.
The next day, being the Sabbath, whether upon any hint given her or any advantage Satan took by it upon her, she sent for me in haste at noon. Coming to her, she immediately with tears told me that she had belied the Devil in saying she had given him of her blood, et cetera. Professed that the most of the apparitions she had spoken of were but fancies, as images represented in a dream, earnestly entreated me to believe her, called God to witness to her assertion. I told her I would willingly hope the best and believe what I had any good grounds to apprehend. If therefore she would tell a more methodical relation than the former, it would be well, but if otherwise, she must be content that everyone should censure according to their apprehension. She promised so to do and expressed a desire that all that would might hear her, that as they had heard so many lies and untruths, they might now hear the truth, and engaged that in the evening she would do it. I then repaired to her, and diverse more then went. She then declared this much, that the Devil had sometimes appeared to her, that the occasion of it was her discontent, that her condition displeased her, her labor was burdensome to her, she was neither content to be at home nor abroad and had oftentimes strong persuasions to practice in witchcraft, had often wished the Devil would come to her at such and such times and resolved that if he would, she would give herself up to him soul and body. But (though he had oft times appeared to her) at such times he had not discovered himself, and therefore she had been preserved from such a thing. I declared a suspicion of the truth of the relation and gave her some reasons. But by reason of the company did not say much, neither could anything further be gotten from her. But the next day I went to her and opened my mind to her alone and left it with her declared (among other things) that she had used preposterous courses and therefore it was no marvel that she had been led into such contradictions and tendered her all the help I could, if she would make use of me and more privately relate any weighty and serious case of conscience to me. She promised me she would if she knew anything but said that then she knew nothing at all but stood to the story she had told the foregoing evening. And indeed what to make of these things I at present know not, but am waiting till God (if he see meet) wind up the story and make a more clear discovery.
It was not many days ere she was hurried again into violent fits after a different manner, being taken again speechless and using all endeavors to make away with herself and do mischief unto others, striking those that held her, spitting in their faces. And if at any time she had done any harm or frightened them, she would laugh immediately, which fits held her sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. Few occasions she had of speech, but when she could speak, she
complained of a hard heart, counseled some to beware of sin, for that had brought her to this, bewailed that so many prayers had been put up for her and she still so hard hearted, and no more good wrought upon her. But being asked whether she were willing to repent, shaked her head and said nothing. Thus she continued till the next Sabbath in the afternoon, on which day in the morning, being something better than at other times, she had but little company tarried with her in the afternoon, when the Devil began to make more full discovery of himself.